International collaboration for sustainability and gender equality the focus of Women in Concrete
This week, the School of Architecture and the Built Environment welcomed a group of researchers and students from Indonesia and Egypt to the Women in Concrete initiative – a joint effort that combines research, education, sustainable development and gender equality within the construction and civil engineering sector.
The programme is part of KTH’s ongoing Erasmus+ collaboration with the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Surabaya, Indonesia. The aim of Women in Concrete is to provide female researchers in the field of concrete with a network through which to exchange experiences, develop collaborations and jointly contribute to more sustainable solutions for the construction industry of the future.
“It began when the school management visited ITS and were asked whether KTH had any female researchers in the field of concrete. The contact developed from there. What particularly interested me was their strong focus on sustainability. Indonesia has a large and young population and faces different challenges to those we face in Sweden, including in terms of energy supply. At the same time, they are actively working to develop alternative binders to cement, for example by using volcanic ash and various types of clay,” says Annika Gram, Head of Department at the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering.
The collaboration between KTH and ITS runs until 2028 and includes both student and staff exchanges. The first exchanges took place in autumn 2025, and this year’s visit involves three international researchers specialising in concrete – two from Indonesia and one from Egypt – alongside staff working in the fields of sustainable transport and urban mobility.
“This type of collaboration provides us with new opportunities for knowledge exchange between Sweden and countries in the Global South. The aim is to gradually expand the collaboration to cover more areas. There is considerable interest in joint initiatives in areas such as water infrastructure, water treatment and waste management,” says Karin Edvardsson Björnberg, Deputy Head of School.
Award-winning students visit
Among this week’s guests are also the winners of ‘Taman Dunia’, a sustainability competition for students at ITS and Airlangga University in Surabaya. The competition, initiated by Zeev Bohbot from KTH, focused on the development of sustainable eco-villages.
“I’ve had the idea for a student competition for a long time, so it feels fantastic that it has now become a reality. The competition has demonstrated the potential that exists when students from different fields come together to tackle concrete sustainability challenges. I now hope that we can further develop the concept and expand it to more countries, to inspire even more students and universities to contribute to sustainable social development,” says Zeev Bohbot.
During the competition, students from the two universities worked together to develop proposed solutions based on local conditions and challenges. The winning team was invited to travel to Sweden to take part in the Women in Concrete programme and present their project at KTH.
“For the winning students, it’s not just about learning new technology and gaining insight into current research and development. They also get the chance to see the world and discover the opportunities that are available when collaborating across national borders,” says Karin.
Sustainable materials and global solutions
Lectures have been a central part of the programme. Throughout the week, KTH researchers, industry representatives and international participants have shared research, experiences and examples from their respective fields. The presentations have covered topics including electrified cement production, graphite in concrete, carbon dioxide curing of concrete and the use of low-carbon materials.
Participants were also shown examples of how concrete structures can help to protect and restore mangrove forests, a vital natural resource for coastal protection and biodiversity.
“I think this is a very exciting example of how concrete research can also contribute to nature-based solutions. By encasing seedlings in a protective shell of brittle concrete, they are given a better chance of survival. As the tree grows, the shell cracks open by the roots and the material eventually breaks down into the surrounding environment,” says Annika Gram.
In addition to lectures, participants have gained practical experience by mixing concrete alongside KTH doctoral students and discussing research methods and materials development.
“The challenges we face differ depending on climate, economy and access to resources, but we share the same ambition to find sustainable solutions. This isn’t a collaboration where we teach them or they teach us – we learn from one another and develop together. They are highly knowledgeable and work with materials and conditions that differ from ours, which provide new perspectives. The hope is that we will be able to publish articles together and continue to exchange knowledge. I’m really looking forward to building on this visit,” says Annika Gram.
