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February 2018 Vol 89:01 $5.95
Young Minds Blossom Through Swedish Education
01 2018
Wallenberg Foundation Uppsala Vice-Chancellor SmĂĽland Designs
Svenska Kulturföreningen Swedish Cultural Society
Nordic Jazz Concert Eat in a new culture. Swim in a new language.
Play and learn
at a Minnesota summer camp! Register now for Swedish language programs! Youth • Adult • Family • Day Camp Scholarships available. For more details visit www.ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org/scholarships.
www.SwedishLanguageVillage.org
Heather Soles and The Scandinavian Express
Sunday, March 4, 2018 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Doors open at 12:30 pm
Order your tickets through www.eventbrite.ca under “Swedish Cultural Society” $15 online $20 cash at the door Scandinavian Centre
6540 Thomas St Burnaby, BC For more information, contact us at: SwedishCulturalSociety.ca@gmail.com www.swedishculturalsociety.ca
Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine WA 98230 for $45 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR Peter Berlin Peter@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com
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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News: Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics 7 Swedes in the News 8 Landskapsnyheterna Business 9 Business News Borgström’s Blogg 10 Company File: Minesto Heritage 11 Reflections on a Reunion
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Swedish Press
Elsa Beskow’s illustration
Feature 12 In the Business of Shaping Young Minds Interview 14 Peter “Poker” Wallenberg – Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse Global Swedes 16 Eva Åkesson – Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Film: Ravens – An Authentic Vision 20 Travel: Småland – Sweden’s Centre of Design
Road to 2045 21 Sweden’s Climate Law: The World’s Most Ambitious?
‘Follow the White Rabbit’ by AnnaSofia Mååg & Niklas Byman.
Hemma Hos 22 Design: Artists Return to the Ice Hotel for Another Year of Ice & Magic 23 Treats à la Björn Jansson Swedish Press Connects 24 SCA – Swedish Council of America 25 SVIV – Svenskar i Världen 26 SACC – Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce In the Loop 27 Canada, Us & Beyond 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet The Ice Bridge from Tullinge to Winnipeg Cover image: From left to right: Top row – Lundsbergs Skola | Chalmers University of Technolgy, Photo:Jan-Olof Yxell/imagebank. sweden.se | Middle row – Photo: Lena Granefelt/ imagebank.sweden.se | Photo: Grennaskolan | Bottom row – Stockholm University Library, Photo: Cecilia Larsson Lantz/Imagebank. sweden.se | Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/ imagebank.sweden.se
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Letters to the Editor Comments by a Canadian Olympic Triple Medalist on Swedish hockey player who threw medal into stand: The image of Lias Andersson tossing his silver medal into the crowd after Sweden’s loss to Canada has two sides to it. At first glance it appears that this may not be one of Andersson’s most shining moments, but it does reflect the true heart of a fierce competitor. His outpouring of emotion in bitter disappointment and frustration is a genuine example of the gold or nothing mantra and Lias’ burning desire to attain Gold. I admire his tenacity and will to win, but I do not condone the timing of his impetuous reaction in front of his teammates. Hockey is a team sport and you win or lose together. As team captain, Andersson has a responsibility to lead his team, not embarrass them. His disrespectful antics reflected poorly on the team and the competition as a whole and should never have happened when and where it did. Having said that, what Lias does with his medal after the game is noone’s business but his own. He can stuff it into a sock drawer or use it for a paper weight; it is his to do with as he chooses. I, too, must admit to feelings of anger and utter disappointment when coming home with Silver rather than the expected Gold. It can be a solitary gut-wrenching ordeal that stretches one’s inner psyche to the breaking point. Considering that this was his last chance to play at a World Juniors, I totally understand his frustration, especially at the tender age of 19. I was just 17 at the 1968 Olympics and was expected to come back with Gold, so I can relate to his Silver medal disappointment. I felt like a loser despite coming back with three medals, a first in Canadian history.
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Fortunately however for me, I have long since learned that a silver medal is merely a material. Ultimately in the journey of one’s life. it matters not where a medal ends up or even the colour of it, but in how we view it and weave it into the fabric of our future. Elaine Tanner OC (Officer of the Order of Canada) Triple Olympic Medalist (Swimming 1968 Mexico) Oakville, Ontario Hello Peter, Thank you for your welcoming and inviting editorial in November’s edition.I feel a glimmer of hope and a glow of pride from your words regarding Sweden’s “valiant contribution towards the survival of humanity... to set an example.” I and many others, I am sure, have always felt this in our hearts. I am eager to contribute little stories to your magazine, having heard many colorful stories of our ancestors, gleaned from adventurous road trips into rural and city areas of Manitoba. Laurel Anderson-McCallum Winnipeg, Manitoba Editor’s comments: Dear Laurel, Great to hear from you. As a relative newcomer, I am aware of your stories from having established an index of past issues of Swedish Press, and look forward to receiving many more from you along the same lines! All the best, Peter Berlin Dear Swedish Press, For a number of years now I have received a gift subscription from a dear friend Birgit Ambler. She passed away peacefully this November and when
my December issue arrived it was a reminder of all the fun things that we had shared about being Swedish together. Swedish Press helps to keep that thought in my mind and my heart. Warm regards and best wishes, God Jul och Gott Nytt År till er alla! Alexandra Sundin Calgary, Alberta Hej Peter, God Jul till dig och dina medarbetare. I enjoyed the anecdote of Kiruna and the fact that the Swedish language is becoming more and more influenced by the English. I still enjoy reading Swedish after living here in Canada 63 years. I was introduced to Swedish Press in the 1960s and have good memories of Anders and Hamida. When they took over and changed the format of the paper it’s been a steady improvement. And I can only say Thank You. Wishing You a Happy and prosperous New Year! Karl Ingvar Sundin Abbotsford, British Columbia Hej! Läste just ett nummer av Swedish Press och jag vill bara säga att jag är imponerad av den höga kvalitén och det intressanta och lite ovanliga innehållet. Detta nummer handlade om design o fashion som jag ju är extra road av – men bortsett från det: en produkt av hög kvalitet som bör kunna ha intresserade läsare även i Sverige. Louise Melander Lidingö, Stockholm Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedishpress.com and we’ll be happy to publish them.
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from the Editor’s Desk
Onwards and Upwards! We need your support!
Swedish Press strives to create a high quality magazine for you, but the costs are considerable and ever-increasing. Given that the subscription rates have remained unchanged since 2014, we are compelled from 2018 to increase the various rates by 13 percent. Please consider making a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on page 29. Tack!
GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN Feb 2 Feb 4 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 20 Feb 23 Feb 25 Feb 28
Maya Fellenius, 16 år Åsa Sofia Wessner, 14 år Kristian Löfstrand, 13 år Anne-Lys Eriksson, 11 år Hanna Karlgren, 10 år Noah Karlgren, 13 år Johan Norman Gavin, 16 år JB Nilsson, 10 år
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ere we are in 2018, full of fresh optimism after having been buffeted in 2017 by the effects of climate change and the political posturing by certain Heads of State. Of course, all of us have experienced good times in the year gone by, as no doubt mentioned in our Season’s Greetings, and perhaps also a few embarrassing ones shared only with family and close friends. We at Swedish Press wish you lots of the former and none of the latter in 2018. For me personally, one of the nicest concluding events of 2017 was the Santa Lucia dinner organized by The Swedish Cultural Society in Vancouver, BC. The decorated hall created the right conditions for the moving Lucia procession, accompanied by the buzz of conversation, live music, singing and dancing. The serving tables groaned under platters of traditional Swedish specialties like gravlax, köttbullar, prinskorv and Janssons frestelse. Everybody present clearly appreciated the amount of preparation that had gone into arranging the event. At Swedish Press we have great plans regarding the content for 2018. Notable themes are Cross-Cultural Awareness, Space Exploration, Wine-Growing Swedes, Innovation and Sustainability, Traditions and Celebrations, and Regional as well as City Highlights. We will cover Swedish achievements at the Winter Olympics in February, the upcoming Swedish elections in September, and introduce a series on “Road to 2045” towards a fossil-free society. We will also develop a more active digital platform for the magazine. This issue of Swedish Press provides a wealth of information on the theme of Education and Learning. Life at the best-known Swedish boarding schools is portrayed from the perspective of the alumni associations, along with personal recollections from one such alumnus (page 11). Under the heading Global Swedes we interview Eva Åkesson, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University (page 16). Among the other interviews, be sure to read the one with Peter “Poker” Wallenberg, Chairman of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, a major Swedish funding source for scientific research (page 14). Henric Borgström’s article about Swedish R&D related to game-changing quantum computers provides a good example (page 9). The usual contributions from Swedish-North American interest groups appear under the heading Swedish Press Connects. With all that and more, I wish you happy reading!
Peter Berlin Editor Peter@Swedishpress.com February 2018
Space research at the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna in Northern Sweden. Photo: HansOlof Utsi/imagebank.sweden.se
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Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics By Peter Berlin
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weden is gearing up for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, from February 9th to 25th. More than 100 Swedish athletes will be competing in speed skating, figure skating, snowboarding, ice hockey, curling, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing and biathlon. There will be an almost equal number of male and female athletes. At the Winter Olympics in Sochi four years ago, Sweden was predicted to win 10 medals and took away 15. However, this time the organizers are less optimistic about the number of medals the Swedes will bring home. The team is not as strong as it was in Sochi, or indeed in Vancouver in 2010. That said, it will include some up-andcoming young talents, as yet without Olympic track records but leaving room for positive surprises. Athletes to watch: • Calle Halfvarsson in Cross Country Skiing. Has competed in World Cups since 2009. • Stina Nilsson, also in Cross Country Skiing. Won bronze at the Winter Games in Sochi. • Sandra Naslund in Ski Cross.
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Current world champion. • The Men and Women Curling Teams. Niklas Edin’s team took gold at the European Champion ships in November 2017, while Anna Hasselborg’s team has won every competition up until that same event. • The Men and Women Hockey Teams Tre Kronor and Dam- kronorna, respectively. The Olympic Games have long been the target of political intrigue. In 1987, a North Korean agent admitted to having placed a bomb onboard a South Korean passenger plane with the aim of disrupting preparations in Seoul for the Olympic Games the following year. As a consequence, South Korea refused to invite North Korea to participate in the Games, prompting several Communist countries to boycott the event. The good news this time is that North Korea is in discussion with South Korea to send a team to PyeongChang. The South Koreans have even expressed a hope that the two teams might march in together during the opening ceremony. In the present political climate, the Swedish Olympic Committee (and most countries) view this dialogue between North and South as positive and important. It remains to be seen how long the détente will last.
