In June 2016, 21 young Indian scientists made a trip to the beautiful island of Lindau, in south west Germany, to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting, dedicated this year to physics. In this sunny side of Germany, 29 Nobel Laureates met with 400 young scientists from 80 countries in an informal setting, which has come to be celebrated as the hallmark of these meetings.

On a boat trip from Lindau to Mainau island, Nature India caught up with the Indian delegation consisting of master’s students, PhDs and Post-docs, freshly chosen every year since 2001 by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the German Research Foundation (DFG) to be part of this science extravaganza. In this blog series ‘Lindau lessons‘, Nature India will bring to you the unique experience of some of the young scientists from India who basked in the Lindau sun this year. Join their online conversation using the #lindaulessons hashtag.

Today’s blog features Jasmin S. Shaikh, a DST Woman Scientist from Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Jasmin’s experience has been full of inspiration — she ended up finding her idol, someone who sets a shining example of the path she wants to follow.

Jasmin S. Shaikh

The high point of my Lindau stint was meeting Ada E. Yonath, the Israeli crystallographer who shared the 2009 chemistry Nobel Prize with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas A. Steitz for her studies on the structure and function of the ribosome. She is the first woman from the Middle East to win a Nobel in the sciences, and also the first woman in 45 years to win the Prize for chemistry. I have been deeply influenced by her research aimed at introducing innovative techniques in cryo-biocrystallography. In a profession with few women, I was extremely happy to have found the role model for my scientific carrier in Ada Yonath.

Ada Yonath{credit}Christian Flemming / Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings{/credit}

When I asked her about her success, she said women are strong but also kind and sacrificing. Women always have thoughts about the family and humanity. But as women get clarity on who they really are, they are able to achieve what they want. If you want to succeed in research you must teach yourself, “I am a great scientist. Whatever happens, I will work hard with passion. I am confident, smart and beautiful in my own soul”. As I saw her confidence, one thought came to my mind – a successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her. Women must always remember that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. So instead of feeling weak, you need to feel strong yet soft, powerful yet spiritual.

Albert Einstein said about women, “The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before”. This thought aptly fits women in research. During the meeting, we had discussions on Marie Curie, whose University application was rejected because she was woman. She went on to become the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics and the first person to win two Nobel prizes in Physics and Chemistry. Quoting her here won’t be out of place: “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” She proved from her life never to limit oneself because of others’ limited imagination.

For over a week with the Nobel Laureates, we discussed different problems in doing science and their unique solutions. One of the laureates Carl Wieman, the Nobel Prize winner of 2001, discussed which principles and methods one should use to think like a physicist. He told us how to attain expertise in anything by exercising the ability to monitor one’s own thinking and learning. By asking some simple questions to self, such as “Do I understand this?” or “How can I check this?”, one can develop new ways of thinking. Hiroshi Amano, the 2014 Nobel Laureate, shared his unique story on how he and his associates came up with the solution for white LED, which was impossible for decades.

I liked the many master classes because young scientists were able to ask questions directly to the Nobel Laureates, not just about their research but also about what life – how life changes with recognition and added responsibilities.

I am now connected with some of the people from the meeting as research collaborators and friends. We have shared photos and memories. I now realise the most powerful lesson from the meeting: “Science is the peaceful connector of countries, and education for all is necessary.”

More in the series: 

In June 2016, 21 young Indian scientists made a trip to the beautiful island of Lindau, in south west Germany, to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting, dedicated this year to physics. In this sunny side of Germany, 29 Nobel Laureates met with 400 young scientists from 80 countries in an informal setting, which has come to be celebrated as the hallmark of these meetings.

On a boat trip from Lindau to Mainau island, Nature India caught up with the Indian delegation consisting of master’s students, PhDs and Post-docs, freshly chosen every year since 2001 by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the German Research Foundation (DFG) to be part of this science extravaganza. In this blog series ‘Lindau lessons‘, Nature India will bring to you the unique experience of some of the young scientists from India who basked in the Lindau sun this year. Join their online conversation using the #lindaulessons hashtag.

If the term ‘life-changing’ needed to be illustrated with an example, Belinda Damian‘s trip to Lindau would eminently qualify. For Belinda, a Masters student at Loyola college, Chennai, the meeting was not about science, it was about life skills. From a shy, young girl who had never travelled alone to an aspiring astrophysicist who wants to explore the world on her own, the metamorphosis has taken her own self by surprise. Belinda tells us what the ‘land of poets and thinkers’ did to her.

Belinda Damian

The first thing I recollect of my tryst with Lindau is the day I sent out my application for a meeting — a meeting I had never heard about before but one which would eventually turn out to be a life-changer. My day was jam packed with classes and I bunked a few (I regretted it then but can’t thank myself enough now) to literally run from door to door to get the application approved. During my marathon I nearly gave up thinking, “I don’t stand a chance”, but on the insistence of my compeer I finally sent out my application at the 11th hour. When I received a mail confirming my selection for the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting, my joy knew no bounds. Despite having come back from the meeting, the feeling has not yet completely sunk in!

