Technion celebrates the Nobel Prize with Prof. Danny Shechtman – Technion President: Scientific Truth Won

The whole of the Technion celebrated last weekend with Nobel laureate, Distinguished Prof. Danny Shechtman, who leaves next week for Stockholm for the award ceremony. “Our delight is not just because one of our own won the world’s most esteemed prize but, rather, because scientific truth won,” said Technion President, Prof. Peretz Lavie.

The Swedish ambassador to Israel, Elinor Hammarskjöld, in her talk also spoke of Prof. Shechtman’s firm stand for many years against the opinion of the entire scientific world regarding his discovery. “We admire not only the discovery of quasicrystals, but also your scientific way,” she told the Nobel laureate.

Haifa Mayor, Yona Yahav (Attorney), made Prof. Shechtman an honorary citizen of Haifa. “The good news is that the decision was a unanimous one by the City Council. The not-so-good news is that the decision does not exempt you from having to pay city taxes,” said the Mayor to the laughing listeners.

The Nobel winner for Chemistry in 2004, Distinguished Prof. Aaron Ciechanover of the Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, said to Prof. Danny Shechtman: “Welcome to the club. Today you are joining an exceptional group.” Regarding the winning of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry thus far by four Israeli scientists (Professors Avram Hershko, Ada Yonat, Danny Shechtman and himself), Prof. Ciechanover said, “Chemistry today is a much broader concept than the narrow one that up to now has been generally recognized.”

Prof. Shechtman thanked the large audience: “I usually do not get emotional,” he said. “This evening I am overwhelmed. I feel a lot of warmth here. I feel good standing next to the lectern. Here is where I began teaching the course I founded 25 years ago in order to encourage technological entrepreneurship in the state of Israel. I am a Zionist and I want this country to be a good place to live. From here I call for good education for everyone because without good education there will be no revitalization.”

He revealed that he and Mayor Yona Yahav have decided to promote an initiative for scientific education for preschool children in Haifa. “I will do all I can to promote education in the state of Israel,” he promised.

The ceremony moderator was the Dean of the Faculty of Materials Engineering at the Technion, Prof. Wayne Kaplan.

In the picture: Prof. Shechtman thanking his well-wishers. On the left – Prof. Peretz Lavie, Technion President. Photography by: Shlomo Shoham, Technion Spokesman.