orld Scientific launched the Nobel Laureate Public Lecture Series in December 1998. The first lecture was delivered by Professor Steven Chu, the Theodore and Frances Geballe Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University. Professor Chu won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light. He was one of the three joint winners that year.

Professor Chu's lecture on “The How and Why of Laser Cooling and Trapping of Atoms” was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Singapore Marriott Hotel on 7 December at 7.30 pm. Over 700 guests, including academics, scientists, researchers, teachers, students and press representatives, were present at the launch. The guest of honor was Mr Peter Chen, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Education.

The night began with an opening address by Dr K K Phua, Chairman of World Scientific, which was followed by Professor Chu’s lecture. The physicist captured the hearts of the audience with his wit and humor, and, most importantly,

with his in-depth knowledge of the subject. A question-and-answer session was conducted after his enlightening and enriching talk, and the articulate speaker concluded the event by obliging with an autograph and photo-taking session.

Professor Chu’s lecture formally launched the Nobel Laureate Public Lecture Series organized by World Scientific, a leading international scientific, technical and medical publisher. These lectures are to be held at least once a year. Mr Peter Chen expressed the hope that, through this event , “the sharing of leading-edge knowledge and ideas in different disciplines will inspire and spur our scientists, researchers and students to greater heights of intellectual and academic endeavor.” This has in fact always been World Scientific’s vision and policy.

The Second World Scientific Nobel Laureate Public Lecture was delivered in April 1999 by Professor Lee Yuan-tseh, the 1986 Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry. The third and fourth public lectures in the series will likely be in medicine and economics respectively, so as “to expose Singaporeans to the best minds in the international and academic community,” to use the words of the Senior Minister of State for Education again.