It is ironic what I personally achieved having participated in one of the biggest science extravaganza — for me the take homes were rather non-scientific, that of a deeper realisation of self. One question that kept haunting me was “How did ‘I’ get selected” since it was a national competition with only 20 odd seletions and I was never a very competitive person (did I mention that this was the first time I ever got selected in a nationwide competition?). I found an answer to it on my flight back home on the last day.

After hours of travel, the ‘land of poets and thinkers’ welcomed us with refreshing drizzles. Lindau to me was more than just a town, it was like living in a fairy tale, a treat for the eyes — I was enthralled. Little did I know that the following week had more surprises. The meet kick started with a grand opening in the historic city theatre (historic since it was where the first of these meetings took place) and the following days had a series of lectures, discussions, and master classes.

With 2011 Nobel Laureate Brian P. Schmidt

The first thing that astounded me about the Nobel Laureates was their magnanimity. They were considerate, even when every soul in the room was bugging them enthusiastically with questions. Some of the laureates actually showed more enthusiasm to interact with us than vice-versa. I sensed the humility when one of them queued up with the students for lunch.

The 2011 Laureate Brian P. Schmidt, who won the Nobel for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe, said during a discussion,“My life did change overnight when I heard about the Nobel Prize but everything depends on how you take it”. The values we hold dear in life should never be compromised by our professional positions — that was the repeated message young researchers heard at the meeting. Schmidt also addressed the issue of how some women researches were entering and surviving in the field of astrophysics. As a woman and an aspiring astrophysicist, this was very motivating.

As I said, I did find the answers to my question on the flight back home. One long held belief of mine that proved itself right was that ‘Everything happens for a reason and for one’s own good’. As I stood confused at the crossroads over choosing a career, this opportunity presented itself to me like a clincher.

My trip to Lindau had many firsts — travelling alone, being totally independent and realising the fun and responsibilities of freedom. It transformed me from being a shy person to one who made friends with researchers from all over the world effortlessly. I was surprised that I survived the trip being in a group of total strangers who ultimately spoke the same language. From being a person who was uncomfortable staying away from Chennai (my place of residence) to a person who yearns to solo travel the world — the trip to Lindau has given me wings. Now I face life with an entirely different perspective.

The one thing that I can’t emphasise enough to fellow youngsters is: never give up. If I had given up that day on sending the application, I would have missed this life-changing experience.

More in the series: 

In June 2016, 21 young Indian scientists made a trip to the beautiful island of Lindau, in south west Germany, to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting, dedicated this year to physics. In this sunny side of Germany, 29 Nobel Laureates met with 400 young scientists from 80 countries in an informal setting, which has come to be celebrated as the hallmark of these meetings.

On a boat trip from Lindau to Mainau island, Nature India caught up with the Indian delegation consisting of master’s students, PhDs and Post-docs, freshly chosen every year since 2001 by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the German Research Foundation (DFG) to be part of this science extravaganza. In this blog series ‘Lindau lessons‘, Nature India will bring to you the unique experience of some of the young scientists from India who basked in the Lindau sun this year. Join their online conversation using the #lindaulessons hashtag.

Tejal Agarwal, an integrated PhD student at IISER Pune amassed a lifetime worth of experience going around Germany’s best Universities and learning from a rich culture of innovation and collaborations.

Tejal Agarwal

As I am in the early stage of a research career, the stories of hurdles in the research path of Nobel Laureates were the most valuable for me. The mantra they gave us at the Nobel Laureates Meeting was: in research, everybody has to face ups and downs, but you need huge amounts of patience and determination to sail through. Don’t get depressed by unexpected results, try and find the reasons behind them — this may lead you to an important discovery.

I also came to know the scope of different fields of physics — what is it that Nobel Laureates and senior scientists expect from young scientists like us. Discussions with young scientists from different countries led us to think of future collaborations, research opportunities, PhD and post doctoral positions in different countries.

With 2005 Nobel Laureate Theodor W. Hansch

After the Lindau meet, we had the opportunity of visiting many German Universities and labs.  Among them were the celebrated University of Heidelberg, the University of Dusseldorf; Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI) Electronic Properties, Jülich; RWTH Aachen University and the Surface Physics Phillips University, Marburg. At Aachen, Prof. Matthias Wuttig introduced us not only to the labs but also to the historical importance of the city during World War II. In Hannover, we visited the Max Plank institute for gravitational Physics and Institute for Quantum Optics. In Max Plank, we saw the prototype of the LIGO detector (which detected gravitational waves in February 2016) and the super computing facility Einstein@Home.

We also interacted with officials from the German Research Foundation (DFG) in Bonn. We got a fair idea of various funding opportunities to pursue PhD, postdocs, internships and collaborations between Indian and German institutes.

On the last day of the trip, we visited the Technical University at Berlin and got a hang of all the programmes run by the India government at the Indian embassy in Berlin, which also fosters a strong climate of investment and collaborations for Indian innovators and researchers in Germany.

The one important networking opportunity that merits special mention was with fellow Indian scientists who came along on the trip — we form a lifelong bond now, sharing research experiences from different institutes of the country and becoming part of an alumni group that can support and encourage each other.