Can A Malaysian Win The Nobel Prize?
Under normal circumstances I would have broken down with laughter on hearing anything as preposterous as that. However an eminent Nobel Laureate thinks its possible!
The 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Prof Dr Peter C. Agre, is optimistic. Prof Dr Agre, Vice-Chancellor for Science and Technology at the School of Medicine, Duke University, said the government's support through huge investment in science could contribute to realising the dream. However, local scientists need to be patient as recognition of their present researches would normally come 20 or 50 years later, he told reporters after delivering a public lecture on Aquaporin Water Channels: Science and Life at Universiti Putra Malaysia here.
Prof Dr Agre said his research on aquaporins was carried out in 1985 and he made the discovery in 1992 but recognition by the scientific community came only in 2003. Aquoporin is a family of water channel proteins found throughout nature, responsible for numerous physiological processes in humans and implicated in multiple clinical disorders. Prof Dr Agre is currently Professor of Cell Biology and Professor of Medicine at the Duke University.
He, however, pointed out that the winner in science need not necessarily be a scientist as history had proven that people without medical background and doctorate could win the Nobel Prize in Medicine, for example, for inventing the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). "You don't necessarily need to be a chemist to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the same goes that you don't need to be a doctor to win a Nobel Prize in Medicine," he said. This was because science could go from one field to another through collaboration, he said.
As much as I hate disagreeing, with of all people a Nobel Prize winner, I must humbly submit that while the good Professor has a valid point about the time lag between achievement and recognition, unfortunately this principle does not apply to Malaysia. His opinion on the matter would probably be more appropriate if it were directed at Thailand, Indonesia or Singapore. None of the aforementioned countries has a national discriminatory policy in education and therefore genuine talent is nurtured, nourished and encouraged in an environment conducive to cutting-edge research. Although billions may be spent here, there is no point if the appropriate persons are not given the opportunities to embark on the painstaking and meticulous research that is essential to make discoveries that matter. Not those that will only be listed in the Malaysia Book of Records.
The 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Prof Dr Peter C. Agre, is optimistic. Prof Dr Agre, Vice-Chancellor for Science and Technology at the School of Medicine, Duke University, said the government's support through huge investment in science could contribute to realising the dream. However, local scientists need to be patient as recognition of their present researches would normally come 20 or 50 years later, he told reporters after delivering a public lecture on Aquaporin Water Channels: Science and Life at Universiti Putra Malaysia here.
Prof Dr Agre said his research on aquaporins was carried out in 1985 and he made the discovery in 1992 but recognition by the scientific community came only in 2003. Aquoporin is a family of water channel proteins found throughout nature, responsible for numerous physiological processes in humans and implicated in multiple clinical disorders. Prof Dr Agre is currently Professor of Cell Biology and Professor of Medicine at the Duke University.
He, however, pointed out that the winner in science need not necessarily be a scientist as history had proven that people without medical background and doctorate could win the Nobel Prize in Medicine, for example, for inventing the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). "You don't necessarily need to be a chemist to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the same goes that you don't need to be a doctor to win a Nobel Prize in Medicine," he said. This was because science could go from one field to another through collaboration, he said.
As much as I hate disagreeing, with of all people a Nobel Prize winner, I must humbly submit that while the good Professor has a valid point about the time lag between achievement and recognition, unfortunately this principle does not apply to Malaysia. His opinion on the matter would probably be more appropriate if it were directed at Thailand, Indonesia or Singapore. None of the aforementioned countries has a national discriminatory policy in education and therefore genuine talent is nurtured, nourished and encouraged in an environment conducive to cutting-edge research. Although billions may be spent here, there is no point if the appropriate persons are not given the opportunities to embark on the painstaking and meticulous research that is essential to make discoveries that matter. Not those that will only be listed in the Malaysia Book of Records.
posted by The Malaysian. at 7/12/2006 04:41:00 PM
2 Comments:
Not in a million years.
A few Indians have won the Nobel prize but only one of them - Rabinranath Tagore, won it while residing in the country. The rest were working in the west when they won it.
Malaysians might have a higher chance of winning the Nobel prize if they work in the west.
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