Sigvard Eklund
Sigvard Arne Eklund ( born June 19, 1911 in Kiruna, Sweden, † January 30, 2000 in Vienna) was a Swedish scientist and 1961-1981 Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA ).
Life
Eklund studied at Uppsala University, where he obtained in 1936 a Master of Science degree. From 1937 to 1945 he worked as a scientist for the Nobel Institute of Physics. In 1946 he received his doctorate at Uppsala University Doctor of Science.
From 1946 to 1950 he worked as a scientist for the Swedish Research Institute for Defence ( Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut, FOI ) in Stockholm. In the years of 1946 to 1956 he was assistant professor of nuclear physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. From 1950 to 1956 he was also also research director at AB Atomenergi in Stockholm, a Swedish Nuclear Power Company. From 1950, he was there first deputy managing director and led from 1957 to 1961, the Department of reactor development. In 1954 the first Swedish nuclear research reactor on its operation, which was created under his leadership.
In 1957 he was Secretary General of the United Nations Second International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. In 1961 he was appointed as the successor to William Sterling Cole Director General of the International Atomic Energy Commission. This office he held four general elections (1965, 1969, 1974 and 1977 ) over five periods of office from 1 December 1961 to 30 November in 1981, his successor was Hans Blix. During his tenure, the technical and scientific requirements for work of the Atomic Energy Agency were created. He agreed with the laboratory of the IAEA in Monaco that this should also examine the impact of radiation on living organisms in the sea in the future. Also, the laboratory of the IAEA in Seibersdorf in Austria was expanded under his aegis.
Eklund was founded in 1953 as an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences ( Kungl. Ingenjörsvetenskapsakademien, abbreviated IVA ) was added. On October 14, 1968, he received together with Abdus Salam and Henry De Wolf Smyth the American Atoms for Peace Award.