INDEPENDENT STAFF MAGAZINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG #1 MARCH 2022
News
Women follow men’s success recipe News
Want small support for great reseach
ON THE HUNT FOR VIRUSES Davide Angeletti hopes to find a lifelong vaccine
Vice-Chancellor
Gradual return to campus N RECENT WEEKS, the pandemic's fourth
wave has washed over Sweden, and we have, almost on a daily basis, sent greetings to colleagues and friends who have been ill. I am thinking of you all and sincerely hope that those of you who have been ill have not had too difficult a time. But then the government announced that most of the restrictions were to be lifted from February 9, and as consequence of that we now have a new policy decision. It is finally time for a gradual return to campus and workplaces. It will take place in a responsible manner over a number of weeks, and we aim to be finished by March 31. Our experience of the temporary period of remote working has varied, for some it has been enjoyable but for others less so, but it is now time to gradually head back to campus. We have now had two years where we have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge, particularly with digital media. We have had to try new ways of doing well-established
tasks and I want to be clear that it is important to take advantage of this knowledge even after the pandemic. As I see it, we must apply what we have learned to various areas of development we have ahead of us – digitalisation, internationalization, flexible working life, issues concerning the work environment, the study environment and not least pedagogy. At the same time as we are finally seeing light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, the gratifying year-end work for 2021 is underway. I can state that our university has one of the largest educational mandates in Sweden and for the second year in a row, the organization has fulfilled it with flying colours. Research revenues have steadily increased, and in the middle of a pandemic we passed the SEK 7 billion mark in turnover. I am extremely grateful for all your hard work and for making this result possible.
Vice-Chancellor EVA WIBERG
Editor-in-chief: Allan Eriksson, phone: 031–786 10 21, e-mail: allan.eriksson@gu.se Editor: Eva Lundgren, phone: 031–786 10 81, e-mail: eva.lundgren@gu.se Photographer: Johan Wingborg, phone: 070–595 38 01, e-post: johan.wingborg@gu.se Layout: Anders Eurén, phone: 031–786 43 81, e-mail: anders.euren@gu.se Address: GU JOURNAL, University of Gothenburg Box 100, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden E-mail: gu-journal@gu.se Internet: gu-journal.gu.se ISSN: 1402-9626 Translation: Språkservice Sverige AB The journal has a free and independent position, and is made according to journalistic principles.
Contents
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Axel Sjöqvist
NEWS 04–21 04. Trains - the best way to travel. 06. Networking equally important for women and men. 08. New center at Kristineberg. 09. Cooperation on antibiotics. 10. Centers ask for more support.. 13. Vice-Chancellor says no to UGOT. 14. Fractions may develop political parties. PROFILE 16–19 16. On the hunt for a better vaccine. REPORT 20–25 20. New book on the capabilkity of the elderly. 22. Games as a form of art. 24 . Unique geological find. 26. The Moment.
Photo: JOHAN WINGBORG
Masthead
Do not sacrifice universal values! THERE IS A LOT of talk
about the importance of universities serving as good examples when it comes to responsibility for the climate. To really do something, however, is more difficult. In this issue, we write about two departments that may serve as inspiration: the School of Public Administration and the Department of Conservation. In these departments, going by train is the normal way of travelling; flying is only allowed twice a year at a maximum. A lot of opposition? Not really, it seems. THAT RESEARCHERS must publish in prestigious journals to be successful, is a well-known fact. But forming publishing cartels, where those who have hardly contributed at all to a project, can be included on the author list, is a bad habit. In the worst case, it can lead to distrust of whole research areas. A recent investigation shows that women are involved in this type of activities to the same extent as men. A flu vaccine that you only need
to take once in a lifetime, wouldn’t that be something to hope for? Davide Angeletti is one of the researchers investigating these possibilities. In his work, he gets help from colleagues who study covid-19. JUST WHEN THE pandemic seems to have released its grip on the world and many countries are reopening their societies, we get news from a completely different appalling catastrophe: Russia has started a war against Ukraine. We do not know how this will end. But we do know that the war is a threat to security throughout Europe, and to the whole world. When writing this, a Ukrainian flag is waving outside the university's main building. Freedom and truth are at stake. The importance of freedom and truth is also what is emphasized in Magna Charta Universitatum. We hope the war will end soon without these universal values being sacrificed.
Allan Eriksson & Eva Lundgren GUJOURNAL MARCH 2022
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Trains back on track Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
Two departments are at the forefront in the work on climate change: the Department of Conservation and the School of Public Administration. These departments allow you to take a maximum of two flights a year, and flights under 1,000 km are more or less not permitted. Travel within Europe should preferably be undertaken by train. BOTH DEPARTMENTS have updated their environmental and sustainability plans with stricter requirements for air travel. The goal is to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from business travel. The objective is that as an employee, you can make a maximum of two round trips per year. Before booking a business trip, you should carefully consider whether a digital meeting would suffice. At the Department of Conservation, Researcher Staffan Lundén has led the work of the department's environmental group in developing a new travel and meetings policy, which in several respects entails dramatic restrictions compared to the University of Gothenburg's goals. – Ultimately, it is about helping to save the planet from total collapse, and what little we can do here and now will
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hopefully be important for future generations. Everything else seems meaningless otherwise. As Greta Thunberg says, it is about listening to the researchers. It's bad when not even the researchers do that, Staffan Lundén points out. When it was time to update the policy, they chose to aim higher than the University of Gothenburg's central goals.
Staffan Lundén says that the policy has been discussed at several workplace meetings and that the staff have been overwhelmingly positive. Personally, he does not think the measures are particularly dramatic.
– IT IS IMPORTANT that a
policy does not become too ambiguous and flexible, but it must also not be too rigid and strict. Flying to Stockholm is not permitted, and trips under 1,000 km require written permission from the head of department. The purpose is to do away with unnecessary travel, says Staffan Lundén He hopes that the policy will be an important planning tool for determining which conferences you can participate in and where you can choose to arrange conferences, based on how accessible the place is by train. For example, for a European network, Munich may be preferable to Sicily or Gothenburg as a meeting place.
