How top philanthropists are accelerating science
Fred Kavli will join Mike Lazaridis and Ralph Kohn on the panel taking to science journalists in Westminster Hall, London on the 30th of June about supporting science. The occasion is the 6th World Conference of Science Journalists. The speakers, who are among the world’s most influential philanthropists, will share their passions, pursuits and insights on public and private investment strategies in science, education and the knowledge economy.
The aim of this panel discussion where journalists are asked to take part is to find out what philanthropy means for the future of science and humanity.
The successful pursuit of science requires creativity and dogged persistence. But these personal qualities alone are not enough. Scientists need enormous resources and funding if their brilliant ideas are ever going to see the light of day. Gone are the days of the lone researcher, toiling away in a backwater laboratory on a meager budget. Most of today’s scientists work in teams and collaborate through international networks to probe further, dig deeper and climb higher in an effort to realize some of their greatest ideas.
So who makes this possible? Governments, universities and NGOs play an important role in supporting scientific research. But there are enormous gaps in what these traditional players - often operating through layers of bureaucracy - are funding. So who has the ability to spot the needs and seize new opportunities to shape and propel the future of science? Enter the philanthropists: they’re concerned about the state of our world and know what science and education can achieve, and they know how to take calculated risks and win. Now they are advancing basic research, healthcare, education, and a host of other endeavors that may help lead society toward an era of new knowledge, peace and prosperity.