Hockey at its best Watching the January 6 finals of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship was a truly nail-biting experience. In the course of the game, the Canadian and Swedish players aged 17 – 19 generated enough physical energy to light up a minor suburb. In the end, the Canadians beat the Swedes 3 – 1 and took away the Gold, but the Swedes were no slouches either. In the words of Elaine Tanner, Triple Olympic Medalist (Swimming 1968 Mexico): I watched the game live with John, my hockey player husband. We were both of the opinion that the Swedes mostly outplayed the Canadians and controlled the game. To us they were the better team overall. It was only during the last few minutes that the Canadian team won. They had actually improved as the game went on, which demonstrated Canada’s true grit and reputation in the hockey world. See also Elaine Tanner’s Letter to the Editor on page 4. “Sexplicit” consent required Swedish lawmakers are proposing to change the rape laws such that people would need to obtain explicit consent before sexual contact. According to Associated Press, the new law – if approved by Parliament – would take effect on July 1, 2018. Under current Swedish law, someone can be prosecuted for rape only if it has been proved that the perpetrator used threats or violence. Under the new law, rape can be proved if no explicit verbal agreement to engage in sexual activity has been given. It remains unclear what kind of proof would have to be provided in court. A tape recording? A written consent, signed and dated by both parties before the act itself ? Seems like a bit of a turn-off.
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Swedes in the News
The baptism of a prince, awards, & a fond farewell Adieu R. Wolff
Swede of the Year
in the fiction category, was nominated because of his Swedish book “De kommer att drunkna i sina mödrars tårar“ (The Rabbit Yard) – a dystopia about terror and fascism in today’s Europe. Prince Gabriel baptized
Rikard Wolff. Photo © A. Thessing
Swedish actor and artist Rikard Wolff, 59, passed away on November 17, 2017. The beloved actor grew up in Stockholm and Karlstad and attended Malmö Theater Academy between 1984 and 1987. Wolff is well-known for his role as the motorcycledriving drag show artist “Zac” in Colin Nutley’s movie trilogy Änglagård. He has also performed on the stages of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Malmö Opera and Göteborg Opera. Wolff was a talented musician as well and, in 2001, earned a “Grammis” (Swedish Grammy Award) for his record Min allra största kärlek. Wolff also participated in the melody festival and took on musical roles, such as Swedish revue artist/actor Karl Gerhard and opera diva Maria Callas. Wolff was a huge fan of Édith Piaf and in 2015 organized a tribute show to her in his own living room. Wolff’s final appearance was in last years’ Christmas calendar on Sveriges Television (SVT).
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Cardinal Anders Arborelius. Photo: Johannes Söderberg, SVT
wedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius, 68, has been appointed 2017’s “Swede of the Year” by Swedish news magazine Fokus. The Catholic cardinal was appointed bishop of Stockholm in 1998 and cardinal by Pope Francis in June last year, making him the first Swedish cardinal ever. Cardinals are part of the Catholic Church’s elite and the Pope’s closest advisors. Arborelius’ accomplishments impressed the jury. “To represent the Catholic Church in a country, whose identity is mainly secular and otherwise Lutheran, requires a fearless attitude,” they stated. This is the 12th consecutive year that the “Swede of the Year” award has been given out by Fokus. The award is given to people who, during the year, have stood out and changed Sweden for the better. Anyurus August Prize
Johannes Anyurus. Photo: Micke Grönberg/Sveriges Radio
Swedish poet and author Johannes Anyurus has been awarded the annual Swedish literary prize “The
2017 August Prize” for best Swedish novel. The 29th consecutive August Prize gala was led by journalist Johar Bendjelloul and broadcast from the Stockholm Concert Hall. The prestigious prize, named after Swedish author August Strindberg, has been given out by the Swedish Publishers’ Association since 1989, highlighting the best new Swedish books in fiction, non-fiction and children’s and youth literature. Anyurus, who earned the prize
HRH Prince Gabriel’s christening at Drottningholm Palace Chapel. © Erika Gerdemark/Kungahuset
Prince Gabriel Carl Walther, youngest son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden, was baptized in the Royal Chapel of Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm on December 1, 2017. Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia were surrounded by friends and family during the ceremony, where Royal Archbishop Emeritus Anders Wejryd had been selected minister of Baptism, with Princess Estelle given the honorary mission of pouring water into the font when Prince Gabriel was baptized. The newly baptized prince was born on August 31, 2017 at Danderyd’s Hospital in Stockholm. He is Duke of Dalarna and sixth in line to the throne.
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[Landskapsnyheterna] SKÅNE På Malmö Airport arbetar så kallade ”Fågelbevakare” med att hålla fåglar borta från flygplatsen. För att förhindra fågelkrockar försöker man bland annat att göra flygplatsen oattraktiv för fåglarna. Man ser exempelvis till att det inte finns något för fåglarna att äta på området, – Och de platser där fåglarna söker skydd och bygger bon ska bort från flygplatsen, säger Martin Ekenstierna, viltkontrollansvarig. Fågelbevakarna använder sig även av speciella ljud för att skrämma bort fåglarna. Fungerar ingen av dessa metoder tar man till skyddsjakt, något som flygplatsen måste söka tillstånd för. – Man jagar de fågelindivider som utgör en flygsäkerhetsrisk. Det kan vara de som byggt bo inne på flygplatsen, eller som uppehåller sig där på ett sådant sätt. Lyckligtvis har antalet fågelkrockar minskat med åren och Malmö Airport känner sig nöjd. – Vi har tack och lov haft en fallande trend, det är vi glada för. Jag hoppas att det är insatserna som ger resultat, säger Martin Ekenstierna. HALLAND Under ett dräneringsarbete i Laholm hittades människokranier och skelettdelar. Polisen misstänker att det rör sig om en medeltida gravplats och att skelettdelarna är arkeologiska fynd. – Vi vet inte helt säkert vad det är för något än. Man har hittat någon form av rester av något som vi inte vet vad det är, säger Tommy Nyman, presstalesperson vid polisen i region Väst. Polisen kallades till platsen för att undersöka skelettdelarna. – Om det är mänskligt, skickar man det vidare för provtagning och gör en bedömning om hur länge de kan ha legat där. Efter att polisen bekräftat att de hittat skelettdelar skickades ärendet vidare.
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– Det är arkeologiska fynd, kan man säga, och det har tidigare grävts i området efter en medeltida bosättning. Vi har hävt avspärrningarna, säger Tommy Nyman.
LAPPLAND NORRBOTTEN
SMÅLAND En trebent varg har fångats på en av de viltkameror som sitter uppe för att hålla koll på lodjursföryngringen i Skåne och Kronobergs län. Per Ekerholm, rovdjurshandläggare vid länsstyrelsen i Kronobergs län misstänker att det kan vara samma varg som upptäckts utanför Jönköping för några år sedan. – För ett tag sedan fanns det en som höll till där. Om det här är samma varg det har vi ingen aning om, säger Per Ekerholm. Myndigheterna har dock inte vidtagit några åtgärder. – Om man observerar en varg, så kvalitetssäkras observationen. Sedan går vi ut på vår hemsida med ett kort meddelande och skickar ett sms till alla fårägare i länet. Sedan är det upp till dem att agera. Om en varg går till angrepp så får man vidta åtgärder, säger Per Ekerholm. BOHUSLÄN Under nyår öppnade City Airport Hotel i Säve, Göteborg sina dörrar för de hundar, mattar och hussar som ville slippa undan högljudda nyårsraketer. – Det är många hundägare med hundar som har problem med fyrverkerier och smällare på nyårsafton. Hundar mår jättedåligt under nyår just för att det kommer så plötsliga och okontrollerade ljud, säger Amanda Drufve, chef för hotellet. På kvällen bjuds det på god mat.
VÄSTERBOTTEN
JÄMTLAND
HÄRJEDALEN
ÅNGERMANLAND
MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND
DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND
NÄRKE
UPPLAND
SÖDERMANLAND
DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE
Stockholm
GOTLAND ÖLAND
BLEKINGE
Malmö
Även hundarna får ta del av den smaskiga trerätters menyn. – Självklart. Vi är här för hundarnas skull. Till förrätt blir det blodpudding med leverpastejstoppar, till huvudrätt blir det ris och kyckling tornedo och sedan ett smaskigt ben till efterrätt. Det brukar bli en jättetrevlig kväll, säger Amanda Drufve. VÄSTERBOTTEN En blottare, som anklagas för att ha visat sitt könsorgan för barn som passerat hans balkong, har avslöjats av en förbipasserande Google-bil. Bilen, som passerade för att fotografera mannens adress i Umeå, visar blottaren iklädd kalsonger på sin balkong. Den 70-åriga mannen, som påstår att han aldrig vistas på sin balkong under dagen, har nu motbevisats. Mannen har fällts för 18 fall av sexuellt ofredande mot sex personer. Han döms till villkorlig dom samt dagsböter och skadestånd.
[Business] News The Chinese are eyeing Volvo Trucks In the September 2017 issue of Swedish Press we reported that Volvo Cars was preparing to abandon combustion engines in favour of electric motors, spurred on by its Chinese owner Geely. In the December issue we turned our attention to AB Volvo, the highly lucrative Swedish manufacturer of trucks, buses, construction equipment, diesel engines, and marine and industrial engines. So far, this division of Volvo has largely remained in Swedish hands – but maybe not for much longer. As we write this, Geely Holding’s Chairman Li Shufu is on his way to Sweden to meet the Board of Directors at AB Volvo, as well as other major shareholders in the company, and possibly also Swedish local and national dignitaries. There is no published agenda for the visit, but rumours abound in the news media. In December 2017, Geely Holding announced its intention to acquire an 8.2 percent stake in AB Volvo in a deal worth $3.2 billion. This deal alone would make Geely the largest single shareholder. The question now is whether the holding company wants to take over the remaining 92 percent of AB Volvo as well. Such an acquisition makes sense in the context of China’s massive investment in its own transportation infrastructure. The deal would constitute one of the largest financial transactions in the history of Swedish industry. What is not so clear is whether the Chinese take-over would benefit the other shareholders of such a profitable company. Watch this space!
