På tirsdag inviterte ordføreren i Trondheim, Rita Ottervik, til stor middag i Erkebispegården for å feire Nobelprisen i fysiologi eller medisin til May-Britt og Edvard Moser. Alle ansatte på Kavli-instituttet og NTNU-ledelsen var invitert i tillegg til representanter fra ulike institusjoner og selvfølgelig familien til prisvinnerne.

Jeg fikk muligheten til å holde en kort tale. Siden den ble gjengitt i Adresseavisens nettutgave under tittelen Dekanens drømmetale, så tenkte jeg at den også kunne få plass i bloggen. Du vil raskt gjenkjenne hvor inspirasjonen til talen er hentet fra:

«We had a dream

– that one day May-Britt and Edvard Moser would receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

We had a dream

– that one day they would go to Stockholm and sit next to the Swedish king and be celebrated for being among the best researchers on this planet.

We had a dream

– that one day we would be dancing and partying in Dokkhuset, celebrating this fantastic event.

We had a dream

– that one day we would sit in the Archbishop’s palace in Trondheim and realize that the dream had come through.

 Thank you

– May-Britt and Edvard for what you have achieved in science

Thank you

– for giving us the possibility to accompany you on this research journey

Thank you

– for proving for all future that it is possible to be the best in research and still be likeable, empathetic, nice, caring, and loving people.

You are true heroes and now we know that NTNU will never more be the same, Now we know that Trondheim will never more be the same. Now we know that Norwegian research will never more be the same because you received the Nobel Prize.

We have a dream

- that the Nobel Prize will be the start of a new era of even more excellent research at the Faculty of Medicine, at NTNU and in Norway

We have a dream

– that the Nobel Prize will inspire coming generations to enter into the world of education and research – not primarily for obtaining a Nobel Prize, but for generating “Knowledge for a better world”.

We have a dream

– that one day children from all countries of the world will have equal possibilities to go to schools and universities,– and to follow their curiosity into research

Let us today toast to the dreams that came through, but also toast to the dreams that need hard work to obtain but now we have the inspiration. May-Britt and Edvard – again – thank you.»

Til slutt vil jeg ønske dere alle en god jul og et godt nyttår.

(Foto: privat)