In 2026, EPFL named Professor Konstantin Novoselov its first-ever EPFL Fellow, a newly created honorary title recognising scientific personalities of exceptional international stature.

EPFL is delighted to host a public lecture to celebrate this nomination of one of the most influential physicists of our time.

Konstantin Novoselov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 and is globally renowned for his pioneering work on graphene and two-dimensional materials. By isolating graphene for the first time, a sheet of carbon just one atom thick, he opened an entirely new field of research, with profound implications for electronics, energy and quantum technologis.

This Campus Lecture offers an introduction to that revolution: how a two-dimensional material is transforming our understanding of matter and how today’s fundamental discoveries become tomorrow’s technologies.

Picture this: it was from the graphite of an ordinary pencil lead that this “super-material” was first isolated. Using nothing more than a piece of adhesive tape to peel away a layer a single atom thick, Konstantin Novoselov revealed to the world a material with extraordinary properties. A million times thinner than a human hair, 200 times stronger than steel and remarkably conductive, graphene pushes every limit. From the lead of your pencil to the batteries of tomorrow, join us to discover how a deceptively simple gesture set off a genuine technological revolution.

Konstantin Novoselov is a physicist specialising in condensed matter and nanotechnology. He conducted his Nobel Prize–winning research at the University of Manchester, where, together with Professor Andre Geim, he isolated graphene for the first time. He has held academic positions in the United Kingdom as well as internationally and is currently based at the National University of Singapore. Widely recognised as a leading figure in the study and application of two-dimensional materials, he has received numerous honours for his contributions to science.