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KTH’s Nuclear Energy Engineering students excel

Published Nov 14, 2024

In October, three students from KTH were honored with the prestigious Sigvard Eklund Prize for the best Ph.D. and BSc theses in Nuclear Engineering in Sweden for 2024.

Studenter kärnteknik
Jonas Planck, Ida Andersson Neretnieks.

Congratulations, Ida Andersson Neretnieks! Together with Jonas Planck, your mutual thesis “Simulation of Radiation Damage in Uranium Nitride” was awarded this year’s best BSc thesis! What does this recognition mean to you?

“It feels like a genuine acknowledgment that Jonas and I produced something meaningful and worth being proud of. It’s rewarding to contribute to a field we’re passionate about and motivating for our future work. Above all, we wanted to write our thesis in nuclear engineering because of our love for physics, which really drove us to go that extra mile in the project.”

What attracted you to your program?

“As a Nuclear Energy Engineering student, I get to dive into subjects like reactor physics and safety, topics that have fascinated me since high school when my teacher introduced me to nuclear reactors. Even now, I’m still amazed by the idea of splitting atoms to power entire cities. It’s exciting to study this alongside classmates who share that same sense of wonder.”

What’s next for you?

“I’m currently in the first year of my master’s in Nuclear Energy Engineering, which is my main focus. Looking ahead, there’s so much innovative research happening in Sweden, especially with the development of new reactor types. I’d love to be part of this field, either as a Ph.D. student or working in the industry.”

In May, Ida and Jonas defended their BSc thesis, where they modified the direct damage evolution method originally developed for metal alloys to study irradiation response in advanced nuclear fuels. Their findings will be published soon.

Another awardee, Ebrahim Mansouri, received the Sigvard Eklund Prize for his Ph.D. thesis, "Atomistic Modelling of Irradiation-Induced Microstructure Evolution in Fe Alloys." Ebrahim pioneered method development in radiation damage studies for metals and steels, delivering the first-ever direct, quantum-mechanically driven model for microstructure evolution in iron and iron alloys under irradiation.
The Prize is awarded by SKC - Swedish Centre for Nuclear Technology to the best PhD, MSc and BSc theses in Sweden each year.


Text: Anna Gullers

Photo: Malin Persson Mörk