Borgström’s Blogg: Sverige satsar på en ny teknikrevolution På tröskeln till en ny teknikrevolution – det är stora ord Chalmers tekniska högskola i Göteborg använder när man beskriver nästa stora forskningsprojekt. Det handlar om en svensk kvantdator som ska kunna hantera enorma mängder information på ett sätt som världen ännu inte skådat. Frågan är bara om det på sikt utmynnar i en revolution i klass med ångmaskinen, elkraften, telefonin och den vanliga datorn. Det investeras redan kraftigt i kvantdatortekniken i USA, Kanada, Japan och Kina. EU drar igång ett projekt 2019. Google och IBM investerar i den teknik Chalmers väljer, nämligen supraledande kretsar. Också Intel och Toshiba storsatsar på kvantdatorer. Chalmers kvantprocessorer byggs i form av elektriska kretsar på ett mikrochip som kan försätta enskilda fotoner i kvanttillstånd, den minsta energimängd som kan överföras av elektromagnetisk strålning (i enlighet med Einsteins teori). Det måste ske i en kryostat nära den absoluta nollpunkten (−273,15 grader Celsius) för att kretsarna ska vara supraledande, alltså leda ström helt utan motstånd. Det svenska projektet blir möjligt genom en donation på cirka 60 miljoner euro från 100-årsjubilerande Knut och Alice Wallenbergs stiftelse, plus ytterligare cirka 40
miljoner euro från olika svenska storföretag, Chalmers och andra universitet, vilket ger en total budget på kring hundra miljoner euro. Projektet kommer att direkt sysselsätta ett 40-tal forskare i tio år framåt plus ett tiotal forskare runt omkring. Möjligheten att öka kontrollen av individuella atomer, elektroner och ljuspartiklar öppnar helt nya möjligheter i form av extremt snabba kvantdatorer, avlyssningssäker kommunikation och hyperkänsliga mätmetoder av exempelvis molekylers egenskaper. Projektledaren Per Delsing, professor i kvantkomponentfysik vid Chalmers, nämner flera möjliga tillämpningsområden: bättre artificiell intelligens, säkrare kryptering och effektivare design av läkemedel och annan materiel. Chalmers har sysslat med supraledande kvantbitar i 20 års tid och tillhörde de första i världen att skapa en supraledande kvantbit. Nu ska man i det nya projektet leda uppbyggnaden av kvantdatorer och -sensorer. KTH i Stockholm åtar sig uppbyggnaden av kvantkommunikation, Lunds universitet kvantsensorer. Mål: Hundra Kvantbitar Chalmers tekniska högskola fokuserar på utvecklingen av en kvantdator med åtminstone hundra kvantbitar, långt större beräkningskraft än dagens bästa superdatorer.
Henric Borgström är mångårig medarbetare i svensk press, radio och TV. Artikeln publiceras i finlandssvenska Forum för Ekonomi och Teknik i Helsingfors. Blogg: henricborgstrom.wordpress.com | Twitter: @henricborgstrom Volvo truck model FH16. Photo: Volvo Trucks
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Company File
Milking the Oceans for Electricity By Peter Berlin
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magine a swarm of WWII Spitfire and Messerschmitt fighter planes engaged in a life-and-death dogfight. Sometime after 2018. Under water. That is how Minesto’s Deep Green water-propelled electricity generators will appear when observed by lobsters on the ocean floor. In fact, the “planes” are underwater kites tethered to the bottom of the sea, and they are not really trying to kill each other. Like airborne kites on a breezy summer day, they are made to meander back and forth in a figure-eight trajectory with a velocity that is up to 10 times greater than the wind speed – or, in this case, the water current. It doesn’t take a Spitfire pilot to figure out the potential of the invention to extract kinetic energy from oceans and convert it to electric power. And the supply of raw motion energy in the oceans is almost infinite, be they steady currents or the to-and-fro movement of tides. The shape of the Deep Green wings bears a striking resemblance to that of the Spitfire – a rather flat oval with slightly pointed tips. When the turbine propeller is added, as well as the rudder that steers the device in its figure-eight trajectory, the resemblance to the aircraft is uncanny. The wings are made of carbon fibre, their span is 12 metres (36 ft), and each unit weighs approximately 10 tons. What makes the technology different from other
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Deep Green produces electricity by a unique principle illustrated in the figure above. The underwater current creates a hydrodynamic lift force on the wing (1) which pushes the kite upwards. The kite is steered in a figure-eightshaped trajectory by a rudder and reaches a speed several times the actual stream speed (2). As the kite flies in the current, water flows through the turbine at the same speed and electricity is produced in the generator (3). The electricity is transmitted through a cable in the tether attached to the wing (4). The electricity continues via cables on the seabed (5) to the national grid on shore. Courtesy Minesto AB.
ocean-based electricity generators is precisely the superior velocity of the meandering wings relative to the water current. The power production is proportional to the current speed cubed. This means that when Deep Green multiplies the relative speed with which the turbine is pushed through the water, the electricity produced by the power plant’s generator is several hundred times greater than an equivalent stationary turbine. Electricity can be meaningfully generated at ocean currents way below the 2.5 m/s that
conventional stationary turbines require. Generating electricity from tidal currents is nothing new. The tidal power station at the mouth of River Rance in France opened in 1966 and cost over $100m. For 45 years it was the most powerful facility of its kind in the world, as measured by the installed power-generating capacity. The production cost of electric power was only 1.8 US cents per kWh, as compared to 2.5 cents for nuclear power. The inventor of the Deep Green technology is Swedish engineer Magnus Landberg, who came up with the idea while researching wind turbine designs at airplane maker Saab. Minesto AB (www. minesto.com) is a Swedish company with headquarters in Gothenburg and offices in Wales and Northern Ireland. The company’s main owners are two Swedish investment firms, BGA Invest and Midroc New Technology. The Deep Green technology has undergone extensive ocean testing in scale model for more than five years, during which operational functionality and power production have been verified and gradually improved. The project to manufacture and commission the first commercial-scale device is well underway. Minesto’s longterm ambition is to be primarily a product developer, selling power plants to site developers and energy companies. However, as the tidal energy industry is at an early stage of development, the company will have to adapt and evolve its positioning in the value chain as the industry matures.
H E RI TAG E
Auld Lang Syne Reflections on a Reunion By Peter Berlin
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he morning rush-hour traffic out of Uppsala was noisy and ill-tempered, forcing me to focus. Out of town, things calmed down. During the 5-hour drive to the Province of Värmland I had ample opportunity to reflect on the reasons for my journey. I was on my way to a reunion with fellow graduates from my boarding school whom I hadn’t seen in 55 years, and I was feeling ambivalent about the prospect. I had stayed away from previous reunions partly because I was living abroad, but also because most of the announced attendees had not exactly been bosom-buddies of mine. I spent eight years at Lundsberg which was, and remains, one of the best-known boarding schools in Sweden. My father had attended the school in the 1920s, and my parents sent me there in the autumn of 1952 in order to continue the tradition. Then as now, the pupils were accommodated in half a dozen “Houses” which serve as dormitories
Winter of 1919 at Lundsbergs Skola. Photo: Lundsbergs Skola
and focal points for meals and recreation. Mine was the same as my father’s (of course!). Life at Lundsberg offered many rewards, notably the close-knit family atmosphere in each of the Houses and the ensuing loyalty to its colours during snow-ball battles and on the sports field. As one rose in seniority, one obtained new privileges and responsibilities. The ultimate honour was to be elected Prefect with a mandate to assist the House-Father and the HouseMother in enforcing law and order. Much of our spare time was spent roaming through the endless forests in search of adventure, real or imagined. The “real” adventures might consist in grilling sausages over camp fires or erecting a tree platform from which to observe all kinds of wildlife. Over time, we developed a deep affinity with nature which stayed with us as we grew up. We also absorbed largely untaught lessons in self-reliance and teamwork, turning us into socially confident adults. My trepidation about joining the reunion proved unfounded. It got off to a good start with an evening spent in the nearby home of one of my former classmates.
We ate and drank well, made a few speeches, and enjoyed the opportunity to catch up. Even more rewarding was the discovery that our old quarrels were now water under the bridge. In some cases the memories even triggered good laughs, like getting into trouble for breaking off chunks of hair frozen to icicles during the short walk home from a winter sauna. I realized that we now had much in common, as if we had grown together rather than apart during those 55 years. On the last day of the reunion we attended a service at the school church. I had difficulty following the logic of the sermon, so my mind drifted and I found myself looking at the altar, the relief patterns on the walls, the painted ceiling, the chandeliers... Nothing, absolutely nothing, had changed in the church since I arrived at Lundsberg in 1952. Even the organist was the same. At the age of 95, Margit Mechler was still playing the prelude, the hymns and the postlude with unmistakable grace and sensitivity. At the end of the service, one of the alumni stood up and thanked her for her long-standing service to the spiritual life of Lundsberg, and elicited enthusiastic applause from the congregation. Leaving Lundsberg, I felt much more at ease than when arriving. I drove slowly down the familiar country lanes, letting the lakes, the farmhouses and the spring flowers in the meadows transport me back to my youth. Only when I joined the mêlée on the motorway was the spell broken, as if waking up from a very pleasant dream.
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Swedish Press | February 2018 11
In the Business of Shaping Young Minds
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by Peter Berlin
here is a saying that we don’t change as we get older, we just become more of the same. For example, a schoolboy who was unusually preoccupied with his appearance may become a fullfledged narcissist in adulthood. Or a young girl who made her friends giggle with her quirky observations might end up as a professional stand-up comedienne. Class reunions are ideal opportunities to test this theory, especially if one has developed the deep understanding of one’s classmates that comes with growing up together at a boarding school. Not only do these adolescents spend years sitting together in class 5 – 7 hours a day, but they also rub shoulders and elbows daily in sports, during meals and in their spare time. No wonder, therefore, that boarding schools engender particularly tight-knit alumni associations which convene regularly in glamorous settings and sometimes even share in ownership of the very school from which its members once graduated. In Sweden, the three best-known boarding schools are Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket (SSHL), Lundsbergs skola and
Photo: Lundsbergs Skola
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Swedish Press | February 2018 12
Grennaskolan. In 1970 the government granted each of them the status of Riksinternat (National Boarding Schools) which entitled them to state funding in recognition of the unique educational and social opportunities offered to children of expatriate parents, or from broken homes, or else from sparsely populated areas. However, in 2014 the special status and the attendant funding were withdrawn on the grounds that the three “elitist” schools lacked support among the general public.
