News & Events

The Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) has released its 2023 Annual Report. This details a year of advancements in sustainability research and collaboration

Dr. Marta Gandiglio, Assistant Professor, Department of Energy,  and Dr. Paolo Marocco, Assistant Professor, Department of Energy,
Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

Thursday, February 22nd, 12:30-1:30 pm V105

"CO2: Ideas in the Emerging World of Decarbonization" 

All were captivated by the wisdom of visiting professor Michal Moore as he navigated the complex realm of decarbonization. In a world grappling with the urgent need for sustainability, Professor Moore's unique perspective, rooted in the intricacies of regulation, promises to illuminate the innovative ideas and evolving regulatory landscapes driving decarbonization.

This lecture is not just for the experts; it's for everyone seeking a deeper understanding of the pivotal role that regulation plays in steering our global future toward sustainability. Join us for an evening of enlightenment and leave with insights that could shape the way we approach environmental challenges.

"Half a Century since the 1970s Energy Crisis"

All had an opportunity to learn from Dr. Kathleen Araújo, Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems, Innovation, and Policy at Boise State University. With over five decades of expertise, Dr. Araújo will take you on a journey through time, exploring the lessons learned from the energy crises of the 1970s and how they inform our choices in the face of today's energy security and net-zero goals.

This talk promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of historical approaches to energy transitions, examining the readiness, decision-making processes, and pivotal moments that have shaped our energy landscape. Dr. Araújo will also shed light on the crucial role of critical minerals in the evolving energy paradigm, making this lecture a must-attend for anyone passionate about the future of sustainable energy.

A team of six students from the Applied Energy/Mechanical Engineering program, guided by Associate Professor Michael S. Moorhead, have earned a Sustainability Award for their exceptional Geysir model. This project, which visually simulates the eruption of natural geysirs, was supported by the Sustainable Institute and Forum's Project Grants and led by Juliet Newson, Director of the Iceland School of Energy. The students' practical approach resulted in a model that impressively reached above the university's second floor, exemplifying the educational benefits and collaborative learning in practical projects.

Congratulations to the brilliant minds behind four projects at Reykjavík University, each a recipient of the SIF Project Grant. Discover their work in wind tunnel technology, drone-based water pollution analysis, sustainable data access, and micro-scale pollution identification in snow

Reykjavík University is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2023 Ph.D. Research Grant. Join us in celebrating these visionary researchers set to make waves in sustainability, technology, and science:

• Randall Morgan Greene explores the future of electric vehicles as power providers.
• Camila Carpinelli is at the forefront of using machine learning for sustainable consumer habits.
• Bahadir Turkyilmaz delves into the intricate world of thermal dynamics and turbulence.

The Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) has released its 2022 Annual Report, detailing a year of significant advancements in sustainability research and collaboration. The annual report showcases a number of inspiring collaborations, cutting-edge research, and practical projects that truly embody the spirit of sustainability.

Join us for the Sustainable Institute and Forum's (SIF) Annual Strategy Meeting as we discuss the year ahead and review strategies and policies related to applications, grants, and structure. This is an opportunity to learn about the organization's direction and contribute to its future. Along with important discussions, there will be cake to celebrate our progress.

Don't miss this because your presence and input are critical to SIF's success. We are excited to see you there. We intend to stream the event as well. If you have not received an invitation please email us at sustainability@ru.is 

You are invited to an amazing event occurring at RU that aligns with SIF's mission. Award-winning journalist Thin Lei Win will give a lecture at Reykjavik University on Feb 14th about the issues with our current food system, including environmental destruction, inequity, and negative health impacts. The food system is responsible for nearly a third of man-made emissions and a major cause of biodiversity loss, with a few corporations controlling much of the food chain and many food workers struggling to make a living. Over 3 billion people cannot afford healthy diets and some go hungry. The solution is to transform the food system to be greener, fairer, and healthier, but it will require a collective effort.

On January 26th, Reykjavik University will host a visiting lecture in M103 by Dainius Martuzevicius and Inga Stasiulaitiene from Kaunas University of Technology. They will discuss environmental performance of flue gas/polluted air treatment technology and applications of Life Cycle Assessment to support sustainability. The event is organized by Jónas Þór Snæbjörnsson and the Sustainable Institute and Forum (SIF).

SIF's lecture series returns for the 2022 - 2023 school year on November 15th with a lunch and learn lecture. The lecture will feature SIF's three initially funded PhD Research Projects from 2021. Rachel Brophy, Albert Alonso, and Brandon Velasquez will provide 15 minute presentations on their research and what the future holds for it.  

Students in the third year of Applied Energy/Mechanical Engineering at Reykjavik University worked on an interesting project last week in the Practical Project course, where they built a model of a Geysir.

REYKJAVIK, June 23 - Congratulations to Daníel Logi Matthíasson Eva María Hönnud. Sigurthórsd., Kjartan Freyr Hafthórsson, Ólafur Gunnar Daníelsson, and Unnar Freyr Arnthórsson who were selected for the Sustainable Institute and Forum's Student Award in Sustainability for their work developing an AI-assisted trash sorting mechanism named the Epoch Smart Bin.

