During the prestigious Nobel Week in Stockholm, Sweden, MIT affiliates were honored for their exceptional contributions to science and economics. The event culminated on December 10 with a grand Nobel ceremony.
This year’s Nobel Prize winners with ties to MIT include Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu and the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship Simon Johnson. Together with James Robinson from the University of Chicago, they were awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for their groundbreaking research linking economic growth to political institutions.
Additionally, MIT’s own Victor Ambros, an alumnus from the Class of 1975 and PhD graduate of 1979, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside Gary Ruvkun. Ruvkun, who conducted his postdoctoral research at MIT in the 1980s, shared the award for their significant discovery regarding MicroRNA.
The honorees and their guests participated in various festivities throughout Nobel Week, which kicked off on December 5. Highlights included press conferences, a dazzling light display around Stockholm, engaging lectures, an exploration of the Nobel Prize Museum, and a celebratory concert.
As tradition dictates, the winners received their prestigious medals from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s passing. Notably, those awarded the Nobel Peace Prize were celebrated simultaneously in Oslo, Norway.
According to MIT Institutional Research, a remarkable total of at least 105 MIT affiliates—including faculty, staff, and alumni—have received Nobel Prizes throughout history. To see highlights from this year’s festivities, check out the photos below.
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
