Meet the people at WISE: Anna Delin, Director WISE Graduate School

Prof. Delin has been awarded with several prices such as the Naturvetarpriset and the Thuréus Prize for “significant contributions to the theory of nanomagnetism” during her extensive career. She is currently heading the WISE research school.

What are the challenges regarding sustainability for materials science at the beginning of the 21^stcentury?
There are many challenges. Our society today depends on many materials that are not renewable and/or not sufficiently recycled, like for example construction minerals, oil and many metals. The world primary production of materials accounts for a quarter of all global greenhouse emissions. Our dependence on raw materials is responsible for severe environmental, political and social problems.

However, I would also like to think of this in terms of possibilities. Our advanced knowledge of materials science can be used to create sustainable technologies and functional materials, and thus be part of the solution in creating a sustainable society.

What can a student at the WISE Graduate School expect to achieve during his/her years at the school?

A WISE graduate student will perform research in an excellent environment, working on a carefully selected project with clear impact on future sustainability. The student will also learn about sustainability, both in a broad sense and more materials-science-focussed.

The student will be part of a large network of researchers in both academia and industry, senior as well as junior. Through site visits, the student will learn a lot about how industry works with sustainability and how research results can be applied in practice.

How does the WISE Graduate School contribute to reach the goals of WISE?

The overall goal or vision of WISE is ”Enabling sustainable technologies with positive impact on our society by understanding, creating, and controlling complex materials.”

As a researcher, what materials science challenge is closer to your heart?
I’m interested in everything! Large-scale projects like Hybrit and Northvolt come to mind. If successful, these projects will have a major impact. However, my research expertise is in computations at the quantum-mechanical level of magnetism-related phenomena such as spin dynamics, spin textures, and spin transport. From a technological perspective, the aim is to create ultra-low-power spintronics devices.