Nobel laureate helps students see career possibilities

of the 1998 Nobel Prize in physics, Professor Robert B. Laughlin, inspired more than 2,000 students and professors at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) recently as part of the Honeywell Initiative for Science and Engineering (HISE).

Laughlin, who received the Nobel Prize for the discovery of a new form of quantum fluid with fractionally charged excitations, is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University. He earned a BA in Mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, and his PhD in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also served as the president of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, South Korea.

His discovery opened a new chapter in condensed matter physics. His many accolades include the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Physics and the Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award. He has also been awarded by the National Academy of Sciences,

In his lecture at UTP, Laughlin encouraged students to pursue their dreams, regardless of the challenges they may have to overcome.

“Great people come from all walks of life. Stay true to yourself, stay focused, and you will succeed,” he said. Acting vice-chancellor and chief executive officer, Professor Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, said: “At UTP, we are committed to ensuring we are a centre for creating and sharing new knowledge that promotes a lifelong desire among students to learn, discover and innovate.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Honeywell and welcome Nobel laureate Robert B. Laughlin to our campus. Our hope is that today’s HISE event helps students see their career possibilities.”

Honeywell Asean president Briand Greer said: “The complexities of today’s world require young people to be equipped with a new set of knowledge and skills to solve difficult problems.

“By offering UTP students the opportunity to learn from a Nobel laureate and interact with Honeywell engineers, we hope to prepare them for a workforce where success comes not just from their knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects, but what they are able to do with that knowledge.”

Sponsored by Honeywell Hometown Solutions (HHS), it aims to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through multiple interactions with Nobel laureates and Honeywell technologists. For more than a decade, it has benefited thousands of students and teachers at top universities in China, the Czech Republic, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Romania and the United States. Laughlin is among 27 Nobel laureates sponsored by Honeywell at universities worldwide since 2006.