Latest meeting of the faculty boardThe faculty board has had several new members and a new chair since the start of the year. At the meeting on 14 February, the board, among other things, received information on:
- The work and remit of the faculty board and its members.
- Work on quality assurance and quality enhancement in first, second and third-cycle education.
- The faculty’s establishment of activities in Science Village.
- Work on the coordination of a joint department.
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Developments in the faculty's new initiatives |
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Apply for funding for research collaboration with South KoreaResearchers can now apply for funding from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research regarding collaboration with researchers in South Korea. The application deadline is 15 April.
Read more and apply for funding (strategiska.se) |
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Grants for externally employed doctoral studentsThe Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research is calling for applications regarding grants for 12 externally employed doctoral students, with the aim of strengthening collaboration between academia and industry. The initiative applies to individuals who are not yet admitted to third-cycle studies. The application deadline is 21 May.
Call regarding grants for externally employed doctoral students (strategiska.se) |
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Nordic webinar on Erasmus+ Teacher Academies, 6 MarchThe Swedish Council for Higher Education and others invite you to a webinar on Erasmus+ Teacher Academies. The webinar is aimed at those who will be applying to a project. Time: 6 March from 14:00 to 15:30. The registration deadline is 1 March.
Read more and sign up for the webinar (utbyten.se) |
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Network meeting for researchers in computational science, 11 MarchResearchers and doctoral students are welcome to a network meeting about ongoing initiatives to strengthen research in computational science at the Faculty of Science. The event is being organised by the faculty’s working group for the initiatives. Time and place: 11 March from 13:00 to 15:30 at the Pufendorf Institute. The registration deadline is 8 March.
Sign up for the meeting or register to receive further information (survey.mailing.lu.se) |
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Workshop on generative AI tools for doctoral students, 12 MarchDoctoral students who are participating in one of the University’s graduate schools can now register for a workshop on how to use generative AI tools in research. Time and place: 12 March from 13:15 to 16:30 at Lecture Hall B, Kemicentrum. The registration deadline is 6 March (first come, first served).
Read more and sign up for the workshop (cec.lu.se) |
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Workshop on applications for an ERC Advanced Grant, 15 MarchResearch Services invites you to a workshop aimed at those planning to apply for an ERC Advanced Grant. Time and place: 15 March from 09:00 to 12:00 via Zoom. The registration deadline is 11 March.
Read more and sign up for the workshop (fs.blogg.lu.se) |
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Associate professor lecture, 21 MarchDiane Feuillet will hold her associate professor lecture entitled “Why Earth’s water may not come from comets after all” on 21 March from 14:30 to 15:30 at Pangea, Geocentrum II. |
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Lecture: Unravelling the Darkness of the Universe, 21 MarchThe leading physicist Sergey Ketov from Tokyo Metropolitan University is visiting Lund and will hold an open lecture entitled “Unravelling the Darkness of the Universe”. Time and place: 21 March from 17:00 to 18:30 at Rydbergsalen, Fysicum.
Read more about the lecture (staff.lu.se) |
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Workshop series on Global Sustainable Development Goals – for doctoral studentsDoctoral students are welcome to participate in a workshop series on the Sustainable Development Goals that are currently furthest from being fulfilled. The organiser is the Agenda 2030 Graduate School.
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Upcoming LINXS eventsThe Lund Institute of advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS), which acts as an important link between researchers and the research facilities MAX IV and ESS, invites you to several events, including:
See all events on the LINXS website |
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This month, the following theses will be presented at the Faculty of Science:
- Mingyue Yuan, “Microbial Resource Limitation and Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology”
- Johan Eckdahl, “Boreal Forest Wildfire in a Changing Climate”
- Yun-Ting Jang, “Eco-evolutionary processes and community patterns – novel avenues for studying biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales”
- Megha Gopalakrishna, “Many-photon effects in time-resolved second harmonic generation from systems in optical cavities”
- Valtýr Freyr Hlynsson, “Structure–Property Relationships of Iron N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes – Synthesis, Characterization and Application”
Search for doctoral theses in the University’s research portal
See forthcoming public defences of theses (lu.se) |
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Staff in the Swedish media |
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Scandinavia’s first farmers slaughtered the hunter-gatherer populationAnne Birgitte Nielsen, senior lecturer at the Department of Geology, was interviewed about a new study which shows that following the arrival of the first farmers in Scandinavia 5,900 years ago, the hunter-gatherer population was wiped out within a few generations. “This transition has previously been presented as peaceful, as in the TV series, The History of Denmark and the corresponding series in Sweden. But our study indicates the opposite. In addition to violent death, it is likely that new pathogens from livestock finished off many gatherers,” says Anne Birgitte. |
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New way of designing circuits could lead to large-scale quantum computersArmin Tavakoli, associate senior lecturer at the Department of Physics, was interviewed about a new way to construct quantum circuits for individual light particles. This could enable larger and more complex circuits – crucial for unlocking the enormous computational power of quantum computers. “We have developed a versatile option for constructing optical circuits using a process that occurs spontaneously in nature. By exploiting the natural scattering behaviour of light in an optical fibre, we were able to program circuits in very precise ways,” says Armin. |
