Event Details

Dear Alumni,

We are very honored to welcome MIT Prof Moungi Bawendi  2023 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in Paris https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moungi_Bawendi 

On the topic Tiny Particles, Big Impact: The Story of Quantum Dots and Human Progress

Quantum dots, one of the first engineered nanomaterials, have become ubiquitous in displays and other applications. Professor Bawendi's talk will discuss their origin story, their development, and their applications. This is a story of curiosity-based science driving innovation and technological progress.

Moungi Bawendi is the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at MIT. His lab focuses on the science and applications of nanocrystals, especially semiconductor nanocrystal (aka quantum dots). Born in Paris, Bawendi emigrated to the United States as a child, and earned his bachelor's and master's Degrees from Harvard University. He went on to achieve a PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago. After conducting postdoctoral research at Bell Labs, he joined the MIT Chemistry faculty in 1990. In 2023, Bawendi was named a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots".

We will have a sitting dinner with a composition of 3 themes to go along with the service - Each theme will have a presentation by the professor to be followed by questions from the assembly

1) Apetizer - the Early life and education 

2) Entries - the Researcher life and The Quantum dots 

3) Dessert: the Nobel Prize, MIT and the path forward

Frédéric Hannoyer and the MIT CdF Board 

Bio:

Professor Moungi Bawendi, born in Paris, France, in 1961, is a distinguished chemist recognized for his groundbreaking work on quantum dots. After spending his early years in France and Tunisia, he moved to the United States, where he pursued higher education. He obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1988 and later conducted postdoctoral research at Bell Labs.

In 1990, Bawendi joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he became a professor in 1996. His most notable scientific contribution is the hot-injection synthesis of quantum dots, a breakthrough that enabled precise control over their size and properties, leading to wide-ranging applications in electronics, photovoltaics, and biomedical imaging.

For his pioneering work, Bawendi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, alongside Louis E. Brus and Alexey Ekimov, for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. These nanomaterials are now essential in high-definition displays, energy-efficient lighting, medical diagnostics, and solar energy technology, revolutionizing modern technology and holding great potential for future innovations in medicine, renewable energy, and quantum computing,

Event Details

Dear Alumni,

Invitation to the HumAIn Salon: Exploring AI, People, and the Future of Work

We are pleased to invite you the 4th edition of our NEW AI event : the HumAIn Salon. This is a recurring series of human-size in-person events dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, human factors, including the future of work. This intimate gathering (~30p max)  will occur every one to two months, bringing together a small group of participants for in-depth discussions on these critical topics.

Theme: “HumAIn Intelligence: AI, People, and the Future of Work”
Format: Serial meetups featuring a blend of expert presentations and interactive exchanges
Salon Host : Léa Peersman, MIT Sloan graduate, researcher, founder of HI Lab,
Guest Speakers: Every session will feature a guest speaker from the fields of AI research, cognitive sciences, sociology, and startups, sparking the discussions and guiding our exploration.

This is a conference where we expect you to participate and share your vision! The HumAIn Salon is a collaborative forum where every voice matters, and your insights are critical to shaping our understanding of the intersection between AI and human experiences.

Join us for an engaging discussion and dinner 

We look forward to welcoming you to this enriching and thought-provoking series.

Specific Mar 25th Event Details:

Date: 25 March 2025
Time: 19:30 – 22:30
Venue: Restaurant Vauban, facing Les Invalides, 7th arrondissement, Paris

Guest Speakers:

• Clement Duhart — Clément Duhart currently serves as the Director of Strategy and Innovation at IONIS Education Group (https://www.ionis-group.com/). From 2018 to 2024, he led the Institute for Future Technologies (IFT), after founding it in 2019. Within this institute, he also headed the Artificial Lives research group, focusing on Human-Machine interfaces, mixed realities, and swarm robotics. With a solid foundation in embedded systems engineering, Clément holds a master's degree in Artificial Intelligence from the Sorbonne and earned his doctorate in computer science from the University of Le Havre in 2016. Clément's career trajectory shifted towards deep learning after his initial work in the Internet of Things and large-scale mesh wireless sensor networks. In 2015, he embarked on a collaborative venture with MIT Medialab, starting as a visiting student and later becoming a postdoc and research scientist. During this time, he contributed to the Tidmarsh project, which is dedicated to restoring industrial wastelands in wetlands. His responsibilities included developing deep learning and wireless sensor network technologies to capture dynamic changes in environmental and wildlife parameters. The ultimate goal was to construct a tele-presence reality, aiding restoration practitioners and fostering public engagement through innovative tools.

This session will explore the core question:
“Rethinking Resilience: Fostering Ingenuity in a World of Crises and AI”

In a world facing crises on every level—wars in Europe, climate change — are we, as a Nation, truly prepared to become resilient? Is our generation ready to invent in a world without abundance? To create using only what is available?

In the era of Artificial Intelligence, what is the defining value of humanity? Is it not creativity, the ability to invent, to be ingenious, to think outside the box? We think through our bodies, our space, our emotions. Our perception is the key to our ability to evolve by acting upon the world—it forces us to confront reality and, therefore, compels us to invent.

I deeply believe that, given the current context, we must rethink our societies — from a model of hyper-specialization of skills to a world of well-rounded individuals. This shift has already begun through the widespread adoption of soft skills training for better collective living. Today, it is time to train our future generations of engineers to become modern-day MacGyvers.

Over an informal dinner, Clement and Lea will share their vision and let us exchange and share.

Registration: To attend, you only pay for your dinner (3 course-meal) - please register on the MIT website. Limited Seating the dinner is at 55€ and you pay forward to reserve your seat  - We'll refund you if you cannot attend and tell us upfront.

We look forward to your participation in this important discussion.

Best regards,

Lea Peersman and Frédéric Hannoyer

MIT CdF Board member & MIT CdF President