The first Norwegian Kavli Institute

The speech held by the Norwegian Minister of Education and reaearch Øystein Djupedal at the opening of the ”The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience” at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 14.08.07, in Trondheim.

Dear Fred Kavli, rector Digernes, ladies and gentlemen!

It is always good to be back in Trondheim, but today it feels even better than usual. This is because of the very happy occasion that brings us together here at NTNU. A remarkable institute is about to be established, and several people in this room have contributed substantially to what will be known as “The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience”.

First of all, I would like to mention Fred Kavli. I just said that a remarkable institute was about to be established, but Fred Kavli himself is also a remarkable man, indeed. Fred, what you are building up here – and worldwide – will contribute to our common knowledge through excellent science. The Kavli Foundation is “dedicated to the advancement of science for the benefit of humanity”. This is a great goal, and people like you, who dare to have high ambitions and aim high, and who are able to translate their visions into practical action, really make a difference.

In your search for the best research groups around the world, and thus for potential Kavli Institutes, you laid eyes on The Centre for the Biology of Memory. That was certainly a good thing to do. This centre has had status as a Centre of Excellence since 2002. The Research Council of Norway – after rigorous international evaluation - had a large number of strong candidates, but only the truly excellent ones passed the test. And later on, The Centre for the Biology of Memory – CBM for short – has proved its excellence. When we look at the publication lists of Edvard and May-Britt Moser, we can’t avoid noticing that the prestigious journals Science and Nature are listed impressively often. Marianne Fyhn received a prestigious prize in 2006 for the most outstanding PhD thesis in her field – not in Norway, not in Europe, but in the world.  Other members of the staff have other distinctions to show for themselves. The scientists working here are not average. Neither will the coming institute be mainstream. It will be excellent.

I wonder, could this research group have flourished just anywhere? Well, even brilliant minds need a favourable environment. I have noticed that rector Digernes has been working more hands-on in this case than what is expected from a rector at a major university. This shows a strong personal involvement. Thus, the university – with the rector leading the way – has shown that they really wanted “The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience” to become a reality. A strong backing from the rectorate is an important initial capital for a new entity.

The involvement and strong backing from the university combined with the support from the Kavli Foundation, and I am happy to say, from my own Ministry, will also have as a result that some of the best brains in this country stay here to do brain research.

Fred Kavli has picked neuroscience as one of three scientific fields he wants to support in particular. Again he has made a wise choice. The human brain is by far the most complex system known, and understanding it is a crucial scientific challenge for the 21st century. This intellectually fascinating task is made urgent not only by the ongoing quest for knowledge, but also by its practical applications: advances in the understanding of the human brain will lead to breakthroughs in the prevention and cure of nervous system disorders and to improvements in the quality of life for millions of people.

The scientists at the new Kavli Institute have found an extremely fascinating field of work. A few years back, a Norwegian pop-band had a summer-hit called “The brain is alone”. Well, not anymore. The brain is at the centre of attention in the scientific world. All of us who have followed newborn babies into toddlerhood and through their first years, have been fascinated by the development they go through, not the least their brains. One sometimes get the feeling that one can literally see or hear synapses connecting when children develop.

To fully understand the machinery we all carry along, to find out what really makes us tick, will not make the human brain nor the human mind less fascinating, but more fascinating.

That said, I think we should keep Albert Schweitzer’s words in mind. He said that “happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory”. So to some of us it could prove an advantage if you don’t find out just everything about memory.

What is easy to remember, though, is once again to thank Fred Kavli for what he does for science in general and for Norwegian science in particular. We all look forward to September next year when the first three Kavli Prizes will be awarded.

Then I will wish everybody at the new institute good luck in their future work and congratulate NTNU with a promising new institute.

And now, it is my pleasure to declare “The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience” for open!