– FIRST AND FOREMOST, you should try to replace travel with digital meetings. Secondly, investigate the possibility of travelling by train and thirdly taking a flight. What the pandemic has taught us is
As Greta Thunberg says, it is about listening to the researchers. It's bad when not even the researchers do that. STAFFAN LUNDÉN
that a lot can be accomplished digitally. I myself have participated in several conferences digitally and it has saved a lot of time. Instead of flying, staff are encouraged to take the train. As compensation, it should be possible to book first class and, when required, get paid for an extra hotel night or sleeping car in first class. But the policy also covers short trips within the city. Therefore, the department has purchased Västtrafik cards, Styr & Ställ cards and bicycle helmets.
THE PRINCIPLE is that it should be easy to make decisions about how business trips and meetings should be conducted. One point of the policy is that it is not overly controlling but is based on everyone taking responsibility. – We have borrowed some formulations from SLU, chiefly regarding the so-called decision ladder. It means that you have to think about whether it is even necessary to participate, based on your working hours and the department's resources. The idea is also that students and guest researchers coming to the university should take the train, if possible. Despite the fact that it will be both more expensive and more complicated to book train trips, Staffan Lundén highlights the benefits of travelling. – We need time to recuperate and maybe in the long run we will not be more efficient by rushing around and taking flights. Of course, it is absurd that the train is
more expensive than a flight, but we must accept that if we are to save the climate. The Head of Department, Anneli Palmsköld, points out that sustainability issues are central to the nature of the subject, and that working digitally has been a long-standing habit, as the department is located in two places: Gothenburg and Mariestad. – The follow-up will take place at the performance appraisal. As head of department, it is gratifying that the policy has garnered such overwhelming support among the staff. We are convinced that we can achieve the goals, she says and sends a special thank you to the School of Public Administration, which has shown the way. YLVA NORÉN Bretzer is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Administration, but also works part time as an environmental and sustainability coordinator. She says that the department has worked strategically with environmental and sustainability issues since 2014. The document, which is based on the 2030 Agenda and the University of Gothenburg's Vision 2021–2030, covers all areas, such as research, education, energy, IT, purchasing, travel, and refuse. – We want to show that the School of Public Administration takes sustainability issues very seriously and that we are at the forefront. It is not only self-interest, we also have a great deal of expertise in these matters. Centrally, the university does not actually remember what it has done, so it is important that we, at the departmental level, continue to push these issues, says Ylva Norén Bretzer. The plan has now been updated with respect to air travel. – Trips under 500 km, such as to Stockholm, must always be undertaken by train, and flights further than
Ylva Norén Bretzer points out that it’s not about reducing travel, but about reducing the number of flights.
Trips under 500 km, such as to Stockholm, must always be undertaken by train. YLVA NORÉN BRETZER
1,000 km require the written permission of the head of department. This also applies if you fly from Copenhagen or Oslo, then you will have to take the train. But at the same time, is it not easier for the School of Public Administration that is not as dependent on collaboration with other countries, which the School of Global Studies or the Department of Environmental Economics are, for example? – Yes, most of our empirical data is from within the country's borders, but we
have some researchers who collaborate with Eastern Europe and Latin America and who need to travel. Furthermore, we must ensure that our young researchers can travel and build networks. At an overarching level, there may be departments that need to take more flights, but then perhaps other departments can reduce the amount they fly by 70–80 percent if we are to achieve the climate goals. You need to look at the university as a whole, says Ylva Norén Bretzer. SHE POINTS OUT that it is not
about reducing travel but about reducing the number of flights. The majority of the trips already take place within Europe, and now it is important to get more people to take the train. – In 2018, I went by train to Venice for a conference and it went very smoothly. It was luxurious, as I had my own sleeping compartment; furthermore, I got breakfast in
bed. It is a fairly simple route, but as a large university, we must demand that Egencia step up their game. EVEN THE SMALL things
matter. A few years ago, the School of Public Administration was one of the first at the University of Gothenburg to offer vegetarian food at conferences. Tap water is standard. Furthermore, all employees have received thermos mugs to cut out the use of disposable mugs. She is driven by a desire to make a difference. – It's actually quite fun to be a contrarian, and it’s also exciting to see how you can do things in different ways. I think that sustainability issues are crucial for everyone's future. Not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something, says Ylva Norén Bretzer.
Text: Allan Eriksson Photo: Johan Wingborg GUJOURNAL MARCH 2022
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Live Stretmo points out that networks consist of both women and men.
Women network just like men The Swedish Research Council's survey on gender equality in academia shows that women and men network to about the same extent. And why should it not be so? This is the question posed by Louise von Essen, a Professor at Uppsala University, who believes that women are increasingly following men's recipe for success and forming publication cartels. 6
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ACCORDING TO THE Swedish Research Council's report, women and men are relatively consistent in their assessment of what the success factors in higher education are: scientific merit is the most important, followed by access to networks. When previous studies indicated that women have a lack of access to the second most important success factor, the report's survey shows that 87 percent of women and 91 percent of men have had the opportunity to develop networks.
Louise von Essen, Professor at the Department of Women's and Children's Health at Uppsala University, is not surprised. In recent years, she has seen how women are increasingly doing what men have been doing for a long time – including one another in their publications and forming so-called publication cartels. – You just have to take a look at what publication lists are like. You cannot have an unlimited number of people contributing scientifically to a piece of research. There are
rules, the so-called Vancouver Protocol, which clarify what you must have contributed in order to be included in an article. You must have contributed significantly to the idea, analysis, reporting and a few other things. So how do some people manage to write 20 articles a year? The answer is that they do not really have time at all. FREDRIK BONDESTAM,
Director of the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, sees nothing strange about
You have to have a completely different approach to understand what creates success within academia. FREDRIK BONDESTAM
TODAY, SEVERAL universities
have information about the Vancouver Protocol on their websites. However, the issue of co-publication in cartels, or similar, is not addressed, it briefly states that “women and men essentially have the same opportunities to publish together with their supervisor, in the fields where co-publication is common”. However, women are often more critical of how the authorship system is applied and they also experience slightly less support that encourages publication. Live Stretmo, Senior Lecturer at the Department of
FACTS
Photo: UPPSALA UNIVERSITY
women also forming publication cartels. – It is quite natural that successful strategies will be imitated, all organisational cultures do it. But it is not obvious that it is precisely the networks you yourself have chosen to be part of that will lead to progress. The notion that formal published articles are the most important factor within academia, is a bit naive. It involves much more messy questions: about who knows who, about what the whole tree of dependence and co-dependence looks like. I don't put much faith in these types of network issues and statistics. You have to have a completely different approach to understand what creates success within academia.
