“A fascinating world of different cultures.” International experiences and creativity in the biographies of nobel laureates

Abstract

Recent research, based primarily on students, has suggested that international experiences can enhance creativity. The goal of the current study was to extend this research and to examine the influence of international experiences on creativity in a special group of innovators and persistent creators: 146 Nobel laureates who received the prize between 2008 and 2020. Quantitative biographic analyses showed that 42 % of the Nobel laureates had either moved or traveled extensively with their families during their childhood, 24 % had studied in a country different from their home country, 25 % moved to another country after their Ph.D. to start their career at a university, and 36 % married a partner from a different country than their own. The data revealed that Nobel laureates did not have more international experiences than a comparison group of 180, non-Nobel Laureate, professors from top universities worldwide. Qualitative analyses of Nobel laureates’ speeches, using the phenomenological research method, revealed the following seven themes: (1) Belonging to a multicultural family, (2) fostering curiosity by the family, (3) learning foreign languages, (4) pursuing independence and academic freedom, (5) navigating between cultural worlds, (6) traveling as an eye-opening experience, and (7) embracing cultural differences. These findings show that Nobel laureates and the comparison group have had significant international experiences. Specifically for Nobel laureates, their accounts of these international experiences, alongside the breadth of different worldviews, customs, and norms experienced in different cultures impacted their scientific work so much so as to contribute to their creative ideas and limitless potential.