Competitions and Awards

Take the opportunity to put the spotlight on your project during the event at Alnarp or Ultuna. 

• Four to five projects per location are selected to present their work.
• If you are interested in presenting, email us at thesisday@slu.se
• The winners are notified latest by 9 May (ongoing selection until 9 May)
• Participation in the workshop on presentation techniques is mandatory. The workshop is split up in two 2-hour sessions.The first session is digital (date/time tba) and the second session is in person (Ultuna: date/time tba, Alnarp: date/time tba).

All posters submitted by the due date are part of the best poster competition. An academic jury will review the posters and present the award during the events in Alnarp and Ultuna.

Submission due dates:
19 May 2026 (Ultuna participants)
25 May 2026 (Alnarp participants)

An academic jury will select the best poster using the following criterias:

• Clear sender
• The title attracts interest and is readable at a distance
• Not to much text
• Good graphics
• Good layout and a logical structure
• Clear conclusions

The winners will receive their award during the events in Alnarp and Ultuna.

Tips from the jury (SLU Play)

How can your thesis save the world? Pitch the essence of your thesis to show how it helps meeting the Sustainable Development Goals to a jury of SLU alumni from a broad field of expertise.   

How to participate?  

• When registering for Thesis Day, note that you would like to participate in this competition
• Submit a short (max. 2 pages) pitch by 15 May 2026  to thesisday@slu.se answering the five questions below.
• You are encouraged to be creative by using pictures or graphics to visualize your pitch.

SDG: Which of the Sustainable Development Goals does your thesis address? More information about the goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).

Need: What is the global need for your idea? Describe the problem. 

Approach: What is your approach to the identified topic/need? Describe your solution.   

Benefits: What are the benefits for people or nature with your idea/topic? 
Describe the positive effects of your idea of a solution. 

Obstacles: Are there any obstacles for your idea to make true global change?   

Criterias used by the jury

• Level of overall impact of your topic towards the SDGs
• Future impact on local and/or global level  
• Comprehensibility of your idea towards a general public
• No references; this is your research.
• Use another title of your pitch than your project. Think comic book headline -be brave and think big.
• Dare to be non-academic (your grandmother needs to understand your pitch)

The winners will be announced at the events in Alnarp or Uppsala, where they will receive the awards and provide a brief description of the project.

Ultuna

Karin Hakelius
Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainability

Lena Olsén
Senior Lecturer, Department of Clinical Sciences

Jannie Teinler
Communications Officer, SLU Library

Alnarp

Johanna Grundström
Communications Officer, Unit for Collaboration and Development

Fredrik Fernqvist
Senior Lecturer, Department of People and Society

Anders Larsson
Senior Lecturer, Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management

Åsa Ode
Librarian, SLU Library

Daniel Albertsson
Librarian and SDG specialist, SLU Library

Ellen Anker-Kofoed
Business Polocy Advisor, The Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF)

Ioannis Dimitriou
Associate Professor and Senior research advisor, SLU

Kalle Mälson
Environmental Manager at the Division of Infrastructure, SLU

Fanny Blom
SLU alumna and Project Manager, STUNS