The presence of these internationally renowned scientists at UPV has provided students, researchers and faculty members with the opportunity to learn first-hand about their careers, discoveries and reflections on the major challenges facing science today.
During the welcome ceremony for Benjamin List and Duncan Haldane, UPV Rector José Capilla thanked the Rey Jaime I Awards Foundation for making these meetings between the university community and some of the world's most influential scientific figures possible.
José Capilla stressed that the visit of three Nobel Prize laureates represents an exceptional opportunity for the university's students and faculty. “It is a privilege to interact directly with researchers whose contributions have significantly advanced knowledge and whose work continues to have a global impact,” he said.
The Rector also highlighted the model of university represented by UPV. “We are a public university committed to high-quality research, technology transfer and close collaboration with industry,” he stated.
In this regard, he pointed to the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint centre of UPV and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), as an outstanding example of excellence in research and knowledge transfer. He also emphasised the importance of public-private collaboration as a key mechanism for transforming scientific advances into solutions with social and economic impact.
José Capilla further noted that UPV is the highest-ranked technological university in Spain in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking), a distinction that reflects the institution's commitment to scientific excellence, innovation and strong links between academia, industry and society.
The visit of Benjamin List, Duncan Haldane and Steven Chu reinforces UPV's commitment to internationally connected science and to educating future generations of professionals and researchers through direct interaction with some of the world's leading scientific minds.