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Birds are shrinking – but the warmer climate is unlikely to be the culpritAndreas Nord, researcher at the Department of Biology, was interviewed about a new study about why hundreds of bird species have become smaller in recent decades. Researchers have long assumed that the warmer climate is the reason for animals shrinking, but the new study shows that this is probably not the case. “Using data from a high-profile study, we have succeeded in modelling how large the shrinkage effect is on birds’ ability to release and produce heat. The conclusion is that it is unlikely animals shrink in order to be better at coping with rising temperatures,” says Andreas. |
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Winters that are 20 degrees colder are unlikely in the next few decadesMarkku Rummukainen, professor at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science and the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, was interviewed about a new study which shows that Scandinavian winters may become 20 degrees colder in the next few decades. The study extrapolates from a collapse of the Gulf Stream due to an inflow of freshwater from melting glaciers. Markku considers that the study is based on an extreme scenario and that such dramatic effects are unlikely. |
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Articles in Lund University Magazine (LUM)In the latest issue of LUM, Lina Eklund, associate senior lecturer at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, describes mapping the destruction in Gaza using satellite images. Per Persson, the dean of the faculty, was interviewed about upcoming challenges and what is most enjoyable about being the dean. LUM’s webpage |
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New study about how birds colonise new areasSusanne Åkesson, professor at the Department of Biology, was interviewed about a new study which shows that bird species’ origins may be a factor in how they colonise new mountain environments. |
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Opinion piece: “We must refuse to give up the fight against the fossil fuel industry”Anders Dahlner, researcher at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, is a co-author of an opinion piece about taking a stand against the fossil fuel industry. “Giving up hope about the climate is not an option for us who are bringing up children. We must refuse to give up the fight against the fossil fuel industry, which is slowing down the necessary transition,” write the authors. |
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The world’s fresh water is dwindling – but there are bright spotsCharlotte Sparrenbom, senior lecturer at the Department of Geology, was interviewed about a new study in which researchers examined the water levels in 170,000 wells in 40 countries over the years 1980 to 2022. Charlotte talks about why water levels have dropped considerably in many wells and what can be done to reverse the trend. |
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The Earth’s average temperature has exceeded the 1.5-degree thresholdMarkku Rummukainen, professor at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science and the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, was interviewed after the EU’s climate data service’s measurements showed the Earth’s average temperature has exceeded what has become known as the 1.5-degree threshold. |
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Appearance is a factor when fruit flies choose a partnerJessica Abbott, senior lecturer at the Department of Biology, was interviewed about the evolution of the eye and how fruit flies see. Jessica says, among other things, that appearance is a factor when fruit flies choose a partner. |
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How to reduce the risk of floodingLars-Anders Hansson, professor at the Department of Biology, was interviewed about measures to reduce the risk of flooding around the Swedish lake, Ringsjön. “We can’t control the rain, but we can control where the water goes. We could have places where we allow flooding and where the water can stay, for example by creating wetlands or reservoirs high up in the water system,” says Lars-Anders. |
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Professor interviewed about bird dramaSusanne Åkesson, professor at the Department of Biology, was interviewed about a video involving a goshawk and a number of ravens. |
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All teaching staff are to submit a report on secondary employment by 31 MarchTeaching staff are to submit a report on secondary employment by 31 March at the latest. Even those with no secondary employment are required to submit a report regarding this. The report is filed and assessed in Primula.
Read more about reporting secondary employment (staff.lu.se) |
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University to introduce digital degree certificatesDigital degree certificates will be introduced in mid-April for first, second and third-cycle students. In connection with the transition to digital degree certificates, the Ladok service for degree certificate applications will be temporary closed from 16:00 on 15 March to 8:00 on 15 April while the system is updated.
Read the news item on the Staff Pages |
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Physical geographer’s article in The Conversation amasses 60,000 readsZhengyao Lu, researcher at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, achieved very high readership figures in January in The Conversation, an international news service of which Lund University is a member. His article on gigantic solar farms has garnered 60,000 reads.
Read an interview with Zhengyao on the Staff Pages |
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About the newsletter: The Faculty of Science's internal newsletter is sent to all employees within the faculty as well as to all employees at departments that are joint with the Faculty of Engineering. The newsletter is sent every other Thursday and helps you get an overview of what is happening within the faculty.
Editor: Helena Bergqvist, communications officer at the faculty office.
Email: helena.bergqvist@science.lu.se.
Next issue: 7 March. Send tips to the editor by 12 noon on 4 March.
Integrity: The newsletter is sent using a tool called BizWizard. The tool links email addresses to clicks in the newsletter. The editor has access to this information but does not monitor or process it. |
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