Serge Haroche at ESET Science Award 2026

The announcement of the ESET Science Award laureates is an annual celebration of science in Slovakia. The gala event is attended by representatives of the scientific community from Slovakia and abroad, ambassadors, and representatives of state institutions in Slovakia. For the fourth year, the event took place under the auspices of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia. The laureates of the ESET Science Award 2026 were decided by an international jury headed by Nobel Laureate Serge Haroche. In the category of Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia, the award was presented to Professor Dušan Galusek, who leads the FunGlass Centre at Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín. The laureate of the category Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia under the age of 35 was Marián Janík, a specialist in quantum electronics from the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and the Outstanding Academic award went to Professor Iveta Waczulíková from the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University in Bratislava. The Public Choice Award was presented to Pavol Čekan, founder and CEO of the biotechnology company MultiplexDX.

At a time of rapid technological development, social change, and growing uncertainty, science plays a crucial role in shaping the world around us. It is not only a source of new discoveries but also a tool that strengthens security, societal resilience, trust in facts, and our ability to make responsible decisions. We were joined by over 600 high school students on a journey of discovery and explored why it is important to discuss the responsibility of those who create knowledge. The speakers were Serge Haroche (physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, and pioneer of experimental methods that enable scientists to observe, measure, and manipulate individual quantum systems), Ružena Bajcsy (computer scientist and a pioneer in robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine perception), Kamil Pšenák (AI and cybersecurity expert at ESET) and Ján Markoš (chess grandmaster, author, and lecturer in critical thinking). The event was moderated by Samuel “Vedátor” Kováčik and Peter “Expl0ited” Altof. The programme also included an interactive science-popularization exhibition.

On 16th October, ESET Science Talks welcomed Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Serge Haroche to the Old Market Hall in Bratislava. The evening explored science, the power of knowledge and the questions raised by rapid technological progress. In conversation with Daniel Stach, host of the Czech TV program Hyde Park Civilization, Professor Haroche introduced us to the fascinating world of quantum physics, a field that explores the fundamental laws governing nature at the level of atoms and elementary particles. Our understanding of this microscopic world, where reality behaves very differently from our everyday experience, now forms the foundation of many of tomorrow's technologies, from quantum computers to secure quantum communication.

The discussion, however, extended far beyond physics. It explored questions that concern us all: How do scientific discoveries shape the world we live in? What role does knowledge play in building trust, security, and resilient societies? And in an era of breakthrough technologies, how can we preserve not only the courage to explore the unknown but also the wisdom to decide how new knowledge should be used? Professor Haroche also reflected on the role of science in society, the responsibility that comes with pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and why critical thinking is more important than ever in a time of rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty, and profound societal transformation.