At the Swedish Society of Paper and Pulp Engineers' Ekmandagar on January 27, 2026, Elise Meurs, a doctoral student in chemical engineering at the Exact Industrial Research School, won the first prize in the prestigious presentation competition.
– The competition is conducted in Pecha Kucha format, a presentation format with 20 slides and only 20 seconds per slide, says Elise Meurs.
This format therefore places very high demands on both structure, timing and pedagogical sharpness, requiring extensive preparation. The short timespan per slide also requires clear graphics, for which Elise designed her own illustrations. Starting with a personal story about how she got interested in the field of sustainable textiles by sharing a childhood memory of her and her grandmother sewing clothes together (with the illustration given below) gave a personal hook for the audience to relate to her PhD research on cotton recycling nowadays. Therefore, Elise’s presentation combined scientific highlights, creative thinking and personal stories to captivate her audience.
Due to the approachable and engaging nature of these Pecha Kucha presentations, they are a highly appreciated and audience-attracting feature of the conference. Elise's presentation greatly impressed both the jury and the audience and was awarded first prize of 30,000 SEK.
- We at Chemical Engineering are very proud of Elise's success, says Björn Sjöstrand, associate professor in Chemical Engineering. Her achievement demonstrates both scientific quality and a strong ability to communicate research in an engaging and professional way, something that is crucial for building bridges between academia and industry.
