Nobel Laureates in Peace, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine set to visit Bangkok for the 5th ASEAN event series "Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace"
ThaiPR.net
6 January 2015

www.thaipr.net/general/593186

Nobel Laureates in Peace, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine set to visit Bangkok for the 5th ASEAN event series "Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace"

Various Nobel Laureates for Peace, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine are set to visit Bangkok in January and February as keynote speakers in the 5th ASEAN event series "Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace". The events are facilitated by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation and realized in cooperation with the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, the International School of Bangkok, Kasetsart University, Naresuan University and NIST International School.
The 5th ASEAN "Bridges" event series follows the "Bridges" series with a total of 500 events which the International Peace Foundation has already hosted in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam since 2003. 42 Nobel Laureates as well as 20 other keynote speakers and artists including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dr. Hans Blix, Jackie Chan, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Vanessa-Mae, Jessye Norman, President Prof. Romano Prodi, Dame Anita Roddick, Oliver Stone and Dr. James Wolfensohn participa-ted in these events aimed to support education in the ASEAN region. Events in Thailand were presided over by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and reached a total audience of 160,000 participants.
The 5th ASEAN "Bridges" series involves several major public events which will continuously run in Thailand until February 2015. The program deals with the overall theme of "building a culture of peace and development in a globalized world", bridging Thai and foreign perspectives. The topics will cover a wide range of issues in the fields of politics, the economy, science, culture and the media and will especially highlight the challenges of both globalization and regionalism and its impact on development and international cooperation.
The aim of "Bridges" is to facilitate and strengthen dialogue and communication between societies in Southeast Asia with their multiple cultures and faiths as well as with peoples in other parts of the world to promote understanding and trust. The events build bridges through Nobel Laureates with local universities and other institutions in Southeast Asia to establish long-term relationships which may result in common research programs and other forms of collaboration. By enhancing science, technology and education as a basis for peace and development the events aim towards a better cooperation for the advancement of peace, freedom and security in the region with the active involvement of the young generation, ASEAN's key to the future.
All "Bridges" events in Thailand are open and free of charge for the general public and are made possible through the generous support of partners and sponsors including Cognita Asia Pacific, Centara Hotels & Resorts and the Millennium Hilton Bangkok.
The detailed program of all "Bridges" events is available on the website www.peace-foundation.net, and the line-up of keynote speakers is as follows:

In January: Prof. Brian Schmidt is a 2011 Nobel Laureate for Physics at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory. In 1994 he and Nick Suntzeff formed the HighZ SN search team, a group of 20 astronomers on 5 continents who used distant exploding stars to trace the expansion of the Universe back in time. The group's discovery of an accelerating Universe was a startling one suggesting that an unknown force is countering the effect of gravity and pushing the Universe apart. Professor Schmidt continues his work using exploding stars to study the Universe and is leading Mt Stromlo's effort to build the SkyMapper telescope.
Professor Schmidt will speak on "Science: Humanity's universal bridge" on -
Monday, January 19 at 2 pm at Kasetsart University, Sutham Areekul Auditorium, Kasetsart Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center (information and free seat reservations are available via phone 02-562-5555 ext. 1111, fax 02-942-8290 and email fscisph@ku.ac.th)

Also in January: Prof. Ei-ichi Negishi is a 2010 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry and the inaugural H.C. Brown Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research on palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions in organic synthesis which is being widely used as a technology that drastically accelerates organic synthesis reactivity. Palladium-catalyzed cross coupling led to breakthroughs in DNA sequencing, and practical applications of Professor Negichi's research include the development of drugs to fight cancer and the manufacture of light-emitting diodes used to make ultra-thin television and computer screens.
Professor Negishi will speak on "The power of metal catalysis transition for a prosperous and sustainable 21st century" on -
Monday, January 26 at 2 pm at Kasetsart University, Sutham Areekul Auditorium, Kasetsart Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center (information and free seat reservations are available via phone 02-562-5555 ext. 1111, fax 02-942-8290 and email fscisph@ku.ac.th)

In February: Prof. Bruce Beutler is a 2011 Nobel Laureate for Medicine and the Director of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Having worked as an immunologist for the past 26 years, he isolated mouse tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and discovered its inflammatory effects. He was the first to use anti-TNF antibodies to block inflammation in animals and invented recombinant inhibitors of TNF activity, now widely used in clinical medicine as in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. His discoveries have opened up new avenues for the prevention and therapy of infections, cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Professor Beutler will speak on "The global struggle against infectious disease" on -
Monday, February 2 at 2 pm at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Grand Ballroom, Hall A, hosted by Naresuan University (information and free seat reservations are available via phone 055-962-381, fax 055-962-380 and email publicevents@nu.ac.th)

Also in February: Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei was Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009 who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 "for his efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way". Throughout his career, among others at the United Nations and the World Health Organization, Dr. ElBaradei made it a priority to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear power, striving to make radiation therapy available in less-developed countries for the treatment of diseases such as cancer and malaria.
Dr. ElBaradei will speak on "Global equity and security" on -
Monday, February 9 at 7 pm at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand Penthouse Maneeya Center Building, 518/5 Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330 (information and seat reservations are available via phone 02-652-0580-1, fax 02-652-0582 and email info@fccthai.com)