03 Key projects
3.7 EDUCATION FORBES 30 UNDER 30 Two MSc alumni, Eirik Eide Pettersen and Arjun Gupta, achieve the Forbes “30 Under 30” list. Achieving a spot on the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’' list is no small feat. This is the kind of accolade that opens doors and serves as a permanent record, usually the first major one in a series, of a person’s career achievements. NUCLEAR ENERGY OF THE FUTURE The latest EIT InnoEnergy alumnus who made the list is Eirik Eide Pettersen, for his work as co-founder of Seaborg Technologies. He joins Govinda Upadhya, Allen Mohammadi and Tanmoy Bari who have all earned their spots on this prestigious list. Eirik’s contribution is Seaborg’s exciting innovation in the nuclear energy field – a Compact Molten Salt Reactor for sustainable, safe, and inexpensive nuclear energy. “I am extremely honoured, of course, both personally but also for Seaborg. In general, I am very appreciative of the excellent team at Seaborg who are really the main reason this could become a reality. While it is my name there on Forbes, I think it should really be considered a team victory. Also, I can’t help but feel quite humbled – it is not every day your name is featured together with the likes of Harry Potter!” – said Pettersen. SAVING THE WORLD This acknowledgement from Forbes is a milestone for Seaborg, and will certainly give it attention and introduce it to some new circles. Hopefully, the momentum can help Seaborg accomplish the next milestones. Asked if it was his goal to make the list, Pettersen said: “No. I doubt that this is the kind of acknowledgement that anyone sets out to win. Rather, it comes as a (very pleasant) side-effect of trying to accomplish overarching goals – in our case: to save the world. And to be honest, if the goal is to be in Forbes 30 Under 30, I am certain there are easier ways to accomplish that than with an advanced nuclear energy company.”
the world a better place, starting at the age of 21 (now 30) by helping to electrify rural villages in Eastern India, receiving this accolade is both an honour and a motivation. Arjun shares, “I was so pleased to make the list! I find the work in sustainability very rewarding already, but this is a great acknowledgement of what I’ve done so far – and it has bolstered my commitment to work even harder and grow my impact as a Sustainability Leader.” THINKING BIGGER, GOING GLOBAL While deploying renewable energy systems in remote areas of India, Arjun realised how essential electricity is tied to the development and prosperity of the inhabitants. It inspired him to want to do more, to have a larger effect. He shares, “To expand the impact of my work, I decided to complete my Master’s in the Environomical Pathways for Sustainable Energy Systems programme by EIT InnoEnergy. The programme served as a great platform to access global opportunities in sustainability. While there, I received the opportunity to finish my Master Thesis at UGE in New York, deploying solar and wind projects across the globe. Over the last six years at UGE, I have deployed solar projects in North America, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Panama and Turks & Caicos.” With the broad experiences Arjun has had so far in his career and the knowledge he has gained from EIT InnoEnergy Master School, he is well equipped to play a big role in the energy transition.
OUTSTANDING DEDICATION TO SUSTAINABILITY Meanwhile, Arjun Gupta, who finished the EIT InnoEnergy Master’s in Environomical Pathways for Sustainable Energy Systems back in 2014, has been named as one of the Canadian “30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders”. For someone that has been diligently working to make
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