The Nobel Prizes, announced each October and aimed at recognizing the greatest contributions to humanity in various fields, are once again dominating the world agenda this year. Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist who lived from 1833 to 1896. Nobel amassed a vast fortune through his explosive inventions. However, this success was often linked to the devastation wrought by explosive technologies. A French newspaper even published a false farewell announcement in 1888 regarding Nobel’s death, headlined “The merchant of death is dead” (https://www.biography.com/inventors/a45977855/alfred-nobel). It is reported that Nobel was affected by this situation and, in his will, allocated the majority of his estate to reward those who have made the greatest contribution to humanity (https://www.nobelprize.org/). Nobel Prize winners are typically individuals or institutions with a long history of groundbreaking research or action in their respective fields (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nobel-Prize/The-prizes). Both researchers who receive the Nobel Prize in Science and activists who receive the Peace Prize can have very different backgrounds. However, the primary theme is “contribution to the betterment of the world or humanity.”
Alfred Nobel’s most famous invention is dynamite: he introduced an explosive substance like nitroglycerin into a safer and more stable form. However, this invention also became particularly useful for war and destruction. It is reported that the feelings Nobel suppressed about these negative uses of his inventions and the public perception he developed profoundly affected him (https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/alfred-nobel/). Ironically, given that these explosive inventions may have been directly or indirectly linked to the deaths of millions of people, the inventor of a weapons technology funds the Peace Prizes.
Nobel Prizes are awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. This year’s Chemistry Prize was awarded to three individuals for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs): Omar M. Yaghi, Susumu Kitagawa, and Richard Robson (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/10/08/nobel-prize-palestinian-omar-yaghi-chemistry/). Yaghi is the son of Palestinian refugees. Given the destruction Israel has wrought in Palestine in recent years, this distinction is a powerful symbol for a scientist of refugee origin to receive one of the most prestigious awards.
This year’s Peace Prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her “tireless efforts to defend the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and her struggle for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination and his self-proclaimed “peace ambassador” on the White House website have generated considerable controversy. Trump claims to have stopped wars in six countries, but a statement has been released stating that the award committee relies on objective criteria (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/10/trump-nobel-peace-prize-reaction).
As an organization working on the themes of academic solidarity, migration, academic exile, and forced migration, this year’s Nobel Prize results convey several important messages. Scientists with refugee backgrounds can also receive the most prestigious awards. This is invaluable for positive examples of migration and academic integration. Furthermore, it is quite significant to see that a global emphasis on rewarding democracy, human rights, and peace remains prevalent in a world where political oppression and authoritarian regimes are on the rise.
