“This is a very emotional moment. I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare and think about what to say. Since I was told that I won the prize at 2:30 this afternoon, my telephone hasn’t stopped ringing,” said Nobel Prize for Economics 2005 Laureate Prof. Robert J. Aumann at a press conference at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Givat Ram campus. Hebrew University president Prof. Menachem Gidor and Sweden’s Ambassador to Israel were also present. The chairman of the Nobel Prize committee informed Aumann that he had won the prize for economics at 1:30 pm.
Aumann said, “I didn’t know exactly what I received the prize for, until I looked at the fax they sent me. I learned from the fax that I was awarded the prize mainly for repeated games.”
Aumann continued, “I think that this prize is definitely not only mine. This prize was awarded for two things. Firstly, for the school of games theory we’ve developed in Israel. We’ve turned Israel into the number one force in this profession.
“Secondly, this prize goes to Israeli science and Hebrew University. It is also a prize for the international games theory community. It’s important to emphasize that games theory is the cornerstone of the global economy. This is an honor for the scientific theory of games theory.”
Aumann thanked everyone with whom he had worked over the years. “I also thank my students at Hebrew University,” he said.
In response to a question what grade he would give Israel’s economic policymakers, Aumann said, “My friends say that I don’t really understand economics, and I have good friends. My friends give good grades to Benjamin Netanyahu for economics, but I stress: only in economics.”
In response to a question by “Globes” what grade he would give Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for economics, Aumann said, “No comment.”
Aumann has five children, one of whom, Shlomo Aumann, was killed in the Lebanon War.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on October 10, 2005