Sugar: Bringing Sweetness to Life NOBEL CONFERENCE 61 |Tuesday, October 7 - Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Audience
High school student groups and their teachers, advisors, and chaperones

What's Distinctive?
Since 1965, the Nobel Conference at Gustavus has brought top scientists and thinkers to explore big discoveries and the tough questions they raise. It’s the only event in the U.S. authorized by the Nobel Foundation to use the “Nobel” name — a really big deal.

Here, we tackle the big questions about science, ethics, and the future, and spotlight people who think critically, ask bold questions, and help shape what comes next.

Nobel Conference 61: Sugar
Sugar fuels our bodies, lights up our brains, and sometimes hooks us like an addictive drug. From cane, beets, and corn, it’s a crop that shaped history — powering economies, driving colonization, and fueling the Atlantic slave trade. It’s at the heart of treats and snacks, but also packed into processed foods as “empty calories.”

Sugar can cause health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure, but in another form, glycans, it may even help treat disease. Nobel Conference 61 explores the science, history, and future of this not-so-simple carbohydrate.

High School Group Information

Gustavus welcomes high school groups to the Nobel Conference. High school students will have the opportunity to attend lectures, conference activities, and enjoy a complimentary meal on campus. Please see the schedule below for details on opportunities for high school groups. Other resources available as you plan your trip to campus: full Nobel Conference schedule, Attendee Information, and a campus map with bus parking .

Session Schedules

Tuesday, October 7 | Sugar in Us

8:30 - 9 a.m. | High School Group Check-In, Christ Chapel
9:00 a.m. | SESSION 1
9:15 a.m. | Welcome and Conference Introduction
9:45 a.m. | Lecture by Frank Hu - How Sweet is Too Sweet? Health Effects of Sugars and Artificial Sweetners
10:30 a.m. | Lecture by Nivole Avena
11:15 a.m. | Panel discussion and Q & A 
12:00 p.m. | Complimentary Lunch in Alumni Hall (high school student groups & chaperones only)
12:45 p.m. | Breakout sessions and self-guided activities (Gustavus Arboretum, Bonnier Multifaith Center and more)
1:30 p.m. | SESSION 2
1:45 p.m | Lecture by Carolyn Bertozzi - Glycans: The Sugars Coating Our Cells
2:30 p.m. | Panel discussion and Q & A 
3:30 p.m. | Optional: Campus Tours
7:30 p.m. | Optional: The Moth StorySLAM Sugar: a live storytelling event

Wednesday, October 8 | Sugar in the World

8:30 - 9 a.m. | High School Group Check-In, Christ Chapel
9 a.m. | SESSION 3
9:15 a.m. | Lecture by Ulve Bosma - From Luxury to Bulk: Sugar's Global Conquest
10:00 a.m. | Lecture by Jean Casimir - Sweet light from sugar: The counter-plantation and the trap of imperial discourse
10:45 a.m. | Panel Discussion and Q & A 
11:30 a.m. | Complimentary Lunch in Alumni Hall (high school student groups & chaperones only); Lunch Discussions or self-guided activities
12:30 | SESSION 4
12:45 p.m. | Lecture by Ford Runge - The Economics of Sugar: Molecules to Markets (to Molecules)
1:30 p.m. | Lecture by En-Ming Hsu - Sugar in the Hands of the Modern Pastry Chef
2:15 p.m. | Panel Discussion and Q & A
3 p.m. | Nobel Conference 61 Closing Remarks
3:30 p.m. | Optional: Campus Tours

Registration

Chaperones register here

PLEASE NOTE: Upon chaperone registration, you will receive information about invidual student registration (REQUIRED). 

Limited overnight housing is available for a small number of high school groups on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact Lindsey Owens with questions.