Nobel Prize Teacher Summit
At the Nobel Prize Teacher Summit teachers from all over the world meet Nobel Prize laureates, top scientists and peace activists around a theme of great importance in education.
About the summit
The Nobel Prize Teacher Summit is an international event for teachers held by Nobel Prize Museum. The initiative builds on the ability of the Nobel Prize to inspire people to seek out knowledge, to ask questions and to attempt to understand and improve the world.
What distinguishes this summit from our other teacher programmes is that one or more Nobel Prize laureates participate as speakers. The programme is made up of short lectures that are interspersed with panel discussions, interviews and group discussions. The completely digital version has shorter sessions than the summit taking place physically in Stockholm with participants on site.
The speakers are Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, educators and other experts who are invited to make the programme stimulating, topical, varied and in-depth. The speakers are carefully selected, based on their expertise. A multidimensional and cross-disciplinary mix illuminates the theme from different perspectives, but the focus is always on the role of teachers.
Learning from each other
Participating teachers connect this content to their teaching through group discussions based on clear sets of questions. A preschool teacher from northern Sweden, a British physics teacher and an Indian school principal can therefore discuss how artistic illustrations can breathe life into teaching about black holes or how radicalisation among vaccine opponents can best be prevented by schools.
While the content may be intellectually challenging, even complex at times, the summit aims for an inclusive and collegial atmosphere between speakers and participants.
Teaching is an academic profession with a high level of difficulty, both in terms of knowledge and methodology, as well as socially. By organising interesting high-level seminars featuring Nobel Prize laureates and other outstanding speakers, we want to contribute to in-depth knowledge, inspiration and collegial dialogue.
Our long-term ambition is to help increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession. Without excellent teachers – no new Nobel Prize laureates!
Climate change and migration
The first Nobel Prize Teacher Summit was held on 6 October 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden with the theme ‘A World with Fake Facts Needs True Teachers!’ The program featured Nobel Laureates Shirin Ebadi, Herta Müller and Bernard Feringa, as well as other prominent speakers.
The 2018 edition had the theme “Teach Love and Understanding” and focused on how schools can counter racism, extremism and intolerance. How do we promote democracy, non-violence and sustainable development in our daily work as teachers?
In 2019 the theme was “Climate Change Changes Everything”. The way we address climate change in education has a huge impact on the future. We as teachers have a great opportunity to make positive change possible but how do we do it without creating fear or anxiety?
The 2020 theme was “Migration and Movements”. How do we teach about migration? And for the first time – due to the pandemic – the Nobel Prize Teacher Summit was completely digital.
How teachers can inspire students to become engaged citizens
The 2021 theme “In the Flood of Facts” focused on what teachers can do to prepare students to distinguish facts from values? How do we teach strategies to debunk lies? What methods can we use to encourage curious questions and critical thinking? And is it even possible to teach trust?
The 2022 theme, “One Earth – Teachers for Change” addressed the urgency of a holistic approach for a sustainable tomorrow. What role can teachers play in bringing about change? How can education be the driving force for a sustainable future?
In 2023 the theme was “Teaching Knowledge – Learning Engagement”. How can teachers inspire students to become active and engaged citizens who can make well-informed decisions based on evidence and critical thinking, and who are able to differentiate between mere opinions and substantiated facts?
The human brain and the future of democracy
In 2024 the summit focused on the universe of the human brain. How does learning actually occur? Can we train our brains to keep pace with an ever-evolving society? Will future AI scientists be able to fully emulate our brain? The core idea of the summit 2024 was that when forming a learning environment, we must mind the brain.
The summit of 2025 had the theme The future of democracy. When facing the challenges of our time, the role of teachers is crucial. How do we teach about democracy, trust, and critical thinking? What skills do young people need to become informed participants in shaping and safeguarding a democratic society?
Stay tuned to learn about the Nobel Prize Teacher Summit of 2026.