REYKJAVIK, May 23 - The Sustainability Institute & Forum (SIF) hosted it's second lunchtime lecture series, featuring doctoral candidate Magnus de Witt. Magnus de Witt is a doctoral student at the Department of Engineering at Reykjavík University. His research interest focuses on energy-related issues in the Arctic, with a central focus on the energy transition in remote Arctic communities. His research includes energy security, energy policy, technologies, and community engagement. Magnus has traveled across the Arctic to conduct field studies and see the energy situation firsthand. Prior to his doctoral studies, Magnus earned an MSc in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the Iceland School of Energy and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering.

REYKJAVIK, May 17 - At 13:00, Xavier Shioya Musonye successfully defended his culminating doctoral research in M103. Xavier performed optimization-based modeling of Kenya's energy system in order to uncover pathways towards secure, affordable, and sustainable energy services. His thesis committee was composed of Dr. Hlynur Stefánsson, Dr. Eyjólfur I. Ásgeirsson, and Dr. Ragnar Kristjánsson of Reykjavík University, as well as Dr. Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir, at the University of Iceland. Dr. Kenneth Karlsson, Senior Project Manager at IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet, served as Xavier's examiner.

The 2022 Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) grant calls are now open for applications. In line with the outcome of our most recent strategy meeting, SIF will be offering grants for research projects and to support PhD students. The 2022 SIF Project Grant is aimed at supporting 3-6 projects of up to one year duration with expenses pertaining to RU students, materials, and grant-related costs. Travel costs are not permitted at this time. The 2022 SIF PhD Support Fund is aimed at providing bridge funding for up to two PhD student’s salary for one year (6m ISK), with consideration to their funding prospects from Reykjavik University and RANNIS. Applicants who apply for this grant are expected to also apply for the RANNIS Doctoral Student Grant.

On Friday, April 8th at 09:00 in M105, Reykjavik University will be hosting a symposium on research in sustainability at Reykjavík University and Cornell University. A delegation from Cornell University will be present to discuss their research in sustainability and Reykjavik University will present their research in the field of sustainability. This symposium will serve as a platform to expand upon the existing collaboration between Cornell University and Reykjavik University and will look to promote the knowledge, data and skills exchange necessary to facilitiate the energy transition in the United States of America and Iceland.

REYKJAVIK February 25 - The Sustainability Institute & Forum (SIF) at Reykjavik University (RU) is excited to announce the launch of a new joint training school on circular economy and resilience in Iceland. The initiative is a joint collaboration with the Agricultural University of Iceland, the SIF at RU, and the Energy Institute at Johannes Kepler University Linz, and is led by SIF Founder and Head of Energy Technology at JKU Linz, Dr. David Christian Finger. The training school will run from May 09 to May 13, 2022.

REYKJAVIK, February 17 - The Sustainability Institute & Forum (SIF) launches a new lunchtime lecture series, where members of our research community talk about current projects. The series kicked off today with an interesting talk given by MSc candidate Silvana Loayza Leon, about her ongoing thesis research with the Blue Lagoon. The lecture was held on campus in M209 at 12:00. 

The Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) launched in earnest in January 2020. SIF signed on two major sponsors, Landsnet and Landsvirkjun, and it was decided that projects sponsored by Landsnet must relate to power systems research and development, while projects sponsored by Landsvirkjun must be sustainability-oriented. Over the past two years, 32.932.000 kr in funding has been awarded to over twenty unique and innovative research efforts. The annual report is provided within.

Representatives of Reykjavík University and Cornell University have signed a letter of intent (LOI) on co-operation in education and research related to sustainability, with an emphasis on sustainable energy. The LOI is based on Cornell's framework agreement with GRP Iceland on extensive co-operation in the field of sustainability, energy, innovation and climate, which has been in place since 2016, and was renewed on the same occasion.

Örplastagnir í náttúrunni geta mögulega flýtt fyrir bráðnun jökla og haft þannig áhrif á hækkandi sjávarstöðu. Fyrstu niðurstöður rannsóknar á dreifingu örplasts í Vatnajökli, stærsta jökli í Evrópu, voru birtar nýlega í vísindaritinu Sustainability. Þar fundu vísindamenn Háskólans í Reykjavík, Háskólans í Gautaborg og Veðurstofu Íslands örplast í ísnum sem tekinn var á fáförnu svæði á ísbreiðunni.

The Delegation of the European Union to Iceland, The Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources, and The Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) invite you to a special seminar on the EU Green Deal and the Icelandic Climate Action plan.

The Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) invites you to the 1st sustainability seminar where SIF members presented the progress of ongoing research projects.

The Sustainability Institute and Forum (SIF) invites all ISE students to a summer seminar where SIF members presented ongoing research projects.

Prof. Dr. Fogarassy is an expert on the circular economy and has a profound knowledge of the European Green Deal, the new economic incentive introduced by President of the European Commission von der Leyen.

"My aim is to develop the subject of smart grids which is a hot topic these days. It is basically an intelligent power system that has a self-healing feature, supported by advanced protection systems with interactive automation and control. This also enables a successful integration of renewable energy sources."

Reykjavik University recently signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Industries and Innovation, The Renewable Energy Cluster, and GRP ltd. regarding innovation in the green energy sector and continuing research collaboration with Cornell University in New York.