An exhibition on Alfred Nobel

"Had he lived, Alfred Nobel would have opened a branch for his company in Dubai," said Svante Lindqvist, director of the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. For, Nobel was not only an inventor, but also an entrepreneur who combined his talent with his networking and business skills to build a number of companies around the world.

Lindqvist was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the international Alfred Nobel exhibition currently being held in Dubai Men's College (DMC). Nobel's life and achievements are being highlighted at the exhibition titled Alfred Nobel: Networks of Innovation.

The exhibition was inaugurated in late March by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. It will run until May 30, following which it will move to Paris and Sydney among other cities around the world.

Six pavilions

The exhibition, the first of its kind to be held in the Middle East, is receiving a good response from students and others inquisitive about the man and his creations.

There are stalls displaying items from Nobel's house, workplace and labs; icons related to his life, work, family and his establishment of the Nobel Prize. Plasma screens show photographs of the scientist, the letters he wrote and documentaries on his life.

Students from the organising committee are stationed at the six pavilions in the hall, ready to answer questions on the items displayed. The pavilions each focus on an aspect of the scientist's life — his life in St Petersburg, his innovative personality, his inventions in the economic sector and his works during his life in Paris. Also displayed are the works of Nobel Laureates.

Four zones are dedicated to innovations in entertainment and communications set up by Samsung, the event sponsor.

"The purpose of the conference is to inspire young people and anyone interested in entrepreneurship," Vante told Notes. "Nobel built a multinational company and kept his empire effective by writing a number of letters every day, by hand, in five different languages. He did all that by himself. This is why we are showing that he was not only an inventor but also a businessman."

A Nobel among students

For students who believe they can be a future Nobel Prize winner, the director of the museum has some good news. "The Nobel Prize was Western for a long time. This is changing. We want to show that it is international. We want to take it to South Africa, Latin American and the Arab world. Students here will get a chance to win the Nobel Prize if they excel. Things are changing and expanding. One hundred years from now, the map will look totally different," he said.

It is primarily in recognition of this that the Nobel Museum collaborated with the Higher Colleges of Technology to bring the exhibition to Dubai.

"Dubai is interesting because in his time, Nobel lived in Paris, which was the centre of science and knowledge. Today, Dubai is the centre of excellence. The exhibition is all about innovation and entrepreneurship and this is at the heart of this city," Lindqvist said.

"One of the fascinating things about the UAE is that it stresses the importance of higher education and the young motivated people are the ones who will come up with innovations," he added.

'We have the resources'

Speaking to Notes, students said that they would like to make an impact similar to Nobel's impact on science, research and the world as a whole.

"Why not become an Alfred Nobel ourselves? We have the resources and we hope to reach where he reached some day," said Rashed Mohammad, foundation student at DMC. "This exhibition should be held in schools so that young students learn about scientists."

The students seemed confident that they could attain the kind of success Nobel did with hard work and dedication. Most of them were eager to work towards the Nobel Peace Prize. "I'd go for the peace prize if I could, because you can work in anything and promote peace at the same time. I hope I would be able to achieve peace through my work in the future," said Saud Abdul Aziz, a DMC foundation student who is planning to major in business.

"I would be interested in the literature and the peace categories, or the more recently introduced economics category," said Ali Abdullah, foundations student. "I am more inclined towards the humanities; science is more difficult and requires dedication and high levels of concentration."

A role model

The motto of the event is 'taking Nobel as an inspiration'.
"Nobel is a role model for all of us. He has achieved something despite the little resources he had. Students have to think of him as a leader and an inspiration; this is their start line towards success," Abdul Aziz said.

Hussain Al Numairi agreed. "This exhibition marks a new era in the college because it brings ideas of Nobel here. He inspires me to try, try and try to succeed. He never gave up, and 100 years later, his name survives," he said.

Who is Alfred Nobel?

Alfred Nobel is a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, armaments manufacturer and the inventor of dynamite. He was born in Stockholm in 1833.

His inventions include substitutes for rubber, leather and silk. His most important inventions were the detonator and dynamite. His most important military invention was smokeless powder.

How the Nobel Prize was instituted

As Alfred Nobel never married, he wrote a will that would see his money benefiting future inventors and achievers. In his will, he wrote: "The whole of my remaining realisable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

The funds were distributed for work in the categories of literature, physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, for promoting fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the promotion of peace.

In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economics in memory of Alfred Nobel.

What do Nobel Laureates read?

Reading on the sly
Eric Cornell, the Nobel Prize of Physics, 2001
"Indeed in elementary school I often kept my desktop slightly open and affected an alert-looking pose that still allowed me to peek into the desk where I kept open my latest book, as interesting as it was irrelevant to the academic subject at hand."

The junior encyclopedia
J. Robin Warren, The Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, 2005
"Both before and after starting university, I always read widely, including numerous scientific books and medical history books. Astronomy was a particular interest of mine at the time. I remember reading Fred Hoyle's books about the universe. I read the Oxford Junior Encyclopedia, all 12 volumes."
— Source: Nobelprize.org

Students meet Crown Princess Victoria

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden met 12 students from the Higher Colleges of Technology. Among the subjects discussed were education and the students' hopes for the future.

"We talked about ourselves, our major of study and our ambitions," said Al Anoud Al Juneidy, applied communications student at Dubai Women's College.

Khalifa Abdullah, foundation student at DMC, said the chat was interesting and rather personal as the students were encouraged to talk about themselves and their aspirations.

Some Nobel Peace Prize winners

Do you think the Nobel prize is justly awarded?

"It should be given to the person who deserves it most. It's not fair enough because it is given more to people in the West."
— Elizabeth Joseph, BBA, Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU)

"It should be given to deserving people, and maybe if I try I will get it."
— Rincy Rajan, BBA, MGU


"I am neither familiar with Alfred Nobel nor the Nobel Prize. "
— Faiza Muqeem, BA, SZABIST

"People in this part of the world deserve to be awarded. It is biased towards the UK and the US mostly."
— Aditya Surana, computer science, BITS, Pilani — Dubai

"In most cases it is deserved but a sample of history shows that 10 out of 100 are given to people in the East. "
— Projit Mookerjee, electronics and instrumentation, BITS, Pilani, Dubai

"I don't know what the Nobel Prize is. I haven't heard of it."
— Sumaira Mukhtar, BBA, SZABIST

Which category of the Nobel Prize appeals to you?

"Medicine. I feel this field needs to be acknowledged. Our very existence relies on the progress we make in this sector."
—Hussam Samar Qamddi, information technology, University of Wollongong in Dubai

"Literature or the peace categories, or the more recently introduced economics category as I have a business mind."
— Ali Abdullah Dubai Men's College

"Economics. The world runs on this single sector. And I feel further progress in this field is indispensable for cultivating sustainable development across the globe."
— Hamza Azzouz, accounting , Ajman University

"Peace. We live in a world crippled with never ending wars and I think promoting peace is the need of the hour."
— Fareeda Ahmad, accounting and finance, University of London in Dubai

"Economics will be my priority. With the world witnessing the aftermath of soaring inflation I realise the importance of economics in our daily lives."
— Fiza Javed, medicine, University of Seychelles

"Medicine. I am a medical student and when it comes to social responsibility, this profession has an edge over others."
— Salman Ayaz, medicine, University of Seychelles