Between AI, coffee breaks and Nobel Prize winners

Dr Laura Watkowski, temporary academic advisor at the Chair of Business Informatics and Digital Society at the University of Bayreuth, took part in a very special scientific exchange: the 8th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Economics. This renowned event regularly brings together outstanding young scientists and Nobel laureates – a format that provided Watkowski with a ‘unique opportunity’ to network with internationally influential researchers.

Nominated by the University of Bayreuth and invited by the organisers, she travelled to Lake Constance, where over 20 laureates – including Jean Tirole – and prominent guest speakers such as Mario Draghi and José Manuel Barroso discussed key issues in economics. ‘The breadth of topics – from development economics to financial market research – also makes the conference exciting for scientists from related disciplines, because it brings together very different perspectives on key issues in economics,’ says Watkowski.

Watkowski herself conducts research on digital transformation, particularly on the effects of generative AI on learning behaviour and on the digital sovereignty of organisations and society. In Lindau, she was not only able to discuss her research, but also to develop it further: ‘The exchange with international colleagues was incredibly valuable. I took away many ideas on how my topics can be embedded even more strongly in larger economic and social debates.’

She was particularly impressed by the personal encounters – for example, with Nobel Prize winner Eric Maskin, who revealed himself to be a fan of the Wagner Festival. ‘As someone from Bayreuth, that was of course a special moment for me,’ she says with a smile. But beyond such anecdotes, it also became clear that the Nobel Prize winners are not only interested in scientific discourse, but also in personal exchange – whether over coffee or at an evening reception.