Inspiring the next generation of Nobel Prize winners with the Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program

December 15, 2023

Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program goals

  • To enhance the development of participants’ professional, personal, and intercultural competencies.

  • To inspire the next generation of global leaders to seek out knowledge to question current norms and systems.

  • To work interculturally to pursue ideas that identify and confront equity and justice concerns in their communities and around the world. 

  • To provide a means to deepen and expand participants’ understanding of themselves in the world. 

Each year, EF Study Abroad and The Forum on Education Abroad bring 10 young scholars from around the world together for the Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program. This rigorous program culminates in a visit to Sweden during Nobel Week, where participants showcase their transformative ideas and encounter past laureates who embody the power of such groundbreaking work.

This curated program from EF Study Abroad places gifted young scholars on the path to becoming Nobel laureates.

Each year, 10 scholarship winners are chosen from a global pool of applicants, with participants embarking on a program that develops their professional, personal, and intercultural competencies while working on a final project with the potential to change the world.

Through regular instruction with professors, mentors, and guest lecturers, the program deepens and expands students’ understanding of themselves in the world. Working interculturally, participants also pursue ideas that confront equity and justice issues in their communities and around the world.

The Future Nobel Laureate Scholarship Program

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This hard work culminates in an inspirational visit to Sweden where the students get to attend the Nobel Week Dialogue, an event that brings together the world’s leading scientists, policymakers, and thinkers to explore scientific topics through a global lens.

In Sweden, participating scholars also meet with their academic advisors and mentors, and program partners like the Nobel Prize Museum and Changer's Hub. Creative storytelling workshops at the Berghs School of Communication cap off the visit.

Innovation and ideas that changed the world

A workshop at Changer’s Hub proved to be one of the most energizing stops for the 2023 cohort. As one of Sweden’s leading youth organizations, Changer's Hub supports diverse young entrepreneurs through mentorship and training. Leaders from the organization instructed the students on how they could position their diverse backgrounds as strengths and how it could help them enact positive change in their communities.

A visit to Changer's Hub inspired students on their visit to Sweden.

A visit to the Nobel Prize Museum, EF's educational partner, gave participants insight into Alfred Nobel’s vision to reward discoveries that benefit humankind through the Nobel Prize. During workshops at the museum, participants were inspired by the discoveries of past Nobel laureates who made groundbreaking contributions to their respective fields. As a further highlight, participants' ideas were featured in the Nobel Prize Museum’s exhibition.

“I have always envisioned myself as an agent of change. The thought of engaging in the 2023 Nobel Week Dialogue and that our work will be displayed in the Nobel Prize Museum feels like a step closer to my dreams. I sense that this program will have a butterfly effect on my character and therefore my life."

Selen Qarajeh, Amman, Jordan

Students attending the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

Special guests at the Nobel Prize award ceremony

The 2023 participants also had the unique opportunity to attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony as special guests of the Nobel Prize Museum. Held annually on December 10th at Stockholm Concert House, the ceremony is attended by laureates, dignitaries, esteemed guests, and Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Educational excellence at the forefront

The Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program was developed in partnership with The Forum on Education Abroad and designed to align with their industry-leading Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad. The course was co-designed by Dr. David Wick who serves as the primary faculty of the program, with support from The Forum and EF Study Abroad. The program’s academic rigor allows students to earn university credit from Colorado State University upon completion.

Meet the 2023 scholars

Sharmila Adapa

Vanderbilt University '26, USA 
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia 
Project topic: Healthcare equity 

Sharmila's project aims to advance healthcare equity by making medical innovations and treatments accessible to all, ensuring societal growth through meeting basic medical needs. 

Mihaela Borta

University College Dublin '25, Ireland 
Hometown: Chişinău, Moldova 
Project topic: Gender equity in education 
 
Mihaela is dedicated to promoting gender equality in education, focusing on empowering women through quality education and addressing barriers like limited resources and biased curricula. 

Maria Alejandra Castaño Garcia

Technical University of Munich '25, Germany 
Hometown: Bogotá, Columbia 
Project topic: Biofuels and carbon capture  
 
Maria's project involves transforming greenhouse gases into bioethanol through the study of metabolic pathways, collaboration with experts, and creating a diverse global team for impact. 

Ann Marie Flusche

Duke University School of Medicine ’27, USA 
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Project topic: Alzheimer's research 
 
Advocating a multi-faceted approach, Ann Marie's project combines education, research, and innovation efforts to improve outcomes for Alzheimer's patients globally.

Maria Fernanda Garcia Verduzco

Universidad De Colima '23, Mexico 
Hometown: Colima City, Mexico 
Project topic: Mental health  
 
Prioritizing mental health care, Maria's project emphasizes innovation, technology, and multi-faceted strategies to reaching underserved populations worldwide.

Carlinda Lee

Simon Fraser University '24, Canada 
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada 
Project topic: Equity 
 
Carlinda addresses underrepresentation beyond gender, tackling diversity gaps in leadership across sectors to promote inclusivity in decision-making roles. 

Bidhi Mandal

Babson College ’24, USA 
Hometown: Janakpur, Nepal
Project topic: Social venture funding  
 
Bidhi's platform, Lift Circle, democratizes social venture funding, connecting users with impactful ideas worldwide and fostering a global entrepreneurial ecosystem.
 

Tchofor Dick Nchang

St. Olaf College '25, USA
Hometown: Bamenda, Cameroon
Project topic: Health economics of gene editing 
 
Dick explores curative gene therapies, aiming to make these therapies accessible in high-disease burden economies, drawing inspiration from the history of aviation advancements. 

Nicolas Quijano Franco

Earlham College '23, USA 
Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia 
Project topic: Decolonizing healthcare 
 
Nicolas advocates for culturally competent care, focusing on decolonizing healthcare by recognizing the impact of colonization and integrating traditional healing practices. 

Selen Qarajeh

Princess Sumaya University for Technology '26, Jordan 
Hometown: Amman, Jordan 
Project topic: Education accessibility through electronic waste 
 
Selen's project proposes repurposing old devices for education to address electronic waste, relieving the environment and providing equitable quality education to marginalized communities. 


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