– Those who are not involved in publishing cartels are disadvantaged, says Louise von Essen.
Education, Communication and Learning, also thinks that it sounds reasonable that women today network as much as men. – And I think most people are aware that they must include senior associate professors and professors in order for it to result in research funding and so forth. My experience is that these networks consist of both women and men. But according to Louise von Essen, publication cartels are a great injustice in the scientific world. – THE PEOPLE WHO are not
part of that type of network, or who do not want to be part
of it because it goes against good research practice, are much worse off when you look at their track record. Personally, she says that she has enough publications, but that she could have had more. – Intuitively, it bothered me not to follow the Vancouver Protocol. I have never experienced it as a problem, even though occasionally I may not have received a grant due to having too few publications. Basically, she thinks that the number of publications is a useless measure of merit and that major research funders should therefore review how they assess merit – something that she also knows has been initiated. – If, as a researcher, you have 150 publications, it is interesting what you have contributed to all of these, and what benefit they in turn have had in the short and long term. It is only when we delve into these things that we get to grips with how to assess achievements. Text: Lars Nicklason Photo: Johan Wingborg
The Swedish Research Council's report, Hur jämställt är det i högskolan? Kvinnors och mäns förutsättningar att bedriva forskning, is a gender equality study that focuses on women and men who have recently obtained a doctorate. The overall result is that women's and men's careers are essentially developing similarly. The so-called Vancouver Protocol recommends four criteria for authorship, all of which must be met. An author must have: 1. made substantial contributions to the project's idea and design, data collection or analysis, and interpretation of the data 2. written the first draft of the article or revised it critically with regard to important intellectual content 3. finally approved the article for publication 4. agreed to be held accountable for all aspects of the article, by ensuring that issues of accuracy and honesty have been properly investigated and ensured. The protocol adds that a co-author must know which other authors are responsible for the different parts of the study and have confidence that the other authors' contributions are valid.
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New research environment at Kristineberg
THERE HAVE BEEN a lot of changes since the University of Gothenburg took over responsibility for the Kristineberg research station in 2008. Together with the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, the station was part of the SLC for a number of years, the Sven Lovén Center for Marine Sciences, but was threatened with closure when the SLC was wound up. An investigation by Axel Wenblad in early 2017 suggested instead a consortium of five parties: The University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology, the Royal Institute of Technology, the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. This is the proposal that is now being implemented. – These stakeholders are already collaborating, so in
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the short term the change will not be so dramatic, explains Göran Hilmersson, Dean of the Faculty of Science. But the fact that all the vice-chancellors and business representatives for the five participants have now signed an agreement creates a sense of security for the future. However, the University of Gothenburg still owns the infrastructure and holds the lease for the buildings. On the other hand, governance, financing, as well as influence and responsibility must be shared equally between the various stakeholders. Each party pays for its share of the usage of the facility, but if the station were to make a loss, the costs would be shared equally. Kristineberg is special in several ways, Göran Hilmersson points out. – ON THE ONE hand, the research station is located at Gullmarn, which is an unusual environment, almost like an inland sea with specific flora and fauna. It is also one of the world's oldest research stations with measurement data dating back to the 19th century. But with Kristineberg, there is also increased potential for collaboration with SLU, whose research vessel Svea has its home port in Lysekil. In addition, Kristineberg
has several testing facilities and laboratories, as well as facilities for meetings and training. Several projects are already underway, including the use of algae to make new materials, and investment in “blue food” with various products from the sea. Now each of the parties will appoint a representative to attend a joint meeting, which will then appoint a board. – WE ARE NOW in a start-up phase of the operation, and this year, the Department of Marine Sciences will appoint a director for the centre. Getting five stakeholders to agree is not easy, but the fact that it has now finally happened is something that everyone I spoke to is very happy about. The stakeholders have also shown great interest in increasing their involvement in Kristineberg, says Göran Hilmersson. The agreement between the partners is for five years, with the University of Gothenburg acting as the host. The hope is that the centre will strengthen the development of a sustainable economy in the marine area and increase Sweden's appeal and competitiveness. Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Eduardo Infantes
Photo: JOHAN WINGBORG
The Kristineberg Center for Marine Research and Innovation, that is the name of the new initiative where five prominent research stakeholders are involved in jointly operating the research station in Fiskebäckskil. The goal is to become one of Europe's leading research environments in the field of marine research.
FACTS Kristineberg Kristineberg is located in Fiskebäckskil and was founded in 1877 under the name Kristineberg Zoological Station. Up until 2007, the station was run by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in close collaboration with the University of Gothenburg. From 2008–2017, the station was part of the Sven Lovén Center for Marine Sciences, which in 2017 changed its name to the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Infrastructure. Since 2018, the station belongs to the Department of Marine Sciences. According to a new decision, the station will be run and developed jointly by the University of Gothenburg, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, the Royal Institute of Technology, and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), under the name Kristineberg Center for Marine Research and Innovation.
