Nobel laureate Roger Kornberg believes in potential of Ukrainian science

KYIV, June 19 /UKRINFORM/. Roger Kornberg, a PhD at Stanford University who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has said he is confident that the potential of Ukrainian science is great, but remains largely unrealized.

The world-famous U.S. scientist said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"The potential is great but largely unrealized," he said.

As co-chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Scientific Advisory Council, Kornberg visited Kyiv this May to participate in a conference "Ukraine-Russia-Skolkovo - Single Innovation Space." At that time, the scientist met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. The Nobel laureate described this meeting as "remarkably constructive" both in the context of prospects for the participation of Ukrainian scientists in the Skolkovo project and the possibility of a Ukrainian initiative, similar to a Russian initiative.

Speaking about the current trend of the concentration of scientific thought in research centers, Kornberg stressed the importance of individual creativity and talent of people involved in this work. "Ideas drive science and they happen in the minds of individuals. That will never change," the U.S. scientist said.

Roger Kornberg is a Nobel Prize winner in the second generation, and he is widely known for his works in studying cells and genetic engineering. The scientist's father, Arthur Kornberg, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1959.

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