Israel may be a small country, but it has produced ten Nobel Laureates, of which four are for Chemistry. Nobel Laureate Dan Shechtman won the Nobel Prize last year for chemistry for his discovery of quasicrystals. Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, where Dr. Shechtman works is the first and smallest university in the country.
It has [produced] three Nobel Laureates in Chemistry,” he said to The Hindu during an interaction with journalists at the recently concluded 62nd Nobel Laureates Meeting dedicated to physics from July 1 to July 7 at Lindau, Germany.
Prof. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009, two years before Dr. Shechtman.
Despite being a small country, how has it managed to produce so many Laureates? “I don’t know the answer,” he said frankly. “I think we do good work. I think we encourage young talented people to go to science.”
Though he was at a loss to pinpoint the reasons, he did shed some light to what may be the factors facilitating his country’s success. “We have very good scientists in Israel. We publish many papers in many reputed journals,” he noted.
But one of the distinguishing factors that emerged is the way the scientists interact with their counterparts based in other countries. “We are encouraged to travel to other laboratories in the world,” he said. To facilitate this interaction, very vital for science, the scientists are allowed to avail a sabbatical for period extending up to 6 to 7 years. “Every summer, if you want to go and work somewhere, they allow you [to go]. So we have many contacts in the world,” he revealed.
In fact, it was while Dr. Shechtman was on a sabbatical at Johns Hopkins University and working with the National Bureau of Standards in 1982 that he discovered the existence of quasicrystals.
Availability of liberal funding is another critical factor. Scientists have several sources of funding to turn to — industrial, defence, government and binational funding. The binational funding comes from binational agreements — Israel-Germany, Israel-United States, Israel-England and others.
Another peculiar aspect is that the government does not fund universities directly. Instead, it provides fund to intermediate bodies, which in turn fund the universities. “So the government is not directly involved. We [are in touch with] the intermediate bodies and it is excellent,” he underlined.
“A good scientist who writes a good project proposal has a good chance of securing funding,” he said. “In my department, there are 16 faculty members and everyone has a nice chunk of research funds.”
According to him everybody communicates with everybody else in Israel. “Communication is good for science. People need to talk,” he said. “All these don’t answer your question [of how a small country is able to produce so many Nobel Laureates]. I understand that. I don’t know what the reason is.”
But there are challenges. “There are many scientists who cannot find jobs in Israel,” he said. “Israel is a start-up country. Everybody thinks of starting a start-up. The number of start-ups in the country is enormous. The spirit of entrepreneurship is fantastic.”
Eighteen students from India participated in the 62nd Nobel Laureates Meeting at Lindau. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) sponsored their visit.
(This Correspondent was one of the two journalists from India who participated in the 62nd Nobel Laureates Meeting at Lindau, Germany, at the invitation of the German Research Foundation (DFG) Bonn.)
This article is re-edited for clarity.
Keywords: Technion, Dan Shechtman, Nobel Laureates Meeting, Lindau, Nobel Prize, quasicrystals, Isarel scientists,
hi! It is to surprising to know that being a small country Israel has many a brains to speak of .But look at us how far are we lagging. It is time to bring about a revolutionary change to our system,if we wish to be in limelight in S&T.RAMANS in the country must be given importance than myths
Respect to India and Israel. Two great countries in their own ways and
two great partners.
In our country young talent starts his struggle to get started and by the time he/she gets something he/she loses his/her enthusiasm to think and do somthing new for science. Blame is to scientific bodies where too big elders are sitting, who never encourage the lesser known to be known bigger than them. So real scientist is lost a politico-scientist is born. So net result poor research outcomes. That's why no Nobel prize is begged by Indians.Let the lesser known hard working people be encouraged than see....... the results.
hi, i am shravan, first of all our old and traditional concepts to
become doctor or engineers should be changed. because this is major
behind our talented and devoted students to thinks over money and
cannot concentrate on their aim or works. secondly government should
encourage talented students through various types of financial
assistance, like scholarships,and other types. Government should
encourage and funding institutes which are related to these, should
have laboratory and library facilities. Govt can support to these
students by providing a competitive and scientific environment under a
common campus.
Sixty students who were privelleged to attend the meeting and share their experiences in Germany must write individually in Hindu how Government of India can learn to enhance the infrastructure and create enabling environment for our scientists to contribute to the world, if not receive nobel prize. Our learned technocrat PM who has inaugurated eight Indian Science Congress should have concern and commitment to see that Indian scientists are adequately trained and incentivized to become accredited scientists. Indian farmers have much more to learn from this tiny and desert country Israel to make our dryland agriculture productive, viable and sustainable.
Except for Sir C V Raman,all other Nobel Laureates of Indian origin worked abroad in
science laboratories well net worked and well funded.Motivation to have a career in science
is quite lacking from elementary class itself.Though India has a Department of Science and
Technology,Department of Biotechnology,ICAR,ICMR,AYUSH etc and a host of scientist
exchange programs and inter country collaborative agreements and MOU s,the level of
excellence is not as expected.As UGC pay package is applicable in many Science
organizations,promotions are only by sheer years of service.Publication in journals of high
impact factor is not important.What is important is trade unionism and timely
promotion.Science has degraded into employment and peer reviews are seldom made.As
funding is mostly from Government,scientists are harassed at spending and auditing
level.Much time is wasted on paper work.The country's science cannot be insulated from
the illness of India's governance.
Israel has some of the best minds in the world. When you have the best minds, a very efficient infrastructure free of bureaucratic inefficiences and a high degree of motivation shared by the talented minds , this is the result.
If India wishes to be a world leader in Science and Technology, India must have a similar kind of arrangement.
Please Email the Editor