Cooperation on the sleeping pandemic CARe, Center for Antibiotic Resistance Research, broadens and becomes the basis for a common focus area that also includes Chalmers, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Regional Development at VGR. This is the result of an agreement between representatives of academia and healthcare. – This means a very exciting new start for CARe, which will be a matter for Gothenburg rather than just GU, explains Joakim Larsson, director of CARe. FOR SIX YEARS, the UGOT
centers have had funding from the Vice-Chancellor. Now the investment is over and the idea is for the centers to stand on their own feet. This applies, among other things, to CARe, the Center for Research on Antibiotic Resistance, which receives high marks in two recent evaluations, says director Joakim Larsson, professor of environmental pharmacology. – Among other things, the center has participated in 94 research projects, which in total have raised more than SEK 400 million in external funds, and of which 84 percent have been coordinated by CARe. The center has attracted more than 140 master's students and led to 16 doctoral dissertations. We have attracted national and global attention
Joakim Larsson emphasizes the importance of the interdisciplinary breadth that already exists at the center. – But the fact that CARe is now becoming even broader means, of course, many new interesting opportunities, he points out. FREDRIK WESTERLUND, pro-
Illustration: KRISTINA EDGREN
and have been able to influence international policy. Not managing our brand and the intellectual infrastructure built up here would be very unwise, as our future partners agree. IT IS THE collaboration group for the Sahlgrenska Academy, the Faculty of Science, Chalmers, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Regional Development at VGR that has decided to make antibiotic resistance a common focus area, explains Henrik Hagberg, vice dean at Sahlgrenska Academy. – We want to take advantage of the potential at the two universities as well as in healthcare, which provides new opportunities for translational research and clinical studies. Exactly what the collaboration will look like is not yet clear, above all, the financing
A close collaboration, without sharp boundaries between different disciplines, is a strength. JOAKIM LARSSON
of the administrative support has not been resolved. GU has been responsible for this for six years, but both Chalmers and the Västra Götaland region have shown interest in contributing.
fessor of chemical biology at Chalmers, believes that there is much to be gained with the collaboration. – Antibiotic resistance is sometimes called the “sleeping pandemic” and shares problems with the climate crisis: it is a very serious challenge but does not develop as quickly as the covid-19 pandemic, which makes it more difficult to mobilize really strong measures. I have actually been a little jealous of CARe, which has addressed this issue in such a very interdisciplinary way and is really looking forward to our collaboration. Chalmers has a lot to contribute, for example in chemistry, community building, architecture, diagnostics, materials development and of course the AI area. A close collaboration, without sharp boundaries between different disciplines, is a strength, as I see it. According to the coordination group’s decision, the collaboration will start no later than January 2023.
Text: Eva Lundgren GUJOURNAL MARCH 2022
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Wishes for continued s A small sum to be able to keep the director, coordinator and communicator, that is what the UGOT centres want, now that the six-year central support is coming to an end. – We have good financing for our various projects. However, we cannot pay for the small group that holds the business together with external funds, so we need support there, says Kristina Snuttan Sundell, Director of SWEMARC.
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– IF YOU THINK OF the university as one entity, and not as a collection of small units, research that transcends faculty boundaries is important. And a centre is a very good way to do this, instead of cramming everything into faculties and departments, explains Ingmar Skoog, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Centre for Ageing and Health (AgeCap). The centre was established in the spring of 2014, a few years before the major UGOT initiative. – At present, we have about thirty faculty-wide projects underway in collaborations between researchers that would never have met if it were not for the centre. But the advantage of the forma-
concerning the situation of the elderly, and have participated in several media to discuss topics such as, ageism, the pension system, and the concept of “capability”. The centre has also been visited by politicians, says Ingmar Skoog.
Ingmar Skoog
tion of a centre is also that we become a body that can cooperate with the rest of society and that we get exposure in the public discourse. Researchers at AgeCap have, among other things, been invited to various committees and bodies on issues
– AMONG THE slightly more unusual forums in which AgeCap has participated is a play and a TV series about four-year-olds. We have also published some excellent science in a number of areas. Among other things, we are in the process of conducting a new H 70 study on health and well-being in people born between 1952–1953. Forte has contributed the lion's share of the exter-
nal financing for AgeCap. The funds cover research for about one more year. However, Ingmar Skoog points out that it is difficult to use external funds to pay for a director, a coordinator, and a communicator for the coordination of the business. – If we do not receive a small amount of financial support from the University of Gothenburg, we do not know how we will be able to manage the situation.
Illustration: KRISTINA EDGREN
support
KRISTINA SNUTTAN Sundell, Professor of Zoophysiology, is Director of the Swedish Mariculture Research Center (SWEMARC). She says that the centre now comprises about seventy researchers. SWEMARC has also become an important stakeholder in aquaculture, both nationally and in Europe. – Among other things, we act as an advisory body to both companies and authorities, such as the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland, the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. We also provide expertise, for example when it comes to directives for the European Commission. The reason we have become so important is precisely because of our interdisciplinary approach; we have experts in marine biology, oceanography, law, political science, marketing, and design. SWEMARC has also been particularly important when it comes to the increased interest in “blue food”. For instance fish, shellfish, and mussels, but also algae and sea cucumbers. EVEN THOUGH THE centre
Kristina Snuttan Sundell
has support from the Västra Götaland region and draws in a lot of external funds, it is difficult to use these funds to finance the ancillary activities that ties it all together, says Snuttan Sundell. – Of course, we realize that we will not be receiving
Sverker C. Jagers
another SEK 50 million from the vice-chancellor. But a small amount of support of maybe 2–3 million would mean a lot to us. Today, we have an executive group comprising a chairman, a communicator and two coordinators: one for research and one for education. It is this group that plans activities, both within the centre and with the wider community, organizes initiatives to increase knowledge and communicate externally, and supports both researchers and authorities in a variety of contexts. It is of course possible to make savings, but there is a critical point at which the business will no longer be able to function. SVERKER C. JAGERS, Pro-
fessor of Political Science, is Director of the Centre for Collective Action Research (CeCAR). He points out that it takes time to build up interdisciplinary collaboration, and that it is only after a few years that the really interesting results start to emerge. – But CeCAR has really found its place. We have received money from VR, Forte and Mistra, among others, and our researchers have initiated strategic collaboration with, for example, the UN Development Programme Ï GUJOURNAL MARCH 2022
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News pesticides has to adapt to European regulations. However, that is not the case for fruit for domestic use, which is an example of the importance of international rules. FRAM therefore cooperates with the Swedish Chemicals Agency and the corresponding bodies within the EU and the OECD. Among other things, we have developed a "mixture assessment factor" (MAF), a practical tool for estimating the risks of chemical mixing. The European Commission is now proposing that MAF be used as an instrument for future chemical management. ONE PROBLEM THAT FRAM Thomas Backhaus
and the World Bank. It would never have happened without the centre. We also recently learned that one of our articles has been accepted by the prestigious journal Nature Climate Change, which is quite unusual for social scientists. CeCAR has external funding for several years to come, Sverker C. Jagers points out. – We can afford our annual summer conference and we have also set aside funds for our doctoral students to complete their studies. But we need additional funds for the small group that holds the business together. SVERKER C. JAGERS envisages three possible future scenarios: – What we are hoping is that we get a small amount of funding of a couple of million so that we can continue operations as well as afford some guest researchers, for example. The second scenario would involve even less funding, but which nevertheless would provide an opportunity for some seminars as well as our winter workshop and summer conference. The third scenario, no funding at all, would mean that CeCAR is transformed into a non-profit network only.
