International Scientific Advisory Board/KTH Symposium

Hosted in October by KTH President Peter Gudmundson and Professor Björn Birgisson, Vice President for Research, the 2011 KTH Symposium focussed on the theme “The Role of Universities in the New Innovation-Oriented Research Environment”.

Among the keynote speakers at the Symposium was Dr Subra Suresh, Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation. Appointed by President Barack Obama in October 2010, Dr Suresh oversees an annual research budget of some $7 billion.

NSF is the only federal agency charged with advancing all fields of fundamental science and engineering research and education, directing programs that keep the United States at the forefront of science and engineering.

Prior to his confirmation as NSF director, Dr Suresh served as Dean of the Engineering School and Vannevar Bush Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

In this interview, he discusses Sweden’s contributions to international scientific co-operation and reflects on his time as a guest professor at KTH.

Interview: Prof Subra Suresh

Dr. Ramon Wyss is Professor of Theoretical Nuclear Physics at KTH and Director of the university’s Energy Platform, one of five research platforms, which also include Transport, Materials, Medical Technology and ICT. At the conclusion of the KTH Symposium and the annual meeting of the Platforms’ International Scientific Advisory Board, he discussed how the Platform concept is implemented at KTH.

Interview: Prof Ramon Wyss

Slideshow: Faces of the KTH Symposium