Photo: Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket
Each alumni association counts its membership in the thousands. Their main ambitions are roughly the same: (a) To facilitate keeping in touch, given the members’ dispersal across the globe, and (b) to ensure the schools’ continued prosperity through various forms of fundraising, be it via scholarships, sponsoring new facilities, or advertising in the student magazines. At SSHL, some alumni also volunteer as mentors to individual pupils. The three schools differ when it comes to ownership. SSHL is affiliated with Sigtunastiftelsen whose main activities involve organizing cultural conferences. Lundsberg is owned by Stiftelsen Lundsbergs skola, whose Board has nine members, four of whom represent the alumni association Föreningen Gamla Lundsbergare (FGL), while the remaining five are members of the school’s staff, as well as former pupils and parents. The Stiftelsen (Foundation) recruits the school’s Principal and oversees the running of the school. Grennaskolan is finding itself at a survival crossroads after the owner – the Jönköping City Council – decided in April
2017 to shut down the school as it had been running at a financial loss for some time. The alumni association, known as Grennaskolans Föredettingförening, is now scrambling to save the school from closure by taking over its legal title and looking for a buyer. The latest news regarding Grennaskolan’s fate is that the last 18 International Baccalaureate (Gymnasium) students are currently doing their last terms and the final class of eight students will graduate in June 2019. The school now serves as a ‘production’ site for Jönköping University. They use the site to teach mainly Asian students English. These students can then go on and join different university programs that are delivered in English in Sweden and elsewhere. Sadly, Grenna’s 63-year history as a boarding school is therefore coming to an end, but at least the school and its buildings are still being used for educational purposes. So how do alumni rate the years they spent at the boarding school? Comradery, discipline, adventure and learning are recurring themes during get-togethers and in entries found on social media like StayFriends. But these comments don’t convey the intensity of the experience, reminiscent of the atmosphere that prevails during the launch campaign of a space rocket, for example. Expatriate Swedes who wish their children to receive a good Swedish education could do
worse than to send them to a boarding school in Sweden. Some youngsters thrive from day one while others struggle at first, but most are guaranteed to develop healthy physical stamina, social skills and self-confidence. Personalities are formed during those impressionable years from ages 11 to 19. If it is true that we become more of the same with age as we journey through the trajectories of life, then boarding schools are an excellent character-forming launch platform. In this context it is worth mentioning that there is also a day school called Stockholm International School (SIS). Like the boarding schools, it serves the children of the international community as well as Swedish citizens in need of an international education. The school currently has 660 students and 126 teachers representing 54 nationalities.
Photo: Stockholm International School
Some prominent Swedes who attended: Sigtunaskolan Lundsbergs Skola Humanistiska Läroverket
Grennaskolan Stockholm International 3 School
• Carl XVI Gustaf, • Prince Bertil •3 Urban Bäckström, • Caroline Walerud, King of Sweden • Prince Carl Philip 3 politician tech/business • Agnes Hellström, • Prince Gustaf Adolf •3 Ulf Wagner, chef • Philip Charnouby, model author • Louise Boije af Gennäs, •3 Rickard Sjöberg, • William Nylander, NHL • Olof Palme, author 3 author Toronto Maple Leafs Prime Minister • Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, •3 Katerina Janouch, www.intsch.se • Povel Ramel, artist and poet 3 author entertainer • Carl Gustaf von Rosen, 3 www.grennaskola.se • Peter Wallenberg, aviator industrialist • Ian Wachtmeister, • Hasse Ekman, actor politician www.sshl.se www.lundbergsskola.se
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Swedish Press | February 2018 13
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Att upptäcka saker som man inte ens vet att man letar efter Peter Wallenberg, du är en man med många omfattande intressen – vetenskap, forskning, utbildning, företagsamhet och bilsport, för att nämna några av de mest omtalade. Samtidigt är du en synnerligen upptagen person. Hur hinner du med att utveckla dina passioner på djupet? – A och O är att ha duktiga människor runt omkring sig som ger energi, stöttar och pushar. Lyckligt nog har jag många sådana i min närhet, både bland familj, vänner och kollegor. Dygnet har bara 24 timmar, så jag gör vad jag kan för att hinna med att uppleva och utveckla allt jag har i mina händer och som jag får energi av. Mitt stora engagemang finns naturligtvis i Wallenbergstiftelserna och vår familjs roll i att stötta forskningen och de företag vi har ägarintressen i. Men det är även viktigt att ha någon typ av ventil som inte är jobbrelaterad, för mig har det blivit att få köra racing, man måste ha fullt fokus på just det, jobbet måste ligga kvar i depån. Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse har sedan grundandet 1917 anslagit 25 miljarder kronor – varav 1,8 miljarder kronor årligen de senaste åren – till excellent grundforskning och utbildning i Sverige. Samtidigt eftersträvar Stiftelsen att attrahera framstående
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Swedish Press | February 2018 14
Peter “Poker” Wallenberg Foto: Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
Intervju med Peter ”Poker” Wallenberg, ordförande för Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse d utländska forskare till Sverige. Är det just Sveriges ställning internationellt på dessa områden som ligger i Stiftelsens fokus, eller går Stiftelsen även in som sponsor i utländska forskningsinitiativ? – Den kortfattade beskrivningen av anslagsfördelningen är att Stiftelsen ger anslag till fri forskning som utförs
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av världsledande individer verksamma vid svenska lärosäten. Hela anslagsprocessen är baserad på en grundlig internationell vetenskaplig utvärdering, så kallad peer review. KAW finansierar fler än 1 000 av landets bästa forskare varav drygt hälften har en utländsk doktorsexamen. Vetenskaplig excellens, inte nationalitet, är det som premieras. I Stiftelsens statuter står det att anslagen ska vara landsgagneliga, det vill säga till nytta för Sverige och Sveriges utveckling som forskningsnation. Eftersom forskningen är internationell i sin natur är ett inflöde av internationella toppforskare till svenska forskningsmiljöer och ett utflöde av svenska postdoktorander och forskare till internationella miljöer av största vikt. – För oss är det viktigt att tydliggöra att vi inte är sponsorer. Som sponsor väljer man vad eller vem man vill satsa på, medan vi som stiftelse både har stadgar att förhålla oss till och en anslagspolicy som grundar sig på att ansökningarna ska genomgå vetenskapliga utvärderingar och att styrelsen fattar sina beslut på deras rekommendationer. Sedan initierar styrelsen ibland också egna strategiska satsningar, men även de bygger på dialog med vetenskapssamhället och de behov som de ser. 2016 anslog Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse 1,8 miljarder och 2017, 1,8 miljarder, tillsammans har de tre största Wallenbergstiftelserna anslagit 2,2 miljarder under 2017. Stiftelsen stödjer bland annat grundforskning om sjukdomar som cancer och Alzheimers, nya energikällor, universums hemligheter, nya och miljö-
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vänliga material, geners betydelse och påverkan, robotik och automation, klimatförändringar, människans ursprung och evolution. Kan du ge konkreta exempel på spännande och världsförbättrande upptäckter som Stiftelsens stöd har bidragit till, och likaså innovationer som har kunnat implementeras? – Eftersom Stiftelsen i första hand stödjer grundforskning är det svårt att ge sådana exempel. Grundforskning styrs inte av tankar på tillämpningar men leder ofta till oväntade upptäckter som lägger grunden för utveckling av ny teknik, nya behandlingsmetoder, läkemedel och andra avgörande tillämpningar. Men ett exempel som jag kan nämna är The Human Protein Atlas Project, en kartläggning av människokroppens samtliga proteiner. Atlasen är en databas som är öppen för alla världens forskare och kommer att vara ett mäktigt verktyg för att bekämpa många sjukdomar. Hur hanterar Stiftelsen samtidigt riskerna för missbruk av innovationerna, som till exempel skapandet av ‘designer babies’ via avancerad genteknik eller eventuella baksidor av automatisering i form av arbetslöshet? – En stor del av den teknologi och kunskap som vi har i dag kan användas både i goda och mindre goda syften. Forskningen ska vara fri att undersöka, beskriva, problematisera och försöka förstå vår omgivning i detalj men också flytta fram gränserna för vad som är möjligt. Sedan är det upp till varje samhälle att reglera eventuella negativa effekter genom politiska beslut och multilaterala avtal. När det gäller just digitalisering och automatisering
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Satsningen tror vi har förutsättningar att sätta avtryck såväl inom vetenskapen som inom företagandet och samhället i stort.
Knut och Alice Wallenberg på Täcka Udden. Foto: Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
av samhället så kommer Marianne och Marcus Wallenbergs Stiftelse att bevilja anslag till forskning som undersöker hur den nya teknologin kan komma att påverka samhället. Stiftelsens 100-års firande avslutades den 14 november 2017 med en jubileumsmiddag på Tekniska museet i Stockholm, varvid du höll ett välkomsttal inför bland annat konungen, statsministern och prominenta gäster från när och fjärran. Upplevde du några särskilt överraskande reaktioner till ditt tal från de inbjudna? – I talet avslöjade jag Stiftelsens andra stora jubileumsdonation, en satsning på artificiell intelligens och kvantteknologi på totalt på 1,6 miljarder kronor vilket väckte en stor uppskattning bland gästerna som till stor del bestod av forskare och andra representanter från vetenskapssamhället. Det är två områden som kommer att ha stor inverkan på framtiden som det är väldigt viktigt att Sverige har konkurrenskraftig kompetens inom.
För unga människor har Stiftelsen gjort en jubileumsdonation till fem så kallade science centers runt om i Sverige. Tack vare satsningen kommer fem nya visualiseringsdomer – ett slags kupol-liknade filmsalonger liknande den som redan idag finns i Norrköping – att byggas, så att 1,5 miljoner besökare per år får en chans att uppleva magin i forskning och vetenskap. Tanken leds därvid till gängse planetaria som används för att väcka intresset för astronomi. I vad mån tjänar kupolarkitekturen syftet att stimulera intresset för forskning och vetenskap i allmänhet? – Det är egentligen inte arkitekturen i sig som är det viktiga och det är inte heller till byggandet av domerna som anslaget går, utan det går till de produktioner som ska visas där och den visualiseringsteknik som krävs för att visa dem. Det handlar om visualiseringar som på ett fängslande och lärorikt sätt låter publiken komma in i människokroppen, i historiska förlopp eller ut i universum för att ta några exempel. Syftet är att framför allt få barn och ungdomar intresserad av vetenskap och forskning. Kupolformen, förstärkt av 3-D teknik, gör att man som åskådare verkligen känner att man är med i det som visas. Jag, och även mina barn, har varit på Visualiseringscenter i Norrköping flera gånger och det är en otroligt häftig upplevelse. Intervjuad av Peter Berlin
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Swedish Press | February 2018 15
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Putting Sweden on the Map At Home
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‘Knowledge knows no borders... ’
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Eva Åkesson, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University
Eva Åkesson has always been a keen learner who enjoys a challenge. Coming from a non-academic background only motivated the determined Professor and Vice-Chancellor at Uppsala University. “Understanding that a culture and an environment can feel alien is a good experience. That may be why I’ve always been interested in internationalisation and broader recruitment”, says Eva Åkesson. Today, as always, she works to make sure everyone at Uppsala University feels welcome and included. Interviewd by Sofie Kinefors
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Swedish Press | February 2018 16
Please tell us a little bit about your background. I grew up on a farm in southern Sweden. After finishing highschool, I moved to northern Sweden to study at Umeå University. I completed my doctorate in chemistry in 1989. I then moved to Minneapolis for my PhD. After two years in the U.S. I returned to Umeå. After obtaining a position sponsored by the Swedish Research Council I chose to continue my studies at Lund University. My area of specialisation is femtochemistry – a research field that provides answers to the question of why certain chemical reactions take place but not others. It also explains why the speed and yield of reactions depend on temperature. I was eventually appointed Professor of Chemical Physics at Lund University. I became director of studies and set about modernising the teaching at the department. Soon I was offered the position of Vice-Rector at Lund University – a role that interested me. I aimed to work for the students’ best interests, to make the university a place for meetings, discussion and development. My goal was to help make the university an organisation that helps make the world a better place. This attitude and these values have remained with me to the present day.
