The Nobel Prize..... A summit that can only be reached by those who dream by Kim, Yu-Sam (Dean, Graduate School of Yonsei University) On September 11th and 12th Yonsei University successfully held the Yonsei Nobel Forum under the theme of "Yonsei, Inspiring the Nobel Dream." This was an event that celebrated Yonsei’s ranking 104th in the SCI (Science Citation Index), which is an indicator of its research on the fundamental sciences, as well as the various Yonsei research teams that were selected for the Ministry of Education and Human Resources’ BK21 project. In light of these achievements, Yonsei wished to instill the dream of the Nobel Prize in the students, provide a stimulus to the professors, and send the message to the Korean people that Yonsei is the place that will realize the Nobel dream. Now that we have concluded the event, what have we gained from it? I would like to reflect on this issue. The dream of becoming an eminent scientist, economist to the students.... I believe that through their various stories, the Nobel laureates have helped the students realize what types of dreams students should truly have. Becoming a Nobel laureate cannot be one's goal in life. The Nobel Prize is given when you exert your utmost efforts for something that truly interests you, and you inadvertently achieve research that is creative and greatly contributes to humanity. The laureates aided the students in recognizing that the prize is given to encourage that achievement. There is no right answer about what you should do after you set the Nobel Prize as your goal. What I feel after meeting freshmen is that they are so held up in the immediate reality in front of their eyes that they do not have any dreams. They do not make the glorious blueprints of their lives due to excuses such as not having enough money, not coming from a prestigious background, or not having enough intelligence. Dr. Ferid Murad spent his youth enthusiastically studying while washing dishes and working as a cashier at a restaurant. Although his parents wanted him to come back to his hometown and practice medicine, he chose to devote himself to fundamental research. As a result, he discovered the importance of NO, and provided the academic basis for the development of Viagra. Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba, who suffered from polio, graduated college at the bottom of his class. However, he became the leader of astrophysics by detecting cosmic neutrinos. Dr. Murray Gell-, who received his Ph.D. at the age of 21, also suffered from a writing disorder. If forced to take an essay exam he would fail. The following is the list of messages that all the laureates sent to the students. "Do what interests you. Do not try to just learn. From your freshman year, study by doing your own research and investigation. The environment is not important for a student that has passion. Find your own new path. Always do your best. Science is not about going to the office at 9 and leaving at 4. A scientist is neither a God nor a hero. A scientist only has the pure passion of researching. The motive of science is curiosity." At first, these messages sound quite familiar. However, this time, by listening to the live messages of the Nobel laureates, we can gain the confidence that we too can become great scientists and economists who are deserving of a Nobel Prize. Stimulus, encouragement, and hope to the professors..... Although I am aware that many of the professors have personal relationships with the Nobel laureates, through this event, the professors were able to meet and converse with the laureates more closely. Furthermore, there were cases when the professors had the laureates participate in their lectures. Particularly, Dr. Aaron Ciechanover received an ovation for clearly sending an important message to the students during a discussion. One of the points that the laureates commonly emphasized to professors was superb mentorship. In other words, it is more pivotal that the professors encourage and stimulate the students to study on their own rather than simply trying to teach them more information. Many Nobel laureates including those that participated in this event have stressed that their professors' encouragement and inspiration have had massive influences on their lives. If it had not been for a great teacher, would Dr. Gell-Mann, who was suffering from a writing disorder, have known that he was a genius? Although Yonsei students have varying marks according to subjects, I am confident that each and every one of them has the potential to become successful scientists and economists. "Have a dream, and then you can accomplish it." This encouraging message may accelerate our process of achieving the dream of Yonsei. Another message was that you do not receive a Nobel Prize only when you are in an outstanding research environment. Although Dr. Louis Ignarro did emphasize the significance of research funds and environment, Dr. Aaron Ciechanover did not have the fortune of being in such a favorable research environment. The point is you have to absorb yourself in an original piece of work. In other words, you can succeed when you try to discover new areas in the blue ocean. We have to bear in mind the words that we should not impatiently rush. Although there can be differences among diverse areas, the recent U.S. achievements in life sciences are due to the relentless education and research investment efforts of the past 50 ~ 60 years. However, the expectations of the laureates were high. They believe that Korea and other Asian countries have the circumstances to produce achievements worthy of the Nobel Prize. We should all inspire and instill dreams in the students by exhibiting superb mentorship. Moreover, we should be