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– A network without an organisation, however, risks falling apart. Given all the work that has been put into the UGOT initiative, which has subsequently become so successful, it would be a great waste not to take advantage of all the networks and all the knowledge that we have built up. THOMAS BACKHAUS, Professor
of Ecotoxicology and Director of the Centre for Future Chemical Risk Assessment and Management Strategies (FRAM). – The impact of chemicals on the environment is complex. For example, chemical mixtures can be toxic even if the ingredients are not. FRAM's mission is to balance our need for chemicals with consideration for the environment. These are complicated issues that we could hardly have worked on without the formation of an interdisciplinary centre. Among the ongoing studies is one on chemical management in Sweden, Chile, and Kenya, where three different ecosystems in three different communities are compared. – Chile is also interesting because the country exports fruit to Europe, and the use of
addresses is that researchers and decision-makers rarely speak the same language, Thomas Backhaus states. – We would need an IPCC for chemical management, where researchers and politicians could meet. Some colleagues and I wrote an article about this that was published in the prestigious journal Science. FRAM has funds for continued operations throughout 2022. What happens next, however, is unclear, says Thomas Backhaus. – We need a modest amount of funding to keep the centre together. I hope and believe that there is an interest in contributing, both at the faculty and at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences.
“AN EXTREMELY impressive research centre with a significant international reputation and the potential to become a world leader” is one of the assessments of the Centre for Critical Cultural Heritage Studies (CCHS) in a recent evaluation. It also highlights an impressive level of productivity in terms of grant applications, publications, and public engagement. In addition to interdisciplinary collaboration with several of the University of Gothenburg's faculties, the
centre also collaborates with University College London, which is represented on the board of CCHS. The Heritage Academy, a collaborative project between the University of Gothenburg and cultural heritage institutions in the Västra Götaland region, is also part of CCHS. – OUR PLAN IS of course to
continue to go forward, such a successful venture cannot just be abandoned, explains the Director, Ola Wetterberg, Professor of Conservation. The centre has several broad research areas, including cultural heritage in relation to health, the city and refuse. We also have a lot of external activities, for example in collaboration with the Museum of World Culture. But we also have activities in various social media.
Ola Wetterberg points out that CCHS has funding for this year and next year. But like other UGOT centres, they need a little supplemental funding. – The funds that the University of Gothenburg has invested in CCHS have given a good return: we have created great value for various cultural heritage institutions and have also worked with several authorities. Therefore, we are hoping for some kind of continued support. That CCHS might close down does not, however, enter into my thinking; in some way we will succeed in financing the business, although it is still unclear how. Eva Lundgren
No central support from the University – The UGOT centres have done an impressive job and much of what is going on within the initiative will continue to develop. But there will be no additional central funds. These were Vice-Chancellor’s, Eva Wiberg, comments about the UGOT Challenges, whose six-year funding is now coming to an end. Photo: JOHAN WINGBORG
THE UGOT CHALLENGES initiative
began as a response to the fact that the University of Gothenburg received such a small share of the major research investments about fifteen years ago, for example the Swedish Research Council's Linnaeus Grants and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research’s strategic centre. It was also about using the university's retained capital in an innovative way, Eva Wiberg explains. – It was a historic investment and a way to create greater interdisciplinary collaboration to contribute to the immense societal challenges we face. The centres now have an established structure and have raised a lot of money. But investments in the formation of centres are usually time limited, and in the case of UGOT, it was clear from the outset that the funding would only cover the first six years. Carina Mallard, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, explains that the UGOT centres have been discussed in the Research Board and that it was concluded that there will be no further funding. She also refers to the fact that the government has commissioned the research funders to develop a new model for research funding, and that that work is not yet complete.
Vice-Chancellor Eva Wiberg says that the centres need to stand on their own feet.
It was clear from the outset that the funding would only cover the first six years. EVA WIBERG
– We are awaiting the research funders' report, Uppdrag att vidareutveckla en modell för kvalitetsbaserad fördelning av forskningsanslag (Assignment to further develop a model for quality-based distribution of research grants), i.e., an investment in profile areas, which also includes interdisciplinarity. EVA WIBERG ALSO believes that the centres may need to look at different models for financing administrative support, for example joining forces to reduce costs. – The formation of centres can be a good way to handle interdiscipli-
narity. But since the employees are employed by a department, there is also a risk of additional administrative work and other difficulties. How the formation of centres should best be organized is another question that the Research Board will examine. Perhaps the national centres, such as Nordicom and the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, can serve as role models. HOWEVER, Eva Wiberg emphasizes that the UGOT centres have been very successful in taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to them. – I am sure that operations will continue and develop further. At several centres, a generational change is also underway, which creates new opportunities. UGOT Challenges has led to impressive activities that the University of Gothenburg has reason to be proud of. But now it is time for them to stand on their own two feet.
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News
Fractions can strengthen a party We need to present a united front. This seems to be the reasoning of most political parties, particularly during an election year. But is it true that dissenting groups and factions are harmful to a party? In order to find out, political scientist Ann-Kristin Kölln has received SEK 15 million in an ERC Starting Grant. EVEN THOUGH MOST political
parties have factions that hold ideas that differ somewhat from the party line, this is a field for which research has shown almost no interest at all. There is not even a proper definition of what is meant by a faction within politics, explains Ann-Kristin Kölln, Associate Professor of Political Science. – But you could say that it involves a group that is ideologically different from the main party line on one or more issues, but not to the extent that they try to start a party of their own. One Swedish example is the so called “Stureplan” faction of the Centre Party. The general view is that factions lead to discord and conflict within the party, which creates mistrust among the electorate. However, my hypothesis is that this is not necessarily true, instead factions may be good for a party, as long as everyone still has the same overarching goal.