Please tell us a little about your role as ViceChancellor of Uppsala University. I was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2011 and assumed my position in January 2012. I have just been re-appointed for another three-year period, which is an honour and a pleasure. In my day-to-day work, I represent an expert organisation and a seat of learning that, in many respects, drives and contributes to the development of Swedish society and the world. I work with the management team to strengthen the University’s position and to create conditions that enable Uppsala University to achieve its full potential. During my years as Vice-Chancellor, we have devoted a great deal of attention to issues of quality, in terms of both education and research. Quality is about credibility. Society must be able to trust research findings, and we must make it clear that there’s a big difference between verified facts and opinions. This has become increasingly evident in recent discussions about the rejection of facts, with some people’s opinions being put on a level with research findings in public debate. Another major undertaking has been the thorough evaluation of research that we have just
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conducted at Uppsala University. External reviewers from around the world have examined our research and our research environments and offered suggestions for improvements in the capacity of critical friends. The results are very interesting and useful. They will enable us to take action that will move us forward and strengthen us. Now we are going to undertake a similar review of all our educational programmes. The reason we are doing this is that we recognise that research and education are international activities. Sweden is a small country and our students will go on to work in a global arena. Their opportunities depend on our good reputation, and even if we are proud to be currently ranked among the top 100 of more than 20,000 universities worldwide, we cannot rest on our laurels. Internationalisation is something we need to continue to prioritise, both in terms of external contacts and at home. The Swedish Centre for Studies of the Internationalisation of Higher Education was inaugurated on November 7, 2017. Please tell us a little bit about the new centre. Higher education in Sweden has been heavily internationalised over the last three decades. One of the
‘...nor do the challenges we face.’ more important events in the process of internationalisation was the introduction of student financial aid for studies abroad in 1989, which led to a tenfold increase in Swedish students studying abroad in the course of a decade. Another event was the introduction of tuition fees for third-country students in 2011. This change led to an 80 percent decrease in the number of incoming students from the affected countries, but the numbers are now up again. Things move fast in the area of internationalisation, and flows of students can change substantially in a short period. The centre is intended to act as a node for research and analysis on a local, national and international level. It is also meant to be a platform for collaboration with external actors such as government agencies in possession of relevant data and in need of analytical expertise. Who inspires you in your work? The students – they inspire me and give me new perspectives. My achievements would not have been possible without the students I have met in my profession. In which areas do you feel Sweden contributes most globally? I often make the point that knowledge knows no borders. Nor do the challenges we face. The way in which Sweden can and does contribute is by helping to build up the great jigsaw puzzle of global knowledge. I would like to stress that our
contributions are based on the ideas and know-how of individuals, many of whom are former students or currently active researchers, often working together in global networks. How do you think the image of Sweden is changing and developing internationally, and particularly in North America? I think we are a country with a good reputation and I am convinced this will endure as long as we have the welfare state we have built up. Having said that, we know there’s been a good deal of debate about the Swedish social model in U.S. media and elsewhere. We’re probably more concerned about Sweden’s image than we ought to be. We should just get on with what we’re good at. How do you think Sweden has achieved the success it has despite being such a small country, population-wise? We are a country that offers many opportunities to succeed, thanks to our education system which gives everyone a chance. More can be done, of course, but equality and openness have been effective tools in creating a good society and a successful country.
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Swedish Press | February 2018 17
[Lifestyle]
Top Sju
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2018
Construction of the 245 meter tall Karlatornet, slated to be Scandinavia’s tallest structure, will take place at Hisingen in Gothenburg. The impressive highrise, consisting of numerous hotels and apartments, is set to be completed in three years. To support such a large project, construction will begin 70 meters below ground level. Workers will then drill into the bedrock for 58 giant concrete piles to support the structure. The project is estimated to cost 13 billion SEK.
In a recent survey, the Swedish magazine Elle Decoration listed the 10 hottest decor trends for 2018. The list, which includes trendy styles, materials and colors, features spatial environments, elegant dark woods, unpredictable shapes and playful patterns. Also in fashion are colorful pop wall-art and detailed figurines. Choose light, delicate materials, black details, earthy pastels and silver to join the itcrowd.
1605 Jokkmokk’s annual winter market takes place on Thursday February 1 through Saturday February 3. The market, which started in 1605, is a gathering place for Sami people from all over Sápmi and a festival filled with cultural activities. View beautiful reindeer and take part in exhibitions, concerts (Swedish singer Sofia Jannok being one of the top performers) and local food delicacies like meat soup and suovas (lightly smoked reindeer meat). Dress warm because it is not uncommon for the average temperature to
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Swedish Press | February 2018 18
reach minus 25 degrees Celsius or lower during market days.
13 Shrove Tuesday (fastlagsdagen or semmeldagen) falls on February 13 this year. The day of indulging takes place each year before the 40-day Lent fast begins and lasts until Easter. Historically, during the fast, people were supposed to live and eat in a frugal manner. Therefore it was best to enjoy as much food and drink as possible on Shrove Tuesday. Swedes have, for example, consumed semlor (sweet buns) on Shrove Tuesday since the Middle Ages. The semlor have almond paste in the middle and are eaten with whipped cream.
95 According to a public survey called “Swedes and Internet 2017,” which is compiled by The Internet Foundation in Sweden, reports that 95 percent of
all Swedes over 12 years of age have Internet access at home. And 93 percent of Swedes have a computer at home, which represents a 65 percent increase since 1997 when 25 percent of Swedes had a home computer Today, a computer isn’t necessary to connect to the Internet because 98 percent of Sweden’s population have a mobile phone and 85 percent of the population have a smart mobile.
1800 The Postmuseum in the Old Town of Stockholm is showcasing its new exhibition called Uniform(t) through next August. The exhibition tells the story of Sweden’s post office staff uniforms from the beginning of the 19th century up until today. The museum offers an impressive display of uniforms from its large costume collection, including shiny parade uniforms, early leather-reinforced trousers, modern cool linen summer uniforms, and clothing tailored for cold and rainy weather.
10 Swedish food and recipe online site koket.se has listed 10 trendy foods it expects to take off in 2018. The list, based on an analysis by social media outlet Pinterest, includes healthy frying methods, healthy soups, Moroccan food and Korean flavors. Also on the list are plant-based proteins, such as tofu, quinoa and butter in its purest form called “Ghee.” Green snacks, such as peas and beans, are expected to replace fat snacks like chips. Nonalcoholic drinks, coffee prepared with matcha or blue algae and sweet vegan treats have also made the list.
[Lifestyle] Film Ravens – An Authentic Vision By Alice Shih
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enowned world-traveler photojournalist Jens Assur tried his hands on short filmmaking in 2006 and has since won numerous awards. His first feature film is an adaptation of the visionary novel Ravens (Korparna) by Tomas Bannerhed. “Filmmaking for me is to take the audience intellectually and emotionally to a different world. Ravens takes us to an exotic world of a remote farmhouse before mechanization in the 70s, but we could all relate to the family dynamics. The father is fighting to justify his own life choices, which is a very challenging task when the heavy farm work is done manually. I want to make sure everything in the film is authentic, so Reine (the actor) really has to do everything right and believable, like planting the right crops at the right season by himself,” said Assur. Reine Brynolfsson plays the father, whose tour de force performance ranges from facial nuances
to genuine hard labour, a role so physically demanding that it is impossible for most actors. “Fortunately, we had time to prepare and I was in training for a year,” Reine explained. “It takes time for my body to build. I’m glad I was in shape to perform repeated takes on set. With repetitions, my muscles wear and tear naturally which truly reflects the hardships on the flesh of the characters in real life.” Brynolfsson read the book five years ago and got a strong feeling about the father-and-son relation-
ship. “I was totally immersed in it. The son’s character is so complex with many layers. We collaborate closely to search for the inner lives of our characters together. The Swedish word I would use to describe their antagonistic relationship is “oförmåga” – the characters are unable to get things right despite all the good intentions. The father loves his son and wants him to take over the farm, as it is a heritage livelihood, but the poor boy has all these inner demons. He is tired all the time as he is struggling to stay afloat with so much hard labour!” For preparation, Assur travelled extensively two years before the shoot to scout for the farm location and to meet real farmers in different parts of Sweden. “Directing is like creating a meeting between the camera and the actors, and that is the essence of cinema. The characters and the image together render the inner and outer landscapes,” Assur adds. “To create the image of the director, it’s very important to work with the best talents, plan thoroughly, communicate your ideas to them clearly, and the vision will be realized together.”
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Swedish Press | February 2018 19
[Lifestyle] Travel Småland – Sweden’s Centre of Design By Tatty Maclay
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måland may mean ‘small lands’ but it’s actually a large province that’s at the heart of a huge amount of Sweden’s furniture production and design industry. The Kingdom of Crystal glassworks have been producing glass in Småland since 1742, and a certain global furniture behemoth famously also has its roots here, but less wellknown are the numerous other furniture design companies, independent artists, as well as artisans and centres of design. Svenssons, Bruno Mathsson International, Källemo, Abstracta and Gemla Möbler are just some of the world-renowned furniture design names, based largely around the small town of Lammhult. On the edge of the Helge River in Diö, surrounded by the vast ancient forests of Småland, lies Sweden’s oldest furniture factory, where beech and
Tatty tries her hand at glassblowing. Photo: Tina Stafrén/Visit Sweden
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Bruno Mathsson chair at the Bruno Mathsson Center. Photo: Tina Stafrén/Visit Sweden
ash wood are tamed and bent into timeless furniture by the skilled craftsmen at Gemla Möbler (a company we’ll be profiling in an upcoming issue of Swedish Press). These companies share a common design aesthetic and philosophy that is distinctively Swedish – and even specifically Smålandic. This means that the design must be able to stand the test of the eye – i.e. look good over an indefinite period of time, resulting in objects that are both beautiful and sustainable. Smålänning Bruno Mathsson, the furniture designer and architect influenced by both functionalism/modernism and ancient Swedish crafts tradition and whose design centre in Värnamo you can visit, was a well-known proponent of this. Småland has always been a region marked by poverty, with poor, rocky soil and small farms making agriculture difficult. But despite, or perhaps because of, this tough environment Småland is known for its high levels of entrepreneurship and low unemployment. The old Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok describes the inhabitants of Småland
as: ‘awake and smart, diligent and hardworking, yet compliant, cunning and crafty’. One Smålänning who fits this profile is Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA. The recently opened IKEA Museum in Älmhult, on the site of the first ever store, tells the story of the company’s 73-year-long history, the man behind the brand, and explains the process and thinking behind Kamprad’s vision of ‘democratic design.’ At the opposite end of the spectrum, the region also attracts and showcases the less mainstream players on the design scene. Vandalorum is a world-class museum for contemporary regional, national and international design in Värnamo, while The Glass Factory in Emmaboda exhibits glass art by a new generation of artists using innovative techniques and trends including interactive smart glass. Beyond the towns and longestablished companies, you can also find numerous independent artists, craftsmen and craftswomen making a living in various design fields. The Swedish/Japanese millinery duo, Horisaki for example (who we’ll also be featuring in a future issue), handmake their celebrated hats, worn by style icons such as Lady Gaga, from their studio and showroom in a former general store on the outskirts of the tiny village of Kåremo. From avant-garde artisans to global megacompanies, the wealth and diversity of design to emerge from the deep forests of Småland is a testament to the spirit of its creative and entrepreneurial inhabitants.
