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Texas A&M Students Represent U.S. at Prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Germany
An initiative spearheaded by College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences professor Jörg Steiner provides a rare opportunity for Aggies and other emerging scholars.
By Kahkasha Wahab and Rob Dixon
COLLEGE STATION, TX — Six students and postdoctoral researchers from Texas A&M University joined more than 600 young scientists and 30 Nobel Laureates from around the world at the 2025 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Lindau, Germany, held June 30 – July 4. The annual event provides a rare opportunity for emerging scholars to engage directly with Nobel Prize winners in a week-long forum of intellectual exchange and networking.
For Texas A&M’s attendees, including graduate students Daniel Kermany, Samya Samanta and Ryan Pohorenec, along with postdoctoral researcher Shruti Hariyani and undergraduate students Ryan O’Shea and Saim Waheed, the experience was inspiring.
College of Medicine MD/PhD student Daniel Kermany was impressed by the way the interactive design of the meetings encouraged exchange. “The environment was very open and friendly,” Kermany said. “I was able to make more meaningful connections than at any other international scientific conference I've attended in the last 10 years combined.”
Chemistry PhD student Samya Samanta also valued the opportunity to engage so meaningfully with Nobel prize winners and peers from around the world, and to discover shared experiences that fostered connection. “I never imagined I could connect so deeply with so many people, their experiences, and their perspectives. I am grateful for the opportunity to build not just networks, but friendships.”
From that opportunity, Samanta says the experience crystallized a set of scientific values he plans to carry with him throughout his life. “I was truly surprised at the Nobel Laureates’ humility and willingness to engage. I saw in them the importance of finding strong mentorship, being resilient, delighting in discovery and seeing science as a curiosity-driven adventure.”
For Ryan O’Shea, the trip marked his first time overseas. “Meeting other young scientists from across the world and getting to meet the Laureates and spend time with them was an enriching experience. After hearing their insights on research that changes a field and learning about their cultures, I’ve come away with an expanded view of the world and how science can impact it,” O’Shea said.
Texas A&M’s Strategic Role in the Lindau Scholars Program
Texas A&M is a key U.S. academic partner of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Through this partnership, the university helps select and support travel for a cohort of students and postdoctoral researchers from American universities to attend the Lindau Meetings. In the first two years of the partnership, Texas A&M has helped select 64 scholars and partnered with corporate co-sponsors Amgen, Nestlé Purina Petcare and Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences to support their travel to the meetings.
To help these scholars prepare to make the most of their Lindau experience, Texas A&M hosts the Lindau Scholars’ Spring Meeting on its College Station campus. The two-day event includes meetings with faculty and administrators, tours of research facilities, and networking opportunities.
“Agencies and institutions around the world partner with the Lindau Foundation to ensure young scholars from their countries can take advantage of this incredible opportunity to connect and be inspired by Nobel Laureates,” Steiner said. “There was no other U.S. Lindau partner outside of the University of California system. Texas A&M stepped in to fill the void.”
Doing so is a win for the university and its students, Steiner explains.
“We are creating transformational opportunities for young scientists and introducing tomorrow’s leading scientific scholars to the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines our university. It’s a powerful way to showcase to the world what’s possible at Texas A&M—and to inspire the next generation of researchers to join us,” Steiner said.
Steiner has parlayed the success of the Texas A&M – Lindau agreement into a similar arrangement to give Texas A&M students the opportunity to also attend the Global Youth Scientists Summit in Singapore.
“There are three major gatherings in the world where young, up-and-coming scientists can meet with the world’s most renowned scholars,” said Steiner. “Those are Lindau, the Heidelberg Laureate Forum and Singapore’s Global Young Scientists Summit. After our engagement in the Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting, I was approached by the organizers of the GYSS to see if Texas A&M would be interested in sending some of our students to Singapore,” Steiner said.
Thus, the Texas A&M–Lindau partnership is already yielding results, even before most Lindau Scholars enter the job market. “We’re seeing global engagement opportunities with the world’s top scholars expand for outstanding students from our university and others,” Steiner said. “That only increases the chances that some of them may one day represent Texas A&M as Nobel Laureates themselves.”
Associate Provost and Graduate and Professional School Dean Dr. Fuhui Tong attended the 2025 Lindau Meeting and recognized the significant impact that Texas A&M’s involvement at Lindau is making. “From last year's visit by the Aggie Wranglers to seeing all the maroon shirts and the panel we sponsored this year, Lindau definitely has taken on an Aggie flare,” Tong said. “Our university’s presence on such a remarkable stage not only amplifies the achievements and caliber of our scholars but also highlights the exceptional vision and unwavering commitment to leadership and excellence that embody the spirit of the Texas A&M community.”