43 of Denmark's most talented students in the
biotechnological and pharmaceutical sciences will today be
awarded Novo Scholarships, the largest of their kind in
Denmark. "We must learn how to nurture the wealth of research
talent to be found in Denmark. The Novo Scholarships are a
good example of this and can inspire more young people to
become interested in the natural sciences," says Morten
Østergaard, Danish Minister for Research, Innovation and
Higher Education.
How is Denmark to sustain itself in the future? How do we generate the innovation needed for Denmark to retain its leading position in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology? How do we get young people more interested in studying the natural sciences?
These are pressing issues for 21st century Denmark, and today
brings part of the answer as Novo Scholarships are awarded to
43 MSc students in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical
sciences.
"Denmark's future depends on high academic standards, and we
face stiff competition from other countries pushing the
natural sciences," says Morten Østergaard, Danish Minister
for Research, Innovation and Higher Education. "We must learn
how to nurture the wealth of research talent to be found in
Denmark. The Novo Scholarships are a good example of this and
can inspire more young people to become interested in the
natural sciences."
The minister also stresses that the scholarships serve as a
welcome seal of approval for the students and their projects,
and that it is positive that so many students are being given
an opportunity to devote themselves entirely to their
theses.
The Novo Scholarships are funded jointly by Novozymes and
Novo Nordisk. A total of DKK 2.6 million is being awarded
this year, divided into scholarships of up to DKK 84,000 each
to supplement the students' standard grants while they are
writing their theses so that they do not need to work
alongside their studies.
This is the 16th year that the scholarships have been
awarded, and altogether more than DKK 30 million has now been
awarded to more than 500 promising young researchers.
The scholarships will be presented today at Novozymes and
Novo Nordisk by Hans Müller Pedersen, Deputy Director General
of the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation,
on behalf of the Minister for Research, Innovation and Higher
Education.
More from less
One of the students to receive a scholarship is Duy Michael
Le, who is studying nanobiotechnology at Aalborg University.
His project has its roots in a fundamental global challenge:
With more than 7 billion people on the planet, we are
consuming more and more food and energy.
The project looks at how we can get more nutrients and energy
out of existing raw materials - specifically how natural
enzymes can break down cereals in an environmentally friendly
and sustainable way.
"One of the biggest challenges is breaking down the cell
walls in corn, but if we can get enzymes to do this, we can
get more energy out of the corn and make it more nutritious
for both humans and animals," says Duy Michael. "It's all
about getting much, much more out of the same amount of
corn."
The Novo Scholarship will make a big difference for a
delighted Duy Michael:
"Now I'll be able to focus 100% on my research without having
to take a part-time job."
Contacts details:
Novo Nordisk: | Novozymes: |
Mette Kruse Danielsen | René Tronborg |
Tlf.: 4442 3883 | Tlf.: 4446 2274 |
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