THE EXTENT TO which
differences of opinion will strengthen or weaken a party
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may depend on the size of the party, Ann-Kristin Kölln argues. – My hypothesis is that factions may be beneficial in big tent parties that are engaged in many different issues. In such cases, factions may help develop the politics and also attract floating voters. Furthermore, perhaps a rightwing faction in a left-wing party can have negotiations with a left-wing faction in a right-wing party, and thus speed up a compromise. Small and niche parties on the other hand, that focus on a specific issue, will probably not be able to tolerate any great differences of opinion without appearing divided. ANN-KRISTIN KÖLLN has now received the prestigious ERC Starting Grant to investigate a really extensive area: it concerns factions in parliamentary parties across all 27 EU member states, as well as Great Britain. In addition, she will look at three countries in particular detail: Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. – The reason I have selected these specific examples is because there is unusually good archived material to research. But the countries also represent three different electoral systems, which it will be interesting to compare. The United Kingdom has a single member plurality system, or first-past-the post, which means that the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins the mandate.
– In the UK, a candidate can become prominent by having a dissenting opinion on an issue that is important in his/her own constituency, and thus win votes that the party would not otherwise have received. THE NETHERLANDS has a
proportional representation electoral system in which the parties, unlike in the United Kingdom, control who stands in the election. – This of course makes it more difficult for individual party candidates who have a slightly different opinion than the party leader to make a name for themselves. On the other hand, there is no impediment for small parties, which has led to a diversity of parties pursuing their own issues. In the 2017 election, as many as 17 parties entered parliament. Germany is interesting because the electoral system there is something of a middle ground between the British and the Dutch systems. Each voter has two votes, one for a single member constituency where you vote for one person, and one is a plurality vote where you vote for a party. There is also a 5 percent threshold for a party to enter the Bundestag.
SO WHAT DO THE citizens who are going to vote think? There are two main theories, says Ann-Kristin Kölln. – According to one theory, you simply vote for the party that best represents your views. But according to the
My hypothesis is that factions may be beneficial in parties with a wide range of opinions that are involved in many different issues. In such instances, factions may help develop politics and also attract floating voters. ANN-KRISTIN KÖLLN
second view, people vote for the party that seems most credible, with the most competent party leader. Regardless of which theory is correct, my hypothesis of factions fits into both ways of thinking. The fact that Ann-Kristin Kölln has now received an ERC Starting Grant means a lot to her. – The European Commission uses the term “high risk-high gain” to explain the purpose of the initiative: only by daring to take big risks can you achieve truly groundbreaking results. And starting a project that goes against the accepted general perception, I probably would not have done that if I had not received such generous funding. But I would not have got this far without all the help from the Grants and Innovation Office, especially Meike Froitzheim, who has been fantastic. Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Johan Wingborg
FACTS
Ann-Kristin Kölln has received the prestigious ERC Starting Grant for the INTRAPARTY project, where she will investigate the impact of political factions.
The INTRAPARTY project will develop a new methodological approach to identifying factions within political parties. The factions within the parties of the 27 EU countries and the United Kingdom will be identified, and data from the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom will be examined in more detail. The head of the project is political scientist Ann-Kristin Kölln. The ERC Starting Grant is given to young promising researchers with pioneering research ideas and strong potential to become one of the research leaders of the future.
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Profile
In search of a sustainable vaccine Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Johan Wingborg
– I'm the first person in the entire world to do this! That thought could strike me when, as a doctoral student, I stood in the lab and conducted experiments. Just doing something new and unknown is one of the reasons why it is such fun to be a researcher. These are the words of Davide Angeletti, Associate Professor at the Institute of Biomedicine. He has recently become a Wallenberg Academy Fellow and is working in an extremely topical area – with flu vaccines. 16
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Davide Angeletti Currently: Wallenberg Academy Fellow, which entails research funding for five years, with the possibility of another five years of funding. Background: Grew up in Milan, university studies at San Raffaele, Master's degree and Doctoral degree at Karolinska Institutet, Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Health, employed since 2018 at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine. Family: Wife, Aishe Angeletti Sarshad, Associate Senior Lecturer at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and a six-year-old daughter Mia. Lives in: Mölndal. Hobbies: Skiing, going for walks in and around his summer cottage in Småland, cooking (Italian and Asian food), eating out, travelling, films.
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News PROFILE
he proteins found on the surface of an influ-
enza vaccine are called haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, Davide Angeletti explains. We meet him at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, at the top of the biomedical high-rise building on Medicinareberget, where he draws on a whiteboard in an attempt to explain. – It is haemagglutinin that is used in our flu vaccines; the body receives a small dose of the protein so that the immune system will recognize the virus strains. B-cells, a type of white blood cell, are then formed which produce antibodies and block the virus from passing on the infection. For some reason, however, only a part of the protein, which is located at the top of the haemagglutinin, is affected. – Why that is the case, we do not know. Maybe there are simply not that many B cells further down on the haemagglutinin, or it is more difficult for the vaccine to get there. Unfortunately, it is the top of the haemagglutinin that mutates the fastest, which is why a flu vaccine does not work for very long, but must be readministered every autumn. If we could come up with a way to affect the lower parts of the virus, which are more stable and do not mutate as often, we could create a vaccine that lasts much longer. Of course, it would be even better if you just had to take a flu vaccine once to be immune for the rest of your life.
The T cells, another type of white blood cell, can also
learn to recognize parts of a virus and defend the body. Perhaps it is also possible to influence the other influenza protein, neuraminidase, says Davide Angeletti. – One difficulty with researching influenza is that it is a disease that, in principle, everyone has had at some time, except small children. Studies regarding how a vaccine affects a person who has previously had the disease compared to someone who has never had it, are therefore not really possible to carry out. From a purely scientific point of view, therefore, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is interesting: Here we have the
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If we could come up with a way to affect the lower parts of the virus, which are more stable and do not mutate as often, we could create a vaccine that lasts much longer. DAVIDE ANGELETTI
opportunity to investigate how different vaccines work and compare people who have had the disease with those who have not. This is the reason for a newly started project where Davide Angeletti and his team are collaborating with teams at the Institute of Biomedicine and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, who are researching SARS-CoV-2.
