Sandra Di Rocco, Oscar Tjernberg, Gunnar Tibert, Sebastian Stichel, Pär Olsson, Carlota Canalias Gomez, Mats Boij, Fredrik Lundell, Erik Edstam |
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
As 2025
comes to a close, we would like to thank you for your dedication,
collaboration, and contributions throughout the year.
It has been
a year of continued development for SCI. In
teaching, research, administration and leadership, we have taken important
steps forward together. This year’s Christmas illustration, created with the
help of AI, is a small reminder that development also reaches how we work, how
we communicate, and how we, as a school management, continue to evolve
alongside the organization.
We hope the
holidays offer time to slow down, recharge, and enjoy a well-earned break. We
look forward to continuing our work together in 2026, with curiosity,
commitment, and a shared focus on quality and collaboration.
We wish you
a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
The School Management
| | |
Before leaving for the holidays,
remember to:- Refer
your phone extension
- Activate an automatic
e-mail reply / out of office-message. If possible, include a function
e-mail address available for urgent queries.
- Financial approver? It is important to have all invoices approved
and to activate a substitute if you will be away.
- Ensure that no food which may expire is left in communal fridges or
kitchens.
- Switch off all lights, christmas decorations and ensure that screens etc.
are not in stand-by mode. Unplug any chargers and make sure all windows are
closed.
- Leave your computer and take a well-deserved break!
| | | Opening hours for the central service functions Christmas of 2025Opening hours for KTH-switchboard, KTH Entré, reception desk Brinellvägen 8, KTH Post, Card Office back office Christmas of 2025. See all the opening hours | | |
New reform agenda strengthens quality in education, research, and the work environmentThe School of Engineering Sciences (SCI) has adopted a new reform agenda for 2026, focusing on strengthened quality in education, research, and the work environment. The agenda includes initiatives to build AI competence among teachers and students, develop the SCI Makerspace as a hub for experimental learning, and strengthen inclusion and academic culture through workshops and mentoring. “In 2026, we want to achieve a clear increase in quality in education, research, and the work environment,” says Sandra Di Rocco. Read more about the initiatives in the reform agenda Download the reform agenda (in Swedish)
| | |
KTH’s new operational plan finalized"The focus remains on the same areas as last year, but they are being adjusted slightly and evolving," says Anders Söderholm, President at KTH, about the new operational plan due to take effect on 1 January 2026. Also read about the reform agendas of the schools and of the University Administration. The agenda for change has been refined
| | | Highlights from the SCI Faculty Board meeting – 20 November 2025
At the latest Faculty Board meeting, members focused on quality assurance, governance, JML policy consultation and recruitment processes.
-
External programme review plan. The Board reviewed a proposed multi-year plan for external reviews, starting in 2026 with Vehicle Engineering, Aerospace master’s, a cluster of Physics master’s, and Life Science master’s programmes, with all programmes reviewed by 2028.
-
New teacher representative. The Board appointed Christian Ohm as a member from 1 January–31 December 2026 (to complete the current mandate period).
-
JML policy consultation. Members were invited to comment on KTH’s draft “Direction for Equality, Diversity and Equal Conditions 2026–2030”. Erik Edstam compiled the school’s feedback to the Equality Office.
-
Recruitment processes.
The Board discussed how unnecessary extensions of advertisements can be avoided and explored an internal pre-screening model for applications inspired by the Swedish Research Council’s process.
Read the full protocol (in Swedish) | | |
Important! New login routine for all employees and affiliatesThe new login procedure for KTH's services and systems is called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and it will become mandatory from 24 February 2026. Prepare by downloading the MFA app to your phone and linking it to your KTH account. You can use either your work phone or personal mobile phone, and you may install the app on multiple devices. | | |
Annia Borgenstam. Photo: KTH
| | |
New model for co-financing
|
From 1 January next year, KTH will introduce a central co-financing model in accordance with a decision by the President.
"This is intended to encourage continued pursuit of external funding and provide support, even though we recognise that it does not bridge the overhead gap," says Annika Borgenstam, Vice President for Research and Chair of the Research Committee.
Read more about the new model for co-financing | | | |
Distinguished participants at the symposium. Photo: Jelina Khoo |
From Bold Ideas to Future Quantum Technologies
On December 9, KTH brought the Nobel Prize in Physics into sharp focus as researchers gathered for the symposium "40 Years of Macroscopic Quantum Physics". The event revisited the groundbreaking experiments that, four decades ago, proved that quantum phenomena can appear in macroscopic systems and paved the way for today’s quantum technologies.
Leading scientists from around the world shared key milestones and bold future visions for the field. Nobel Laureates John Clarke (2025) and Anne L’Huillier (2023) joined the discussions, linking scientific history with what comes next. Read more about the event
| | |
Rising Stars workshop highlighted women in nuclear science
Last week, KTH hosted the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Global Forum Rising Stars Workshop, bringing together 40 early career women working across nuclear science, engineering, technology, education and policy. The programme included keynote lectures, panel discussions and research presentations, with sessions focusing on leadership, career development and gender balance in STEM.
Among the speakers were Nobel Prize laureate Anne L’Huillier and Anna Borg, President and CEO of Vattenfall, who took part in a panel discussion on empowering women in scientific careers. Through hosting the workshop, KTH contributed to international exchange and supported the next generation of women leaders in the nuclear field.
Read the article |
Hans Blom explains that the microscope uses a doughnut shaped light pattern to precisely locate molecules. Photo: Jelina Khoo
|
MINFLUX opens new possibilities for light microscopy at the nanoscale
KTH's Advanced Light Microscopy facility at SciLifeLab in Solna offers access to MINFLUX, one of the most advanced light microscopes in the world. The technology makes it possible to study structures inside cells with nanometer precision using light microscopy.