Road to 2045 In the Road to 2045 series, Swedish Press will explore climate change issues in Sweden and how the country deals with this major challenge. Swedish Press has entered into a collaboration with Forum for Reforms, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (Fores) who are experts in this area. In the coming months you will see updates on activities and regulations in Sweden, case studies on interesting companies, and interviews with leading climate profiles. First out, is a story on Sweden’s new climate law.
Sweden’s Climate Law: The World’s Most Ambitious?
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By Mattias Goldmann
n January the first, the Swedish climate law, climate policy framework and climate targets entered into force. According to the think tank Fores, they are the world’s most ambitious. Here’s why – and what it means to Sweden, to the world, and to the climate! The target: Net zero When the current Swedish government was installed in 2014, it promised that Sweden is to become “one of the world’s first fossil-free welfare states”. Since then, the government has informally tightened the target to “the world’s first fossil-free state”, which is easier to measure but more difficult to achieve.
In line with this ambition, the government launched a commission to develop Sweden’s long-term climate targets. Seven of the eight parties in Parliament agreed to targets that were turned into law as we celebrated New Year’s Eve: By 2030, climate impact in the transport sector should decrease by 70 percent compared to 2010. By the same year, the overall climate impact is to be reduced by 63 percent compared to 1990, excluding sectors covered by the European Union’s Emission Trading System. By 2045 Sweden’s climate impact is to be net zero, to be understood as 85 percent emissions reduction compared to 1990. The remainder is to be achieved by increasing the buffering, primarily in the forest sector, and by reducing emissions in other countries on Sweden’s account. The legislation states that all future Swedish governments are required to ensure that the targets are met, with a permanent climate committee that will evaluate current policies. Most ambitious? The United Nations Paris agreement states that every negotiating party must have a Nationally Determined Contributions committee for emissions reductions. By studying these, think tanks such as Fores find that the Swedish targets are the most ambitious. Other countries may have more aggressive policies for limited sectors, such as Norway’s strong focus on electric
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vehicles or Denmark’s biking, but in terms of overall emissions reductions, no-one is as ambitious as the Swedes. Credible? The climate targets were developed in close co-operation with the Swedish business community which over the years has come to the conclusion that the home market, while small, may serve as a testing ground for new solutions if targets are strong enough and sufficiently relevant to other countries. But the main reason for industry’s backing is the approval of the seven political parties, which gives a guaranteed long-term trajectory all the way up to 2045. This is a rare thing in any political context, and gives Swedish industry a competitive advantage compared to counterparts in other countries where legislation and policy is less predictable. Relevance? Since the Paris agreement was ratified, there has been a scramble for climate leadership, particularly after the US under President Trump bowed out and left room for others. This is of interest for Swedish businesses, but Sweden’s ambitions also mean that other countries, municipalities, businesses and communities around the world will increasingly turn to Sweden for inspiration. Fores is a Swedish think tank devoted to questions related to climate and environment, migration and integration, entrepreneurship and economic reforms, as well as the digital society.
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Hemma hos
Artists Return to the IceHotel for Another Year of Ice & Magic
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By Kristi Robinson
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ow in its 28th year, the IceHotel in Jukkasjärvi, created from the frozen waters of the Torne River, beckons new artists and brings back veterans. “It’s genuine, it’s excruciatingly hard work, it’s magical and it’s love”, says Swedish Artist AnnaSofia Mååg of her experience of working on the IceHotel. Maybe part of the allure for artists to return to the IceHotel season after season is its ephemeral nature. The artists spend weeks skillfully chipping away at the blocks of ice and thick walls of snow, to reveal characters and shapes that make up the reality of the IceHotel until spring arrives and it all melts away.
‘Follow the White Rabbit’ by AnnaSofia Mååg & Niklas Byman.
AnnaSofia, a ceramic artist by trade, made her connection to the IceHotel back in 2006 when she was first invited to create a sculpture for the hotel. Since then she has returned almost every year. Her work has spanned sculptures, including the unicorn she and fellow Swedishbased sculptor Allesandro Falca made for their Secret Garden in the Main Hall of the IceHotel in 2014,
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‘Ground Rules’ by Carl Wellander & Ulrika Tallving
and the ‘Ice Couple’ she was tasked to create for a surprise engagement at the hotel. In addition to the ice sculptures, she has completed a number of hotel suites. Mååg’s work often includes animals in its theme, and her wonderfully imposing 3-meter tall ‘Elephant in the Room’ for the IceHotel in 2016 was a grand statement of this. After exhibiting the concept of moustaches for the permanent year-round IceHotel 365 that opened in 2017, Mååg has once again returned to the fauna theme for 2018 with ‘Follow the White Rabbit’ – an Alice in Wonderland inspired art suite co-created with partner Niklas Byman. Also with a fondness for exploring animal forms in their sculptures are Swedes Carl Wellander and Ulrika Tallving. ‘Oh Deer’, their first art suite for IceHotel 365 in 2017, was inspired by the Japanese hot springs and the Great Totem spirit animals. This winter they constructed a room with an underwater theme, ‘Ground Rules’, an enchanting cavern suite
‘Radiance’ by Natsuki & Shingo Saito.
where snails and aquatic forms share the space, and icy stalactites hang from the ceiling. Japanese artists Natsuki Saito and Shingo Saito began their journey with the IceHotel half a decade ago. Their first suite ‘The Flower’ in 2013 was humble in its design. When they returned in 2017 the transformation to professional ice artists was apparent with ‘Into the Ice’, a room inspired by a story they had read their daughter. For 2018 their art suite ‘Radiance’ is another dramatic showing of nature’s forms, with gem-like rocky ice offset by bare winter trees.
‘Hang in There’ by Marjolein Vonk & Maurizio Perron.
Another pair of returning artists, Marjolein Vonk (Netherlands) and Maurizio Perron (Italy), first designed a suite two years ago titled ‘The Great Escape’. Their tree house-like room was a commentary on how luxury was no longer defined by material possessions, but rather by having the time to slow down and switch off. Vonk and Perron grabbed the attention of design enthusiasts again this year with the fruition of the art suite ‘Hang in There’. The ice bed appears to be delicately suspended by a draping ice blanket, somehow making cold heavy objects look like a soft and inviting place to tuck in to sleep. All Photos © ICEHOTEL Asaf Kliger
Hemma hos
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s a marine engineer from Sundsvall, Sweden, Björn travelled the world on various freighters. In 1972 he settled on the East Coast of Canada. After a few years in the Maritimes he moved to Vancouver, working on tugs to Alaska and the Arctic. When the 400-seat SeaBus passenger ferry link opened between the North Shore and downtown Vancouver, Björn was there from the beginning, performing the role of Chief Engineer until his retirement in 2011. In the mid-1980’s Björn bought 25 acres of farmland near Parksville on beautiful Vancouver Island. He grew garlic – lots of garlic – along with blueberries, critters and so on. The Unicorn Farm is where he raised his children. It is still thriving and has been passed down to the next generation. Daughter Brianna, hubby Jeff and baby Oliver run the farm which produces hops, vegetables, flowers, lambs… and garlic, of course! The farm’s country store also supports local artisans by selling their wares. Björn has always enjoyed cooking and being creative in the kitchen. He has experimented on the kids and me during the 20 years we have been together, which definitely shows on me! He is expert at taking advantage of available ingredients, often improvising without using recipes. From my perspective, being married to a Swede – particularly to this Swede – has been great fun. We married at midsummer on a beautiful island off Sundsvall, in a chapel built in 1756 located in a little fishermen’s village. There were 20 of us in campers, cabins and boats, with
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à la Björn Jansson
our wedding tent on the sandy beach. We celebrated until dawn, dancing around the midsommarstången, drinking snaps and wine and eating many courses, most of which had herring in them… including Jansson’s Temptation. And so it began, my grand Swedish adventure! Gott Nytt År! By Barbara Jansson
Janssons Frestelse Ingredients: • 4 medium potatoes • 1 medium onion • 1 tin of Swedish anchovy fillets (spiced and in a special brine) • butter • 600 ml light cream • bread crumbs or panko In North America, Swedish anchovies can usually be found at IKEA and in Scandinavian delicatessen stores.
Barbara and Björn Jansson
Preparation: Jansson’s Temptation has long been a traditional dish on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, midsummer, or on any good smörgåsbord. Julienne the potatoes. Slice the onion very thin. (Best and easiest with a mandolin that produces potato strimlets.) In a greased casserole dish, layer one half of the julienne potatoes. Spread all the onion over the potatoes. Place the anchovies on top of the onion. Layer the remainder of the potatoes on top. Mix the cream with the juice from the anchovies and pour over the casserole. Adjust the liquid according to the pan or dish being used. Cover the casserole with bread crumbs or panko. Place butter over the top (a cheese slicer is handy to make thin shavings). Bake in the oven at 350oF for 45 – 60 minutes, or until bread crumbs are brown and crispy. Never hurts to check!
Stuffed Peppers Ingredients: • 6 peppers • 1 pound of ground pork • 1 pound of ground beef Mix the following ingredients in a bowl: • 1½ cup cooked rice • 1/2 onion, chopped • 1 egg • 1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko • 1/2 cup light cream or milk • 2 cloves garlic • 2 tsps salt • 1 tsp black pepper
Preparation: Mix the pork and the beef together with the other ingredients in a large bowl. To prepare the peppers, cut the tops off and remove the seeds. Cut the bottom of the peppers so that they sit upright. This will also create small openings for drainage. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and place on a rack inside a large pot or on a baking sheet. Bake at 350oF for 1 hour. Makes 6 large peppers. Melting grated cheese on top is an option. This is the basic recipe. If you prefer stronger seasoning, add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce or your favourite spices to the mixture.
