ETH Global Lecture Series: The Ministry for the Future
23 Oct 2023 - The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson, is a book which has had far reaching impact. What was he hoping to achieve with the work? What has happened in the three years since it was published? What has he learned? What is he hoping for, now that that his fiction has become one of the stories by which people understand the crisis we all face?
The ETH Global Lecture Series offers a platform for contemporary global topics to be discussed with outstanding global thinkers. We bring amazing people together to discuss their personal insights, experiences and expertise. In addition to simply learning, our goals are to broaden our perspectives of a contemporary issue so we can all broaden our thinking, challenge our opinions and through this, make a meaningful contribution to issues we are working on.
The Ministry for the Future with Kim Stanley Robinson
Monday, 23 October 2023
17.00 - 18.00
HG F30 Audimax, door opens at 16.30
A reception in the HG Audimax Foyer will take place after the lecture.
This lecture is in English. Registration is required.
Register external page here.
The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson, is a book which has had far reaching impact, more impact than the author realized it would have when he wrote it. The story moves out of Zurich to embrace a world deeply changed by attempts to deal with the climate crisis. What was he hoping to achieve with the work? What has happened in the three years since it was published? What has he learned? What is he hoping for, now that that his fiction has become one of the stories by which people understand the crisis we all face?
Join us for what promises to be a fascinating dialogue.
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is an American novelist, widely recognized as one of the foremost living writers of science fiction. Robinson began publishing novels in 1984. His work has been described as "humanist science fiction" and "literary science fiction". Robinson himself has been a proud defender and advocate of science fiction as a genre, which he regards as one of the most powerful of all literary forms.
Nako Nakatsuka
Dr. Nako Nakatsuka is a senior scientist at the Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics at the ETH Zürich. She was raised in Tokyo, Japan and moved to the U.S.A. for her Bachelor's in Chemistry at Fordham University (Bronx, NY) and pursued her Ph.D. at UCLA (Los Angeles, CA). Upon receiving the prestigious ETH Zürich postdoctoral fellowship, she moved to Switzerland and now leads a team focused on interfacing DNA-based receptors (aptamers) with nanoscale electronic biosensors to detect diverse small molecules such as neurotransmitters. For this work, she was named an MIT Under 35 Pioneer in 2021, received the iCanX Young Scientist award in 2022, and the ACS Nano Lectureship award in 2023. She has mentored over 40 B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. students at the ETH Zürich in diverse projects beyond small-molecule biosensing.
Dr. Nakatsuka is also passionate about social justice, outreach, and education. She was awarded the Norma Stoddart Prize for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Citizenship in 2018 for her contributions in community outreach combined with her scientific achievements. She also received the Hanson-Dow Excellence in Teaching Award for her exceptional teaching and dedication to students. She is currently an active member of the Diversity Team at ETH and has contributed to initiatives that raise awareness and spark discussion about anti-discrimination within Switzerland. She has also illustrated a children’s chemistry book: “A is for Atom: ABCs for Aspiring Chemists”.
Chris Luebkeman
Chris Leubkeman is Head of the Strategic Foresight Hub in the Office of the President at ETH Zurich. In all of his collaborations, he intertwines practical optimism, insatiable curiosity, and a profound commitment to the planet. Chris' career to date has spanned various professions and locations. His path led him to Vanderbilt, Cornell and ETH Zurich, among others. Prior to his role as Head of Foresight at ETH Zurich, he worked at the global engineering consultancy Arup in London, where he led the research and development group and later founded the foresight, innovation and incubation teams.