Written by Kelsey
12 Dec 2025
You might have heard of the Nobel Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the world. From the Red Cross to Martin Luther King Jr., some incredible people and organizations have received the prize- in fields from peace to physics. One of the perks of living and studying in Sweden is getting to see the Nobel Week festivities. As a student, there’s plenty of ways to get involved in all the fun, and learn something while you’re at it!
What is the Nobel Prize?
The Nobel Prize celebrates outstanding individuals and organizations that have “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” They award prizes in fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. This is the legacy of Alfred Nobel. He was a Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur, who left specific instructions in his will to create the prize. Since 1901, the prizes have been awarded 633 times to 1,026 people and organizations.
Today, many Nobel events take place in Sweden. Students have the opportunity to get involved in Nobel Week events– from attending lectures, volunteering at events, and even participating on panels with Nobel laureates. If you weren’t able to attend in person, they also filmed the events! You can watch 2025 livestreams of the Nobel Prize lectures, Nobel Week Dialogue, the award ceremonies, and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum here.
Attending Nobel Week Dialogue as a Student
Luckily for me, this year’s Nobel Week Dialogue took place in Gothenburg! This was a free event that was open to the public, including students. As soon as I found out about this cool opportunity, I immediately signed up! The topic was Health For All. Nobel laureates shared innovative health research and explored how to ensure equitable access to healthcare.
Health science isn’t my area of expertise, so some of the information went a little over my head. But for the most part, the speakers did a great job of breaking down complex topics in an easily understandable way. They connected the scientific research to real-life implications and consequences, and highlighted the work that still needs to be done. Topics ranged from the economy of health and mental health challenges to AI’s impact on medicine and genetically encoding chemistry.
It’s always interesting to learn about something new and expand your horizons, and there might be connections to your normal field of study. The innovative science also had policy implications and challenges, which was interesting to consider as someone studying political science. So, I’d definitely recommend attending these events, even if you don’t think it’s directly relevant to your studies.
Student Speaking Opportunities
It was super inspiring to see students on the stage as panelists. There were two talks that included students, 3 students from Chalmers and 3 students from the University of Gothenburg. They sat down with a Nobel laureate, posing questions about how they can apply expert knowledge to their own research. I was impressed with their ability to stay calm under that kind of pressure. I’m sure I would struggle to speak in front of a Nobel laureate, a room full of people, and an online audience.
During the lunch break (delicious free salads for every attendee!), I caught up with one of the students, Safiya Hassan. She told me she’s a student ambassador at the University of Gothenburg, which is where she found out about the opportunity! For her, it was as simple as replying to an email and applying to speak. She encourages other students to take advantage of these types of opportunities. In Safiya’s words, “Even though you’re nervous, just do it!”.
Another student speaker from Chalmers students was recommended by her research supervisor. So if this is something you might be interested in, you can start building strong relationships with your professors, showcasing your work ethic and speaking skills, and maybe even expressing interest in getting involved in Nobel Week.
So… should I get involved with the Nobel Foundation?
It seems like the Nobel Foundation is making a concerted effort to engage with students in Sweden! In fact, one of our student ambassadors, Ravi, even got the chance to interview a Nobel laureate in 2024. From encouraging students to attend events to providing opportunities to speak with Nobel laureates, the Nobel Foundation provides many ways to get involved. My experience attending the Health for All Dialogue was inspiring and informational, and I would 100% recommend it to other students. I can’t wait to engage in Nobel Week events in the future!