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Swedish Council of America
Feasting Before Fasting for Lent in Sweden By Gregg White, Executive Director
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he excitement of the Yule holidays is behind us and the first signs of spring are still a month or more away. In the traditional agrarian culture of pre-industrialized Sweden, the larders started to look a bit bare this time of year and there was little preserved meat left from last autumn’s harvest of excess livestock. It was time to tighten belts and focus on ensuring there would be sufficient food to last until the first greens and lambs of spring. To fast for forty days prior to the spring holiday of Easter was not only a religious obligation, it was a pathway to survival. Hence the austere diet of Lent. But before the dreary and lean days of late winter, Swedes celebrated the final day of bounty with a big meal for the entire family. Shrove Tuesday has several names in Swedish: fettisdag (Fat Tuesday), fläsktisdag, (Pork Tuesday), smörtisdag (Butter Tuesday) and vittisdag (White Tuesday, referring to the white flour used in baking for the final time until Easter). Although thoroughly urbanized, many Swedish homes still serve the traditional Fat Tuesday meal of fried side pork, potato pancakes, brown beans and onion sauce. This is definitely a Stick-to-the-ribs kind of meal. But the real focus of the day – in homes, cafés and workplaces throughout the country – is semlor, aka fettisdagbullar (Fat Tuesday buns). As the name implies, these tasty treats are not part of anyone’s low-fat diet, but
they definitely are worth cheating on your healthy eating commitment for just one day! The foundation of this ubiquitous pastry is a ball-shaped, yeast-leavened white flour butter roll that has been flavored with a healthy dose of cardamom and baked to a rich but soft brown crust. A circular lid is cut off the top leaving a hollow opening which is then is filled with almond paste and rich whipped cream with a hint of sweetener. Finally, the lid is put back on and the whole decadent treat is given a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Traditionalists will even serve their semlor in a bowl of warmed whole milk or even cream. It is easy to understand how there are over 500 calories in these traditional treats. Hence the name “Fat Tuesday”! Recipes for all the dishes mentioned in this article can be found on the Swedish Council Facebook page. Many Swedish American organizations sponsor Fat Tuesday or Lenten events. Here are just a few. Contact your local Swedish group to see if they have something planned. A list of Swedish organizations across the country can be found on the SCA website, www.swedishcouncil.org/affiliates. Nordic Table Workshop: Swedish Pea Soup and Pancakes 6:00 p.m., January 24 American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN www.asimn.org Pea Soup and Punsch Supper 6:00 p.m., January 27 American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia, PA www.americanswedish.org Semlor & a Movie 11:00 a.m., February 10
Semlor. Photo: Tidningenhembakat.se
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American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia, PA www.americanswedish.org Cook & Eat: Semlor Buns 6:30 p.m., February 13 Nordic Northwest, Portland, OR www.scanheritage.org Nordic Table Workshop: Semlor 6:30 p.m., March 7 American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN www.asimn.org
SCA is Swedish America’s community foundation. Our mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of Swedish heritage and culture in North American life and to strengthen contemporary cultural and educational ties between North America and Sweden. We achieve this by providing grants to organizations, scholarships to youth, recognition to leaders and communications to the community – all focused on furthering our mission. www.swedishcouncil.org
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Svenskar i Världen
Utnyttja din demokratiska rättighet – rösta i valet 2018
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en 9 september är det val. Svenskar i Världen kommer att arbeta för att röstdeltagandet bland utlandssvenskar ska öka. Under de senaste riksdagsvalen har bara en tredjedel av de svenskar som bor utomlands tagit chansen att göra sin röst hörd. Du måste anmäla dig till röstlängden vart tionde år I det svenska riksdagsvalet 2018 och EU-valet 2019 kan alla som har rösträtt och befinner sig utomlands brevrösta eller rösta på de utlandsmyndigheter som ordnar röstmottagning. Som svensk bosatt i utlandet har du rösträtt i riksdagsvalet och valet till Europaparlamentet, men inte i valen till landstings- och kommunfullmäktige. Du behåller rösträtten i tio år efter det att du flyttade utomlands. Därefter måste du anmäla dig för en ny tioårsperiod. För att betraktas som utlandssvensk måste du någon gång ha varit folkbokförd i Sverige.
Så här går det till Du kan antingen brevrösta eller rösta på en svensk ambassad eller ett svenskt konsulat. Brevrösta Ett särskilt färdigförpackat material innehåller valkuvert, valsedlar (blanka så att väljaren själv skriver partiets namn), ytterkuvert, omslagskuvert och noggranna instruktioner. Brevröstningsmaterial kan beställas från en kommun, en svensk ambassad eller ett svenskt konsulat eller från Valmyndigheten. Som utlandssvensk får du inte skicka din brevröst från Sverige. Rösta på en svensk ambassad eller ett konsulat Som giltig id-handling gäller svenskt pass, svenskt id-kort eller lokal officiell legitimation. Om du har fått ett röstkort, ta med det så går röstningen smidigare. Valkuvert och valsedlar finns utlagda i röstningslokalen, men om du vill personrösta måste du själv beställa valsedlar med kandidatnamn direkt från respektive parti.
Blankett för att anmäla sig till röstlängden som utlandssvensk För att ladda ner anmälningsformuläret, gå in på www. skatteverket.se. Skriv SKV 7842 i fönstret alldeles under “Logga in”. Skicka ifylld blankett till Skatteverket. Adressen står på blanketten. De som är folkbokförda utomlands får ett utlandsröstkort. Det är ett röstkort anpassat för utlandssvenskar. Utlandsröstkorten kan användas både vid brevröstning och röstning på ambassad eller konsulat. En utlandssvensk som befinner sig i Sverige vid tiden för valet bör vända sig till Valmyndigheten, kommunen eller länsstyrelsen för att få ett dubblettröstkort som kan användas för röstning i Sverige. För att få utlandsröstkortet är det viktigt att du uppdaterar din adress hos folkbokföringen på Skatteverket i Sverige.
Kom ihåg 1. Anmäl dig var tionde år till Skatteverket om du vill stå kvar i röstlängden. 2. Ta med id-handling när du röstar på en svensk ambassad eller ett svenskt konsulat. 3. Har du ett röstkort, ta med det för en smidigare röstning. 4. Brevrösta – skaffa brevröstningsmaterial i god tid. 5. Personrösta – skaffa valsedlar från respektive parti i god tid. 6. Röstmottagningen vid ambassader och konsulat börjar tidigast 24 dagar före valdagen och avslutas vid olika tidpunkter i olika länder, beroende på att rösterna ska hinna transporteras till Sverige. 7. Du kan inte rösta i utlandet på valdagen!
Ditt röstkort Ett särskilt utlandsröstkort, kopplat till röstlängden, börjar skickas ut två månader före valdagen. Röstkortet används vid brevröstning eller vid röstning på en svensk ambassad eller ett svenskt konsulat. För att du ska få utlandsröstkortet måste du ha en uppdaterad adress hos folkbokföringen på Skatteverket i Sverige.
Stöd Svenskar i Världen – utlands-svenskarnas främsta intresseorganisation – genom ditt medlemskap. Vi har arbetat för utlandssvenskarnas rättigheter sedan 1938. Vi får inga statsbidrag och är beroende av medlemmar och samarbetspartners för att kunna fortsätta vårt uppdrag att bevaka, informera och påverka i frågor som rör utlandssvenskar. Som medlem får du många fina medlemsförmåner, tillgång till experthjälp och ett stort nätverk över hela världen. Bli medlem på www.sviv.se (telefon: +46 8 661 54 02) redan idag!
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Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce
Unique Scholarship for American Business Student to Experience Sweden!
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innaeus University, AIFM Group and the SwedishAmerican Chambers of Commerce offer a scholarship consisting of free tuition to a oneyear Master Program in International Business Strategy at Linnaeus University and a part-time internship with AIFM Group. This is a unique opportunity to study international business strategy and get acquainted with European alternative investment funds management as well as Swedish entrepreneurship. The study & training program will take place in Kalmar, Sweden from September 2018 to June 2019. To apply, submit your resume and a personal letter (maximum 500 words) stating your interest in international business & financial markets, the experience you would bring, and how this program would benefit your future career. Please submit your application to Cecilia Kullman, Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce, ck@sacc-usa. org. Application deadline is February 11, 2018.
Photo: Agnieszka Boeske/Unsplash
Linnaeus University – a creative and international knowledge environment Located in Kalmar and Växjö, Linnaeus University is the university of Småland, a region famous for its entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. With more than 34,000 students and 2,100 employees we are a modern university,
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Photo: Linnaeus University
with Småland as our base and the world as our stage. Linnaeus University is home to more than 2,500 international students from over 40 countries studying different subjects within arts and humanities, health and life sciences, the social sciences, the natural sciences, technology, and business and economics. We offer Bachelor and Master programs, freestanding courses and a Summer Academy. To study and work at Linnaeus University means being part of an environment characterized by knowledge and development. Students acquire new knowledge and learn to have a critical approach. Researchers make discoveries that can change our society. Employees talk of a work place with both challenges and opportunities. Linnaeus University is a university where knowledge grows. Within our Summer Academy we offer an international, intercultural and interdisciplinary study environment – unique of its kind in Sweden. You gain cultural insights together with a mix of international and Swedish students, while also getting to enjoy the Swedish summer in one of the most attractive summer cities in the country. There are plenty of opportunities for international students to apply for scholarships at Linnaeus University. Last date to apply for courses given within the Summer Academy is February 15. For general information about Linnaeus University visit the website lnu.se/en/education. About the SACC-USA Network: SACC-USA consists of 20 Regional Chambers across the U.S. Our mission is to promote trade, investment and and exchange in both directions between Sweden and the U.S. www.sacc-usa.org.
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Swedish American Chamber of Commerce – Los Angeles Eliason Merit Award 2017 – November 11th 2017, was a night to remember indeed! SACC-LA celebrated the Eliason Merit Award’s 30-Year Anniversary and the 2017 winner of the prestigious award, Linus Sandgren. SACC-LA’s motivation for this year’s recipient was; “Linus Sandgren receives the award for his ability to successfully raise Sweden’s profile within the arts and the entertainment industry and for his significant contributions in strengthening Swedish-American relations during his successful career.”
Gudrun Giddings – President/Chair of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles, Linus Sandgren – 2017 Eliason Merit Award winner, John Heilman – Mayor of West Hollywood. Photo: Gustav Klinton
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acknowledged as a deputy for Swedish influence in the American Film Industry! I hope that I, by accepting this Award, can help inspire more Swedes to bring their talent to the US.” Linus was a gracious humble winner of the award. The entertainment was provided by the Swedish duo Smith & Tell.