scientists and economists who can contribute to humanity by carrying out original projects and discovering new fields. "Korea needs to overcome its hasty desire for the Nobel Prize....." We are so embarrassed and ashamed the more we think about the Hwang, Woo-suk incident. We feel regretful when we look at the politicians who thought that the Nobel Prize in science could be attained through lobbying. Yonsei University conducted a tree-planting ceremony during this event. This is our own oath that we should relentlessly research and become a Yonsei that can produce a Nobel laureate by the year 2020. From another perspective, it is expressing the will of the university to actively provide support so that creative and desirable research projects can be smoothly carried out. Firstly we have set the "Global 5-5-10" goal of ranking in the top 10 in 5 research fields within 5 years. I believe that it is possible to achieve our goal through objective indicators. Certainly it will take more time to become a research group that is recognized by the world. Individuals cannot set the Nobel Prize as one's goal in life. Nonetheless, having Yonsei and the government set goals and strengthen research support in fundamental sciences will greatly contribute to developments in the field of science. However, we must make sure that professors and students do not feel overly burdened by the excessive stress of this goal, which could result in another Hwang, Woo-suk incident. We must be cautious to not have a hasty and impatient attitude. Contributing to the world economy with an original theory There are people who are dubious when they hear of the Nobel Prize in Economics. In fact, this prize was not established by Nobel's will. Yet, we can see that Nobel was an entrepreneur that had the power to influence the world economy. In 1968, the Sveriges Riksbank (the Back of Sweden) established this prize in memory of Alfred Nobel. They decided to have the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences select the receiver and to bestow the award with the other Nobel awards. The three laureates who visited this year cannot be seen as those who have had extraordinary youths. Yet Dr. Robert Mundell received the Nobel Prize in recognition of his research efforts on EU single currency analysis. He devised the 'Mundell-Fleming Model" which sets forth the influence that each country's currency and monetary policies can have on other countries when they are under different currency systems. Dr. Edward C. Prescott introduced the concepts of real business cycle theory and macroeconomics through the 'Prescott-Kydland Paper.' Dr. Robert J. Aumann was a mathematician but contributed to explaining economic conflicts in the real world such as price competition, trade conflicts, etc. using the game theory analysis. These three men have established their own theories and have greatly contributed to humanity. It does not matter whether this is done by an economist or a mathematician. If we look back in history, there have been cases when an agricultural geneticist received a Nobel Prize in Physiology. There are many great mathematicians and engineers in Yonsei University. I hope to see them jump over the barriers among the various sciences and to establish new theories that draw closer to the Nobel Prize. "A government that increases taxes is a foolish" "If conglomerates are cultivated, small and medium enterprises will naturally grow" "Inefficient regulations can be prevented by opening markets" The Nobel laureates in Economics also gave their sharp advice on the Korean economy. They feel that we are heading towards a foolish government, are using policies which kill small and medium enterprises, and that we are pursuing inefficient administration policies. I hope that these warnings can be seriously examined by those who are devising and carrying out the government policies. The laureates feel that although these theories concern the broader national state of affairs, they can also give useful lesson that can be applied when deciding how to manage a university. What kinds of sacrifices will we have to endure for Yonsei's long-term policies? Can the game theory analysis be applied to the management of universities and be utilized to resolve conflicts? Lastly, an evaluation of the Yonsei Nobel Forum Firstly, the purpose of the event was positive. Through this event, we were able to inform others of our achievements. In addition, we were able to invite distinguished guests who gave their excellent advice on how we can further develop. It was an event that rendered students and professors more confident and allowed them to voluntarily pledge that they will exert more efforts. Secondly, the event was carried out smoothly. Since we had invited distinguished guests, it was a success that we shared their knowledge and experience with all members of Yonsei even by substituting the regular classes with these special lectures. Moreover, it was positive that we contributed to society by inviting young high school students and opening the lectures to the general public. Furthermore, it was favorable that we could gain media coverage on their wisdom through numerous interviews. Thirdly, we achieved the anticipated goal. I believe that we have instilled the dream of the Nobel Prize in the students, given encouragement to the professors, and have proven to the Korean people that Yonsei has the strong passion to produce a Nobel laureate. Fourthly, our task is to attract first-rate professors and outstanding students. Like paying high prices for quality products, Yonsei University must make bold investments to attract outstanding professors and students. Then Yonsei's dream of producing a Nobel laureate by the year 2020 will be realized.