The Chinese public tend to imagine the life of a Nobel prize winner as exciting and glamorous. But Robert Mundell, who won the Nobel prize for economics in 1999, describes it in very different terms. "18 hours work every day, busy your whole life through."

Mundell is in China taking part in the three-day Nobel Laureates Beijing Forum 2006, sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and opened Tuesday (Sep 5).

But winning a Nobel prize is not all hard work and perspiration.

"You cannot win a Nobel prize just by keeping your nose to the grindstone, you have to be really interested in the work and be creative," said Mundell.

With the Chinese government insisting that China needs to adopt a new style of economic growth, based on innovation and inspiration rather than low-cost, large-scale manufacturing and perspiration, Mundell's remarks are apposite.

When Mundell talks about creativity and his attitude to science, he repeatedly speaks of his "joy and enthusiasm" in doing scientific research. "Nobel laureates love this kind of lifestyle (working 18 hours a day) and don't feel tired at all."

The seven Nobel laureates attending the forum are Chinese-born Lee Tsung-dao, winner of the 1957 Nobel prize for physics, Robert Mundell, Robert Huber and Hartmut Michel, who shared the 1988 chemistry prize, Ferid Murad and Louis Ignarro, who shared the 1998 medicine prize, and Aaron Ciechanover, winner of the 2004 chemistry prize.

At the forum, Mundell said he was looking forward to sharing ideas on attitudes toward science. To him, scientific research means focusing on detail, putting in a lifetime of efforts, creativity and talent. Creative thinking and moral fiber is essential. "Just like piracy in other areas, plagiarism will always be there, it is simply the theft of ideas."

Mundell said institutional reforms were one way of combating plagiarism. But he said the scientific spirit had to be instilled, because modern scientific progress derives directly from the enthusiasm of scientists.

During the three-day forum, while others make presentations about the future of China's life sciences, healthcare, DNA research and transgenic techniques, Mundell will make a keynote speech on harmonious development and humanity.

In China, Mundell is known as one of the "fathers of the euro". However, his eight-year-old son, Nicholas, sitting beside him during the Xinhua interview, seemed unconcerned by his father's fame.

To him, the 74-year-old Mundell is just a good father.

"He is a football genius, he knows how to play football just by using his toes," said his son.

Editor: Wing