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2017 Eliason Merit Award winner Linus Sandgren. Photo: Kerstin Alm
Linus Sandgren is a Swedish cinematographer. He is best known for his work with Damien Chazelle on La La Land and his collaborations with David O Russell on the films American Hustle and Joy. Linus’ response, once he learned he was this year’s winner: “I am deeply honored to be recognized by SACC-LA for my work and I am especially flattered to be 8
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Award for Circular Textile Paper Project by Archana Ashok, KTH, has been awarded the Bo Rydin Foundation for Scientific Research grant for Best Master Thesis Project 2017. Her project “Textile Paper as a Circular Material” was carried out in the framework of the transdisciplinary TechMark Arena master students’ academy at the RISE Bioeconomy Division. RISE is a Swedish stateowned institute for industrial research. The Bo Rydin Foundation for Scientific Research annually awards 18
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a grant for the year’s best master’s degree project within the strategic areas of Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA): personal hygiene products, tissue paper and forest products. Archana Ashok’ project evaluates circularity of a new paper manufacturing concept where the raw material is largely made up of low value fibres from textile recycling plants. According to the circular economy framework, this is a cascade recycling of fibres from the textile industry to the paper industry, thus forming an industrial symbiosis. Archana’s project investigates whether the textile paper is suitable as a circular packaging material for paper bags. The result showed that it could be better to use low value textile fibres as a circular material instead of incinerating it, which is common practice nowadays. “The 6 months’ journey at RISE was really exciting and funfilled, with the TechMark Arena group having lots of discussions and workshops on circular economy,” says Archana Ashok. By Marianne Lockner
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Archana Ashok and her award-winning Circular Textile Paper Project. Photo: RISE 28
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Calendar & Events
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A guide to fun and interesting Swedish events outside Sweden
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CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org Ongoing through Mar 18: The art exhibit, “Inspired – Contemporary Swedish Folk Paintings and Haiku Paintings” by Hans Öhman. Feb 4 and 18 – Sun 10 am: Bullerbyn, a Swedish Language Playgroup for young children and their parents. Feb 5 – Mon 3 pm: Moon Monday, a tribute to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, in the Children’s Museum. Feb 11 – Sun 1 pm: Scandinavian Jam, an instructional program on traditional music in which participants may play their own instruments. Feb 16 – Fri 11 am: Hejsan, a story and craft hour for children and their parents on the theme of Music in Sweden; tunes of Robyn are featured. Feb 17 – Sat 12 noon: Guided tour of the permanent, exhibit, “A Dream of America,” focusing on immigration to Swedish neighborhoods. Feb 23 – Fri 9 am: Start with Art program based on the exhibit of works by Hans Öhman; also 4 pm Family Night program on the exhibit. Feb 24 – Sat 10 am: Swedish American Genealogy Society program, “Clergymen and Witches in Sweden: Genealogy Research into Priestly Records,” with Kerstin Nicholson. DETROIT Swedish Club of Southeast Michigan 22398 Ruth St, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 Info: 734-459 0596 www.swedishclub.net Feb 4 – Sun 1 to 2:30 pm: Buffet. MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org Ongoing through Mar 4: Lake Country Pastel Society’s Membership Exhibition – showcases local winners of nation and international pastel competitions. Ongoing through Oct 7: Exhibition – Meet Ulla the Baker at the Family Gallery 8
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– In Ulla the Baker and Ulla the Baker Goes Skiing, Anders Suneson’s cheerful, illustrated children’s books, families are transported to winter in Östersund, Sweden. Go up to the Mansion’s third floor and in the Family Gallery’s intergenerational, imaginative play environment, you can immerse yourself in Ulla’s world and experience her bakery. PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org Ongoing through Mar 4: Exhibition: Where the Children Sleep – Captivating photographs of sleeping refugee children by acclaimed Swedish photographer, Magnus Wennman and original text by Carina Bergfeldt capture the impact of the war in Syria, which began in 2011. PORTLAND Scandinavian Heritage Foundation at Nordia House 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, OR 97223 Tel: 503-977 0275 | shf@mindspring.com www.scanheritage.org Ongoing through Mar 30: Raoul Wallenberg: To me, there’s no other choice exhibition – Learn the story behind the Swedish diplomat who single-handedly saved thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II. Feb 11 – Sun 4 to 6 pm: Fastelavn: Nordic Carnival – Throw on your favorite costumes, bring your whole family, and enjoy an afternoon of crafts, games, fastelavnsboller, snacks, beverages, hilarities and a costume contest. SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org Feb 5 – Sun 8 am to 1 pm: Swedish Pancakes. Music and dancing, plus authentic Swedish pancakes, ham, lingonberries, coffee and orange juice. Music by Spelmanslag, Skandia Kapell, and Bjarne Jacobsen. 18
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WASHINGTON, DC Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-467 2600 | www.swedenabroad.com ambassaden.washington@gov.se Feb 27 – Tisdag kl 19: anordnar vi och SACC DC en Swedish Heritage Night i samarbete och Washington Capitals för att hylla de svenska NHL-spelarna under en matchkväll. TORONTO Svenska kyrkan i Toronto 25 Old York Mills Road, Toronto ON M2P 1B5 Tel: 416-486 0466 | toronto@svenskakyrkan.se www.svenskakyrkan.se/toronto Feb 14 – Onsdag: Askonsdagsmässa Feb 18 – Söndag: Gemensam gudstjänst med Agricola VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scandinaviancentre.org | www.swedishculturalsociety.ca Feb 3-4 – Sat and Sun 11 am to 4 pm: Sami Culture & Design Show Feb 13 – Tues 7 pm: Swedish Cultural Society annual meeting with semlor Feb 25 – Sun 1 to 3 pm: Player Piano Concert – Hear our own fabulous Player Piano. Learn of its history. See how it works. Be a guest “Pianist” Enjoy our singers. Sing Along! WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assn of Manitoba 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 | Tel: 204-774 8047 | Reservations at: svenskclub17@gmail.com Feb 3 – Sat 8 pm: Snöfest with Helen White Quartet; Ice Palace and Ice Bar; jazz favorites to listen to, and dance to. Tickets $10.00, reserve svenskclub17@gmail.com Feb 10 – Sat 9 to 11:30 am: Pancake Breakfast, Scandia Fun Folk Dance Fundraiser, sccreservations@shaw.ca Feb 15 – Thurs 7 pm: Fika Night with Semla Buns – Reserve; silver donation Feb 16 – Fri: Apres Ski at Nordic Ski Centre – Windsor Park in the moonlight; ski rentals available. Register svenskclub17@ gmail.com 28
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[Ads] and Info Swedish Press Classified Alberta Organizations Svenska Skolan i Calgary bedriver undervisning för barn 3-15 år gamla på lördagar kl 9:30-12. Alla barn är välkomna. Undervisningen sker på svenska. Kontakta Svenska Skolan genom Scandinavian center 403-284-2610 eller skicka epost till contact@swedishschool.com. Läs mer om vår skola på www. swedishschool.com BC Organizations Scandinavian Business Club Monthly meetings feature business speakers. Guests and new members welcome. Call SBC: 604-484-8238. Visit us at www.sbc-bc.ca Scandinavian Community Centre Beautiful setting for weddings, parties, birthdays, meetings and seminars. 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC info@scandinaviancentre.org 604-294-2777 www.scandinaviancentre.org Svenska Kulturföreningen Ordförande Ellen Petersson 604-970-8708. Kassör är Linda
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Olofsson, 604-418-7703 www. swedishculturalsociety.ca. Email: swedishculturalsociety.ca@ gmail.com Sweden House Society President Carina Spencer Email: swedenhousechair@gmail.com Vice president Rebecca Keckman, Treasurer Ron Spence Swedish Canadian Village Burnaby, B.C. Tel. 604-420-1124. New assisted living facility. Low- cost apartment buildings. www.swedishcanadian.ca Swedish Club of Victoria Dinners, Events and Meetings , for information contact Annabelle Beresford @ 250-656-9586 or Swedish Club of Victoria Facebook.
Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206-283-1090. Open Wednesday evenings for supper and games, Friday for lunch and dinner. Pancake breakfasts on first Sundays of the month. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw.org
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Swedish Press | February 2018 29
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Sista ordet
“If the gloves are dropped, players are suspended...” The Ice Bridge from Tullinge to Winnipeg
together for many years. We build teams at age 8. The first games are played four against four. By the time the team is built, kids really know each other. But there is a shortage of girls. They prefer soccer or floor hockey.
By Laurel Anderson-McCallum with supported information from Trevor Smith of Canstar News
W
hen the coaches walked into the Scandinavian Centre banquet, their team stood up. The excited 14-year-old boys, and one girl, were in Winnipeg from December 26th to January 7th, 2018 to play 9 hockey games including 4 Exhibition games against AA Bantam teams. This was the team’s first overseas trip, said Head Coach Niklas Pers. Tullinge is a municipality of 16,000 outside Stockholm. The Tullinge Triangelpojkar Hockey Club was founded in 1944. It was remarkable, Niklas continued, that everything here was so well organized thanks to Scott Wiley, Coach of the St. Vital Victorias; Sonja Lundström, President of the Swedish Cultural Association; and all the volunteers who acted as hosting families. This is the coach’s fourth time in Canada. He played hockey in Windsor when he was 14. “I told my mates,” he said, “you have nothing to worry about when
Neil Carlson, Honorary Consul of Sweden in Winnipeg, dropping the puck for the first Exhibition game against St. Vital Victorias
travelling to Canada – they will take really good care of you!” When they had time to take a break, the team took in the sights: the Forks on New Year’s Eve, the Human Rights Museum and the MTS Ice Plex Press Box to watch the Canada vs Sweden game. They also had the opportunity to see the New York Islanders, the Moose and the Jets. What can you tell us about hockey training in Tullinge, Sweden? Niklas immediately offered some impressive detail: Practice is 3 times weekly. Monday is speed training, Wednesday – technique, Friday is games. The season is long: mid-August to mid-April. Games and competitions happen at the end of February. Summer demands physical training practices 4 days weekly. Kids start young – 5 or 6 – and stay
What do you see as similarities or differences between the two countries’ approaches to hockey? “Our rinks are smaller.” Would you comment on physical roughing? Fredrik Ohlsson, team leader, said that Canada’s refs are more tolerant towards physical outbreaks. In Tullinge, stick holding gets an automatic 2 minute penalty. In Sweden, if “the
gloves are dropped”, players are suspended for 2 or 3 games. The referee sends a letter to a disciplinary board and a decision is made. The coaches and players were very warm in praising Winnipeg’s friendliness and open-heartedness. “We will definitely recommend others to come here. And if any team wants to visit us, we will do our best to be good hosts.” P.S. Tullinge Truppen won all their games! And one of our Winnipeg teams is talking about going to Tullinge already. Top: Banquet at the Scandinavian Centre with some of the Winnipeg women. Left: Hockey team at the Scandinavian Centre banquet. Photo: Joanne Gehman
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