The Casimir Research School would like to end the year with congratulating Nashwan Sabti (Leiden) and Nikolas Kavadias (Delft) with winning the Hendrik Casimir Prize 2017! On Monday morning 8 January 2018 prof. dr. Tjerk Oosterkamp, Scientific Director of Casimir, will hand over the Hendrik Casimir Prize certificates to Nashwan and Nikolas during the LION New Year's coffee moment. Everyone is welcome to attend the prize ceremony!

Nashwan and Nikolas were nominated by a joint Leiden/Delft jury. In the below, Nashwan and Nikolas briefly introduce themselves:

Nashwan Sabti: I'm a 2nd year master student in theoretical physics at Leiden University. Before this, I completed a double bachelor in physics and astronomy (also in Leiden). At this moment I'm working on my master's project in the group of Alexey Boyarsky. The project is about constraining parameters of Heavy Neutral Leptons by making simulations of the Universe during the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis epoch. This will complement other experiments that will look for these particles in the near future.

Nikolas Kavadias: I have done my BSc in Psychology in Leiden, after that my BSc in Applied Physics in Delft (Cum Laude + Honours) and currently I am doing my MSc in Physics in Delft and my MSc in Psychology in Leiden at the same time. I like the differences between the two fields of study and try to learn as much as possible from both. Currently I am working on: closing the gap between theoretical predictions and experimental results on electrical conductance through single molecules when immersed in water (Physics) & finding the critical psychological mechanisms at work in an 'anticommons dilemma' (a specific type of bargaining situation).

About the prize
The Casimir Research School yearly awards the Hendrik Casimir Prize to the best MSc students in (Applied) Physics of Leiden University and Delft University of Technology. The prize consists of a certificate and a sum of €750.- . The prize is based on the revenues from a donation by the late Mrs. Josina Casimir-Jonker, wife of the famous Hendrik Casimir. The students are nominated by a committee formed by Jos Thijssen (director of Master Education Delft), Martin van Exter (Director of Education Leiden), Hara Papathanassiou (study advisor Leiden) and Luca Giomi (coordinator of the Casmir pre-PhD Master program).