Chalmers University of Technology
Two researchers at Chalmers University of Technology are amongst the six new members of the Young Academy of Sweden presented today. Jessica Jewell, whose research focuses on the transition to a fossil free energy system, and Adel Daoud, who uses AI to study measures to end poverty in African communities.
The Young Academy of Sweden The Academy was founded in 2011 at the initiative of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Each member elected for a period of five years. Those who wish to apply should have taken their PhD degree no more than ten years ago.
Jessica Jewell
Jessica Jewell is Associate professor in energy transformation at the division of Physical Resource Theory, the Department of Space, Earth and Environment at Chalmers University of Technology:
"Scientists have figured out how to save the climate in mathematical models but can we do it in the real world? My research group investigates this question by examining change and continuity in energy systems. I use energy system models, technological innovation and diffusion theories, and analysis from political science and history. We zoom in on cases where change has been rapid and profound such as the response to the 1970s oil crises and the growth of solar and wind power in recent years to understand what enabled such rapid change and how they can be scaled up and replicated in different countries. By identifying historical precedents of rapid transitions and comparing these to the scale and speed of changes society needs to meet climate targets, we are able to identify the areas where change is most feasible.
I applied to the Young Academy of Sweden because I want to develop Sweden's system for attracting research talent and developing science by identifying the areas where we are already world leaders, as well as those where we can learn from other countries. I am particularly interested in strengthening international mobility and transparency in funding to ensure that Swedish institutions constitute strong growth environments for young researchers".
Adel Daoud
Adel Daoud Associate professor in analytical sociology at Linköping University, and, Affiliated associate professor in data science and AI at Chalmers University of Technology:
"About 300 million people in Africa live in extreme poverty. Given that living in impoverished communities can trap people in cycles of deprivation ('poverty traps'), major development actors such as China and the World Bank have deployed a stream of projects to break these cycles ('poverty targeting'). However, as scholars are held back by a data challenge, research has up until now been unable to answer fundamental questions such as whether poverty traps exist, and to evaluate what extent interventions can release communities from such traps
I am leading the AI and Global Development Lab to identify to what extent African communities are trapped in poverty and examine how competing development programs can alter these communities' prospects to free themselves from deprivation. Our Lab has the following objectives: (i) train image recognition algorithms-a form of AI-to identify local poverty from satellite images, 1984-2020; (ii) use these data to analyze how development actors affect African communities; (iii) use mixed methods to develop theories of the varieties of poverty traps; (iv), develop an R package, PovertyMachine, that will produce poverty estimates from new satellite images-ensuring that our innovations will benefit poverty research.
I want to be a part of the Young Academy of Sweden Because the academy offers a unique opportunity to change, improve, and refine Swedish universities and their position globally".
About the Young Academy of Sweden
The Young Academy of Sweden is a multidisciplinary academy, comprising a selection of the best young researchers in Sweden - an independent platform that gives young researchers a strong voice in the research policy debate and is working on raising the profile of research for young people.
Young academies exist in over 30 countries and Sweden's Young Academy works with the other young academies at Nordic, European and global levels. .
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