– It involves trying to understand how long patients who have had Covid-19 retain their immunity. To do this, we examine blood samples from Covid patients. This provides new knowledge to us as influenza researchers while also enabling Covid researchers to avail of the much more extensive research we have on influenza. The vaccines that are now available for Covid-19 are basically based on research on vaccines against other viruses that has been going on for several decades. Even if the research did not lead to an HIV vaccine, for example, it has nevertheless provided an enormous amount of knowledge about the immune system and led to several new technical methods. – It is really fantastic how rapidly medicine has advanced. Ten years ago, for example, it would have taken at least six months to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 virus, now it took just one month! Perhaps all this knowledge could also be important in terms of other diseases, such as malaria, Davide Angeletti hopes. – That was the disease I studied when I was a
doctoral student at Karolinska Institutet. Malaria is a very serious disease where the only vaccine available does not provide more than about 30 percent protection. But perhaps all the research that is going on right now can be important there as well. Davide Angeletti grew up in Milan where his father was self-employed, and his mother was a housewife. In upper-secondary school, he initially thought about becoming an engineer. – But then my school had a visit from a researcher, who in a very animated way told us about a laboratory discovery that eventually led to a completely new drug. That affected me deeply, so I applied to the University of San Raffaele where I took my undergraduate degree in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology. The fact that Davide Angeletti then completed his master's studies at Karolinska Institutet was mostly due to a coincidence.
– I had to choose between Stockholm, London, and Amsterdam, but since the educational programme at KI was more general and I thought it was too early to specialize, I applied to KI. It was also at Karolinska Institutet that he met Aishe, whom he later married. In 2014, after completing their PhDs, they each obtained a four-year postdoctoral position at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Washington D.C. – Being a researcher at one of the major universities in the US is incredibly rewarding. The teams are large and dynamic, there is plenty of money and the development opportunities are fantastic. But when our daughter was born in 2015, we realized that combining family life and research was not so easy in the United States. Aishe was able to take three months paternity leave and I took one month. My mother also came to help out for a while. But when our daughter was six months old, she had to start preschool. We tried to work shifts, so that she would not have to spend too long in preschool, but it was not easy combining a job and family life.
However, it was in the United States that Davide rediscovered an interest he had had as a child. – I have always enjoyed sports and ran 100, 200 and 400 metres. As an 18-year-old, I actually came fifth in the 100 metres in the Italian Junior Championships. But I also loved skiing, something I gave up as a 16-year-old. In the US, however, I rediscovered skiing and if it had not been for the pandemic, I would be on a ski slope in Colorado right now. There you don’t have to stick to a particular piste, you can ski where you want and it is really wonderful.
In 2018, after their postdoctoral positions at NIH, Davide and Aishe got jobs at the University of Gothenburg. – Of course, Karolinska Institutet is great, but more impersonal, where each team takes care of itself. Here in Gothenburg, we are like a family, we cooperate and support each other. Furthermore, Aishe has family in Falkenberg and Borås so obviously, it’s great to be close to them. The University of Gothenburg also provides very good support, such as from the Grants and Innovation Office, Davide Angeletti points out. – This has resulted in me receiving several grants, including two from the Swedish Research Council, and to me receiving an ERC Starting Grant in 2019. The fact that I have now become a Wallenberg Fellow entails financing for five years, with the possibility of continued financing for another five years, which means that I can invest in more risky and unexpected projects. Moreover, I will have opportunities for new collaborations, both nationally and internationally. As an upper-secondary school student in Milan, Davide Angeletti dreamed of becoming a really great researcher who might cure cancer or do something else equally important. – Today I’m more humble. Instead, I hope to be able to make a contribution to the tremendous knowledge that all researchers around the world are working on. Even if it's just a small contribution, it's a big deal to me. GUJOURNAL MARCH 2022
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Report
Book about capable elderly “Capability” is a key concept within UGOT AgeCap, the Centre for Ageing and Health. But what does it really mean? A recent anthology shows that the answers can vary quite a lot depending on your discipline and scientific perspective. As many as 60 authors have contributed to the book, which was already downloaded 4,800 times in the week following publication. Work on the anthology, A multidis-
ciplinary approach to capability in age and ageing began in 2017 during one of AgeCap's steering group meetings. – We discussed how the term “capability” is sometimes used quite carelessly, and to achieve a more precise definition, we wanted to get the centre's research-
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ers to think about how they define and apply the term in their research. During the discussions that followed, it emerged that different disciplines define capability in different ways. This led to the idea of an anthology, and we canvassed widely throughout AgeCap to get as many perspectives as possible, Hanna Falk Erhag tells us. Together with Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson, Ingmar Skoog and Therese Rydberg Sterner, she is one of the editors of the anthology. – The more we examined the concept of “capability”, the more interesting it became, Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson continues. And for me, it was something of a revelation when I realized that “capability” is exactly what we historians have always dealt with, examining how people during different periods of history handled opportunities and limitations. The book is like a kaleidoscope of how different disciplines view the concept, says Ingmar Skoog.
– It provides a picture both of the multidisciplinary diversity that characterizes AgeCap, and of what a university with a broad scope can achieve when researchers from different fields work together.
The anthology also goes against the publishing tradition that exists in research to some extent, where interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary researchers have a difficult time finding a place, says Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson. – Even in the humanities, short articles in niche journals have become increasingly common. But with this publication, we have struck a blow for the book, which is a much older way of publishing. In order to make the book widely available, it can be downloaded for free from the website of the publisher, Springer. The book consists of 16 chapters and as many as 60 researchers contributed. The topics covered include health, cognition and well-being, functional ability,
discourse, this is perhaps particularly important to emphasize. Universities are expected to produce both knowledge and qualified students as quickly as possible. This means that unconditional and scientific discourse is increasingly overshadowed. It is especially noticeable in the articles published within medicine; in the past, they often began with a comprehensive discussion or a background description, but there is rarely room for that today. We therefore hope that this multidisciplinary anthology will be of interest to both researchers and students within a broad field. But we also believe that the wider public can benefit from it. Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Johan Wingborg
Facts The anthology, A multidisciplinary approach to capability in age and ageing is based on research at the Centre for Ageing and Health (AgeCap) and is part of Springer Publishing's series on international perspectives on ageing. The book comprises 16 chapters including, neuropsychiatric epidemiology, psychology, sociology, health and care sciences, history, law, journalism, political science and neurochemistry.
the pension system, political participation, design, the degree of exposure the elderly receive in the media, and questions about Alzheimer's disease.