The microscope enables researchers to locate and follow individual molecules in three dimensions and in real time, even in living cells. This creates new opportunities for research in areas such as cell biology, neuroscience, and structural biology.
Researchers interested in using the instrument can apply for access through the SciLifeLab project portal. A breakthrough in nanoscale light microscopy |
Kin Wing Wong and Peter Szakálos | Study explains why new kinds of steel needed to build lead cooled reactors
| Researchers Kin Wing Wong and Peter Szakálos have uncovered why conventional stainless steel corrodes so quickly in liquid lead, a major challenge for lead-cooled reactors, and point to new steel solutions that could make next-generation nuclear power safer and more durable. Their findings, published in Corrosion Science, show how ultra-thin lead films dissolve key elements in steel and why layered materials may be the answer.
Read the article | | | | |
The purpose of the grant is to build up environments for basic research in nuclear technology. |
81 million to research environments in nuclear technologyThe Swedish Research Council has decided to allocate 108 million Swedish crowns to research environments in nuclear technology at universities and colleges. Three of the research environments now receiving support from the Swedish Research Council are located at KTH. Jonas Faleskog, Payam Pourmand and Mats Jonsson are primarily responsible for the applications. Read the article
| | | | |
Italy and Sweden Sport Research Day
On 5 December, a workshop focusing on sports-related research was held at KTH Innovation, with the aim of initiating European and bilateral collaborations for future funding, including a Horizon application in 2026.
Participants included the Italian Embassy in Sweden as well as representatives from the Swedish Olympic Committee, the Swedish Sports Confederation, RISE, the Swedish Research Council, Vinnova, the Italian Olympic Committee, and INAIL. The discussions focused on the impact of climate change on elite sports, the development of equipment that meets the needs of female elite athletes, and capacity building and knowledge transfer.
|
| | | Fika chat on the 2025 project portfolio within Future Education at KTH | | | | Drop-in support for digital teaching and system support – three full daysWelcome to E-learning's drop-in support via Zoom! Take the opportunity to ask questions about digital teaching and the system support provided by KTH. This could be about Canvas or other digital tools such as Mentimeter and Möbius.
| | |
KTH’s
200th Anniversary Exhibition
| Share your
research and solutions for a better and more sustainable world with thousands
of visitors at KTH’s 200th anniversary exhibition, The World of Tomorrow.
We invite you to submit your proposal to this milestone exhibition, which will
transform the entrance hall of the KTH Library into a vibrant hub of innovation
throughout 2027.
KTH's
200th anniversary exhibition
| | | | Public defences of doctoral theses, licenciate seminars and docent lectures
| | | KTH´s new climate goals show the way forward
KTH has adopted new sustainability and climate goals for the period 2026–2030, with the aim of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The policy document, which includes an action plan, sets out KTH's long-term efforts to contribute to safe, fair, and sustainable social development.
"Our previous sustainability goals are being further refined, and one of the measures is to strengthen ongoing monitoring in our quality systems for education and research. Sustainability work will also be integrated into ongoing development processes at KTH, such as the local optimisation of operational support, with a focus on circularity and reuse," says Kristina von Oelreich, KTH's Sustainability Manager.
Read the article
| From 1 January 2026, KTH introduces a carbon budget for business travel. Photo: Unsplash
| | |
KTH introduces carbon dioxide budget for air travel
| The President has decided to introduce a carbon dioxide budget for emissions from air travel undertaken on business or paid for by KTH. The decision will take effect on 1 January 2026, and equates to an annual reduction in emissions of 8% until 2045 compared to 2019 levels.
“Everyone must do their part to reduce emissions, and this is a way to plan travel together and take shared responsibility,” says President Anders Söderholm. Read the article | | | | | |
Nina Wormbs and Sofia Ritzén. Photo: Christer Gummeson
|
Strengthening competence and collegial responsibility
KTH is moving forward with efforts to renew its career system. A new report proposes clearer requirements, fairer assessments, and a stronger focus on actual competence and collegial responsibility. The proposals are based on broad internal dialogue and aim to increase transparency and enhance overall quality. New steps toward a fairer career system
|
|
|
The Nobel Prizes that inspire new beginnings
“We don’t have the money, so we have to think.” This quote is attributed to Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealand physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 for his discoveries on radioactivity. I wonder if he would have reconsidered this statement if he had witnessed the current funding crisis in Sweden’s research funding system.
Continue reading Anders Söderholm's blog post |
|
|
Fredrik Schaufelberger and Katarina Gustavsson
| They receive KTH Pedagogical Prize
Loving to meet students, a desire to constantly improve, and competent colleagues who provide support. That is the secret behind the highly regarded teaching of Katarina Gustavsson and Fredrik Schaufelberger. The duo are this year's recipients of KTH Pedagogical prize, which will be presented by KTH's President Anders Söderholm at the graduation ceremony in December. The Pedagogical prize is given annually to two teachers at for outstanding contributions in education at undergraduate, advanced and postgraduate levels. "I try to see every student" | | | | | Nominate a KTH alum who inspires you. |
Nominate the Alum of the Year 2026
The Alum of the Year award recognises and honours an outstanding alum who, through their professional role or individual achievements, is an inspiration to others. Nominations are reviewed by the KTH Alumni Advisory Board, which submits a recommendation to the KTH President for the final decision. Help us celebrate alumni whose leadership and commitment contribute to sustainable societal development. Nominate someone today. Read more about the awardNominate before January 18
| | | | |
Joakim Jaldén. Photo: Katarina Minnegård
| | Joakim Jaldén appointed as new head of EECS
|
Professor of signal processing Joakim Jaldén has been appointed as the new head of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). He will take up his post at the turn of the year, when the current Head of School, Ann Lantz, steps down.
Read the article | | | | |
