Head of School Sandra Di Rocco with the
Engineering Physics
class of 1964 | The program of Engineering Physics and the balance between progress and tradition
Last week, SCI hosted a reunion for
the Engineering Physics class of 1964, marking 60 years since their graduation. The event highlighted both nostalgia and progress, particularly in gender representation, with female students now making up about 20% of the program.
Gunnar Tibert and Sandra Di Rocco presented the program's current state, emphasizing high international rankings and diverse specializations. Discussions also focused on the impact of technological advancements, particularly AI, on student learning. The consensus was clear: a careful balance of progress and tradition is essential for educating future leaders and will help to ensure that KTH’s Engineering Physics program remains at the forefront of excellence.
Read Sandra Di Rocco's blog post | | | Professor Egor Babaev and Professor Oscar Tjernberg
| | Two SCI projects receive prestigious Wallenberg grant | Two of the three KTH projects awarded funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation come from SCI. Professor Oscar Tjernberg's team will develop a new spectroscopy method to investigate high-temperature superconductors, potentially uncovering new electron behavior. Professor Egor Babaev's research focuses on a unique superconducting state where electrons form quadruples, which could lead to innovative technological applications. 56 million SEK to SCI research | | | | | | | | | | | | Information from the SCI Faculty Board | Fredrik Viklund, Photo: KTH | |
Focus on maximizing support for education and researchAt the recent SCI Faculty Board meeting, key discussions focused on the implementation of
a new course quality system and future employment strategies. Board member Fredrik Viklund highlighted the importance of an effective and accessible
administrative support at KTH, focusing on streamlining processes to benefit the core activities of education and research. The Board will also engage in an internship this fall to better prepare for upcoming changes regarding employment matters. Interview with Fredrik Viklund
| | | | Meet the Faculty Board
All faculty are invited to the next Faculty Breakfast on November 7th. This is a great opportunity to meet the SCI Faculty Board's teacher representatives and bring up your questions or topics for discussion.
| | | The new payroll and time reporting system
This applies to all employees from October 21:
- Starting from October 21, all reporting of absences and leaves will be done in KTH HR.
- All employees must update their personal information in KTH HR during October. This includes contact information, next of kin, and the birthdates of children for registering childcare leave (VAB).
This applies to hourly workers from October 28: - October 28-31: Hourly workers will report their worked hours for October directly in KTH HR. If they have already submitted time reports on paper, these will be handled according to the previous routine.
- In the following months, hourly employees can report their worked hours continuously, but they must submit their reports by the end of each month at the latest.
- This does not apply to exam invigilators, who will continue to receive assistance from HR with their time reporting.
Zoom sessions for managers To ease the transition, the payroll project is offering Zoom sessions for managers. During these sessions, you will learn how to navigate the system, view your team, and how to approve and attest tasks as a manager. Dates and times: | | | Hello "Strategic research initiatives"!
As KTH dismantles its research Platforms a new venture
is emerging: Strategic resersearch initiatives.
“We want to mobilize our efforts around strategically
important areas to attract large sums of funding and to bring together KTH
researchers in new collaborations, either in an existing research area or by
developing a new one for a limited period of time," says Annika Borgenstam, Vice President for Research.
The idea is that these strategic initiatives can
be initiated by researchers, KTH management or the Research Committee. Central KTH
funds can be used to finance research initiatives over three to five years.
"AI, energy, quantum technology are
examples of areas that could become strategic initiatives," says
Borgenstam, where the link to societal development and its needs is clear.
Before the summer, the President decided on a strategic initiative in nuclear
technology.
Do you want to develop a research area?
Do you want to strengthen an existing research area or develop a new one? Initiatives are supported with central funding of SEK 0.5–3 million per year
for a maximum of five years. The aim of an approved initiative is to generate
significant external contributions to KTH, at least SEK 100 million.
For more info, contact Johan Schuber jschuber@kth.se
Learn here how to apply
| | | | | Open call - postdoctoral fellowship
| Together with Stanford University, the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Programme - Humanity and Society (WASP-HS) has an open call for a postdoctoral fellowship for one to two years. The call is open to researchers who have recently completed their PhD at a Swedish university and research institute. Researchers in all disciplines are welcome to apply. The deadline for applications is 15 November
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To all teachers/course responsible at SCI: Are you planning to offer a doctoral course next semester?
| If yes, please submit
information about the course offering preferably by 11 November 2024.
Course offerings make courses searchable and visible to doctoral students
and enable the use of Canvas,
as well as course admission and registration in Ladok. Early creation of course
offerings aligns with KTH’s recent objective to publish course offerings for
doctoral courses the semester before they are offered (11 November for the
spring semester 2025 and 12 May for the autumn semester 2025), helping students
better plan their studies. | | | | | | | |
Workshop
on teaching at large scale
All
teachers are invited to participate in a workshop on Zoom to discuss and share
ideas about organizing and managing large classes. Register at the latest 30
October.
More information and registration
| Enroll in KTH’s higher education pedagogy coursesRegister by 30 November for spring courses in higher education pedagogy. They meet SUHF standards and count toward the required 15 credits in pedagogical education, essential for employment or promotion at KTH. Enhance your teaching qualifications! Sign up for the spring higher education courses
| | | | | | | Presentation tools as teaching aidsEngage and inspire your students with presentation tools! In this new guide, you will find inspiration and tips for using PowerPoint effectively in your teaching, both online and in class. Presentation tools as teaching aids
| | | | | Learn about AI and examinationIncreased access to AI tools brings new opportunities and challenges to how we approach examination and assessment. In this recorded webinar, you will hear from several teachers sharing their experiences of examining and assessing in a world of generative AI. Lunch 'n' Learn: AI and examination
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KTH Space Center, in collaboration with Smartare Elektroniksystem, LIGHTer, and Visit Kista, invites you to this fall's Space Rendezvous. Join industry leaders and researchers to explore the latest advancements in Swedish space systems and learn what it takes to become a space system engineer. The event offers expert talks, panel discussions, a student project showcase, and a chance to network with space professionals. | | | | | | | | Manne Siegbahn Memorial Lecture 2024
Welcome to a lecture about the the James Webb Space Telescope by Gillian Wright from the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. The event is supported by the Nobel Institute for Physics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. | | | | | | Choosing a journal: How to evaluate a journal
The aim of this workshop is to help you make well-informed choices of which journals to publish in and how to avoid sending your manuscript to a predatory journal. | | | | | | PhD Impact Workshop: The Teflon test
An interactive workshop will explore how privilege and oppression can vary depending on our contexts and roles. How can we use this knowledge to create safer spaces where more people feel included? You will get an opportunity to reflect on your own as well as in groups.
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Conflict management training
Are you a manager or leader interested in workplace conflict management? On 20 November, there is a course that provides tools for understanding, preventing and managing conflicts. The course will be held in Swedish. The last day to register is 19 October. | | | | | | Public defences of doctoral theses, licenciate seminars and docent lectures
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A market model highly distorted
For higher education institutions, we got a strictly market-based model for the provision of premises. This means that commercial property companies own the premises, which are then leased to universities. The market is good, but one concern is that it is only the market at one end of our profit and loss account.
Read Anders Söderholm's blog post
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KTH moves up in rankingKTH continues its climb in the THE World University
Rankings thanks (in part) to a strong score for its research
environment. Among more than 2,000 universities, KTH was lifted to
95th place, which is two spots higher than 2024. Read more about the ranking | | | | | |
