Skip to content

15 May 2023 | 2 minutes read


15 May 2023 | 2 minutes read


Latest News

Share this

This is an archived news story which is over 12 months old and may contain out of date information

Inspiring physicists of the future

A Physics Student Conference recently provided an opportunity for around 25 AWE sponsored postgraduate students to showcase their work, research and achievements in physics and how they have contributed to AWE’s mission.

The Conference – held at St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford – saw physics students from across the UK present on areas of particular interest to AWE’s science programme. Physics is vital to underwriting and certifying and performance, reliability and safety of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Opening proceedings, AWE Executive Director of Science, Professor Andrew Randewich, said: “With a burgeoning nuclear renaissance in the UK across the civil and defence sectors, AWE is striving to help generate and integrate the skilled workforce that can deliver the huge programmes and projects anticipated in the coming decade.”

The Conference also provided an opportunity for students to network and build connections for their future careers. Over the two days a range of topics were discussed, including how metals behave in extreme environments, quantum computing, molecular dynamics, and laboratory physics.

There were also prizes for the best poster and best presentation during the event. Winner of the best poster, Alex Glenn, from the University of Oxford, said: “I am extremely grateful to be awarded the prize for best poster at the AWE Physics Student Conference. The content of the poster is a result of a lot of hard work from many members of the Oxford Hypersonics group and it means a lot to know this is recognised and appreciated.”

Matt Nutter from the University of Warwick and Conor Fegan from Queen’s University Belfast were joint winners of the best presentation. Matt said: “I am honoured to have received this prize, especially when considering how many excellent talks there were at the conference. It was fascinating to learn more about the wide range of research that AWE supports, making links between my project and others.”

Conor said: “The AWE student conference provides a unique opportunity for learning about the different areas of research ongoing within the organisation while also allowing students to develop presentation and communication skills. Working alongside my AWE supervisor and collaborations with the Orion laser has been essential in my PhD journey in becoming a better scientist.”

AWE’s partnerships with academia are key to supporting the development and progression of scientific research and innovation in the UK.

Pic shows: Delegates at the 2023 Physics Student Conference in Oxford

 

More news

Latest News

Strategic Alliance Partners Conference hits the mark

Senior representatives from AWE, the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO), the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) and the university community gathered at the recently held Strategic Alliance Partners Conference to discuss and debate areas of STEM that support our mission. The two-day event organised by the External Technical Partnerships Office brought together government, academia, […]

Features

Strengthening International Ties

International collaboration is vital in strengthening national defence and nuclear security and despite the high levels of security involved, collaboration amongst allies is strong. At AWE, a dedicated team of experts, advisors and business managers govern regular exchanges with international partners to facilitate collaboration and cooperation, and support research and development in nuclear science and […]

A seismology graph

Latest News

Detecting the undetectable

At AWE Blacknest, experts in forensic seismology work behind the scenes to support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Their mission? To detect and verify potential nuclear tests worldwide by analysing seismic data. Our seismologists play a key role in upholding global security and arms control through cutting-edge research, international collaboration, and advanced monitoring techniques.

Search Sitemap