An American physicist, one of the most prominent and influential modern era scientists in the field of experimental quantum physics and quantum technologies, as well as recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2025, John M. Martinis, received University of Split’s honorary doctorate on July 8th, in Faculty of Science’s large amphitheatre.
Given his exceptional scientific contribution and global reputation, as well as his Croatian heritage, this award has a special significance for the city of Split and Croatian academic community. Professor Martinis pointed out how proud he is of his roots.
"My father was born in Croatia and my mother in the USA, although her parents were born in Croatia. During this trip, I truly began to better understand my cultural heritage. Past few days have been wonderful. I enjoyed many interesting conversations, as well as excellent Croatian food. A few days ago, I was shown a beautiful video about Croatia, which reminded me of my roots. I particularly remember a part where it speaks about how Croats can sometimes be stubborn and always openly say what they think. I recognize myself in that. Sometimes it creates difficulties, but I believe that this approach is important for scientific work. As a scientist, I consider openly expressing my ideas, asking questions, and striving to understand things more deeply extremely valuable. I attribute much of my success to this trait. Few scientists constantly ask questions and seek to delve into the core of problems to truly understand them. I feel that this way of thinking was one of the key reasons for my success," Martinis said, adding that he is confident he will return to Croatia and that there will be opportunities for collaboration and joint projects.
After the ceremony, Prof. Martinis gave a lecture titled “From Prehistoric Qubits to Building a Useful Quantum Computer,” dedicated to work on his doctoral dissertation and the journey that led him to the Nobel Prize, as well as research in the field of quantum computing.
