The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 80: The Future or the Present (Please Subscribe!)

Translator: 549690339

Speaking of awards in scientific research, Arthur immediately thought of the famous Nobel Prize in later generations.

Covering physics, medicine, chemistry, literature, and peace, it is one of the most authoritative and international scientific research awards in later generations.

If Arthur remembered correctly, the famous Nobel Prize in later generations should be officially awarded this year, in 1901.

Although it is unclear exactly when, it can be deduced from the response of the European scientific research community that the Nobel Prize has not been awarded so far.

If Arthur acts quickly, it may not be impossible to create and award his own prize before the first Nobel Prize is awarded, replacing the status of the Nobel Prize in later generations.

The Nobel Prize originated from the will of the famous Swedish chemist Alfred Bernhard Nobel.

Nobel used most of his estate to establish the Nobel Prize, which is worth about two million pounds. In this era when Europeans’ per capita annual income is only a few dozen pounds, this amount of money is a huge sum for everyone.

This is also why the Nobel Prize quickly became one of the most attention-grabbing awards in the world’s scientific research community.

Even the winners of the first Nobel Prize can receive a bonus of at least 150,000 Swedish crowns, which is the salary of a senior professor in Sweden for twenty years.

Receiving an award that can equal at least twenty years of salary would tempt any normal person, let alone those scientists struggling with funding problems.

“Do you have any specific plans?” Arthur asked.

Creating awards is definitely an effective method, especially when none of the major awards in later generations have been established and gained fame.

As long as a large amount of funds can be invested and extensive publicity can be carried out in Europe, the newly established award will definitely become a sought-after award in the entire European scientific research community within a short period of time.

“Your Highness, our goal is to attract people to Australia, and Australia currently lacks talent in all aspects. Therefore, my suggestion is that we should not focus only on the scientific research community; research in other fields that is useful to the country is also eligible for awards. We create an authoritative and traditional award, and then subdivided it into many small awards in various fields. Adopt the form of awarding once a year or every six months, rewarding all contributors worldwide.” Hunter Steward smiled and said, “Trust me, Your Highness. As long as people learn that the prize money is higher than their lifetime salary, even a fool could produce something.”

No one would refuse a large sum of money that they cannot earn in their lifetime. Even those scientists who only know about research would also worry about insufficient research funds and be moved by this sum of money.

Moreover, once the newly established award enjoys a reputation worldwide and is backed by authority, the recognition brought by the award would be another irresistible temptation.

Both fame and fortune are irresistible temptations that no one in the world can refuse.

Based on the current per capita income in Europe, most common people have an annual income below fifty pounds.

As for those professors and scientists with some accomplishments in scientific research, their annual income is only around a few hundred to a thousand pounds.

Only those with exceptional abilities or who have started their own companies to achieve revenue can increase their annual income to more than a thousand pounds.

“Good suggestion, Hunter Steward. If I fully support it, when is the earliest we can officially start awarding the prize?” Arthur nodded with satisfaction and asked.

“Your Highness, Australia is too far from Europe. I conservatively estimate that it will take at least six months before the awards can be officially presented, around October.” Hunter Steward calculated for a while and replied.

Six months is not a long time, considering the shortest voyage between Australia and Europe takes a month.

However, establishing an award in Australia has a significant drawback: due to the distance from Europe, it is difficult to cause a sensation throughout the continent.

“Hunter Steward, how about we create the awards in Europe first? Creating awards in Europe would allow us to receive applications from scientists more quickly and create a stronger sensation in the European scientific research community. After our established awards have gained a certain reputation and authority in Europe, we can then move the review organization to Australia.” Arthur asked with a smile.

After all, Europe is the center of the world right now. Creating an award in Europe is an excellent choice for quickly gaining authority, fame, and recognition from others.

Australia is still regarded as a wild land in the eyes of Europeans. Awards established in Australia are at a disadvantage compared to those in Europe.

Even if Arthur offers more generous financial rewards than other awards, it would not be easy to gain recognition from the entire European scientific research community.

However, it’s different if they are first established in Europe. European awards would be more recognized by Europeans, and the huge financial rewards would also speed up the process.

Once the awards created by Arthur are recognized as authoritative by the entire world scientific research community, even if the award is established in the wilds of Africa, it would still be the most authoritative award.

This is just like the capitalists in later generations: during the market seizing stage, they try to cater to the public as much as possible, even at the expense of their own interests.

Once they successfully capture the market and become the dominant force in a certain industry, the entire market is dictated by them.

By that time, even if they recoup all their previous losses, no one could say no. Those who are qualified to say no have already perished in the process of capturing the market, and the remaining ones simply have to go along with it. “Establishing in Europe would quickly improve the prestige of the awards we establish, and Europeans would be more receptive to our awards. However, our plan to quickly elevate Australia’s status in the hearts of scientists would be ruined. It might take a few more years to get those scientists to immigrate to Australia on their own.” Hunter Steward frowned and replied.

This is the fish-and-bear’s-paw problem. Is it to quickly enhance the recognition of the award in the hearts of Europeans, or to use the benefits of the awards to attract more scientist immigrants to Australia immediately? This is a difficult choice.

It’s not that the first choice cannot achieve the benefits of the second choice, but the drawback is that it requires a longer waiting time.

Australia is now in the golden stage of development, and any waste of time is a heavy loss for Australia.

“It’s alright, Hunter Steward. We need to take a longer-term perspective. While it may seem faster to establish awards in Australia in the short-term, establishing awards in Europe and then moving them here can achieve the same purpose, can’t it? A recognized award can bring changes to Australia that hastily established awards cannot. What we need is a large number of immigrants over a long period of time, not a small number of immigrants in a short period. Isn’t that right?” Arthur made his final decision, laughing..