– We have spent a lot of time reading and constructively criticizing each other's texts, Hanna Falk Erhag explains. The differences in the different publishing traditions in different fields of science became very apparent during our work. At first, we thought we should agree on a common style of writing, but we decided pretty early on that we should acknowledge the differences instead. This is the reason why, for example, the article on cognition and well-being has as many as 16 authors, while Dimitrios Kokkinakis is the sole author of his text on the Swedish language. One important insight is that the world can be perceived in a number of different ways and that it is not dangerous to disagree, Ingmar Skoog points out. – In today's atmosphere of polarized
We therefore hope that this multidisciplinary anthology will be of interest to both researchers and students within a broad field. INGMAR SKOOG
The editors are Hanna Falk Erhag, Associate Professor of Health and Care Sciences, Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson, Senior Lecturer in History and Associate Professor of Church History, Therese Rydberg Sterner, Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychiatric Epidemiology (parental leave), and Ingmar Skoog, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of AgeCap. You can download the book here: https:// www.academia.edu/68304436/Book_ AMultidisciplinaryApproachToCa. The concept of "capability" refers to a person's ability to achieve the goals that he or she considers important. At the micro level, it could be one's own health; at the intermediary level, it could involve the conditions for continuing to live at home, and at the macro level, it could be legislation and the media's depiction of the elderly, for example. GUJOURNAL MARCH 2022
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People
Games as a form of art He is the gaming enthusiast from Colombia who became a psychologist to understand why people so frequently act irrationally. Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz is now a Doctor of Learning Sciences and since last autumn a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Applied Information Technology. However, he has not become that much wiser about people's lack of rationality, he says. The Patricia building on Lindholmen, where the Department of Applied Information Technology is located, stands empty. The students are conspicuous by their absence. His colleagues as well. The pandemic is palpable in a number of ways, not least when it comes to the part of the job for which Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz is especially passionate, namely teaching. – I love teaching. I use my whole body when I lecture, and I am anxious to convey a story. And that aspect is much harder and more tedious when you are sitting in front of a screen, he says when we take the stairs up to his study. His hair, which is dyed pink and blue, boasts a graphic chequered pattern. He also sees his hairstyle as a way to reach out and increase the commitment of his students. – But it also helps when I have to create a name for myself on YouTube. Although Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz is a Doctor of Learning Sciences, very similar to pedagogy, he definitely does not see the university as the only obvious arena for his teaching. On his own YouTube channel Dr KryoDrage publishes films about how learning in association with computer gaming can work. – I work quite a lot in that way; I talk
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about things that many people, me included, like to do, such as gaming, and I use it as a tool to explain how the brain works. Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz began his journey in the university world by completing a five-year psychology programme at the University of Antioquia, the same university his parents attended, which is located in his hometown of Medellin in Colombia. His mother was a microbiologist, and in the laboratory where she worked, he had an outlet for his curiosity and joy of discovery through constant experimentation. – It was my curiosity that drew me to research and research is still my strongest driving force. I want to understand how things are connected.
People often act in a way that is neither rational nor good, neither for themselves nor for humanity. CARLOS MAURICIO CASTANO DÍAZ
And it was precisely his desire to un-
derstand more about the outside world and his fellow human beings that was the main reason for him deciding to apply for the psychology programme. He says that as a young man he had an extremely difficult time understanding why people so often behave in the way that they do.
– People often act in a way that is neither rational nor good, neither for themselves nor for humanity. To understand this better, I felt the need to learn more about how human beings work. However, his psychology studies did not lead to work in clinical practice. Instead, he wanted to increase his
knowledge and looked for a master’s programme that could offer the subjects he was passionate about and where it was possible to get full funding as a scholarship student. He chose the University of Copenhagen, the only university where both of his criteria were met. He based his Master's thesis on a study in which he designed a tool for analysing cognitive requirements in computer games. A project which, among other things, was based on developing a game for learning environments and which can be used in both a digital and physical format.
– I have always been a gamer and consider games to be an art. Computer games have a clear narrative and provide an experience that both evokes emotions and makes us reflect on ourselves. But computer games are also a phenomenon where different art forms meet and create something new. It was during the work on his master’s thesis that Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz became obsessed with teaching, and realized how important it is for researchers to share their knowledge. – Research is totally useless if it only stays within the research world. Open research, accessible to all, is central to us being able to improve society together. He elaborates on the danger of researchers who only want to talk to their colleagues, and how there is a tendency among some academics to only discuss issues with people who have the same status or level of knowledge as they have. – Why do they want to compete instead of making society better? After completing his master’s degree, Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz continued his journey through Europe. This time to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich for doctoral studies and a project that compared the different cognitive
Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz Born: In 1985 in Medellin, Colombia. Profession: Media psychologist and senior lecturer at the Department of Applied Information Technology. Research areas: media psychology and cognitive processes involving computer games, as well as different kinds of media phenomena from a cognitive perspective. Lives in: Mölndal. Hobbies: Computer games, knitting, crocheting, cooking and archery.
abilities used in the two computer games Dota 2 and League Of Legends. After about three years, he became a Doctor of Learning Sciences. In addition to computer games, communication and cognition, his current focus areas are media psychology and studies of internet phenomena such as memes and creepy pasta, but also games as an art form. But unfortunately, he has not become much wiser about human behaviour as the years have gone by, he states. – I have never been a good psychologist. My friends always joked about it, because I'm so bad at reading people and trying to interpret their facial expressions. But over the years, I have come to understand that it is because I have Asperger syndrome.
After working at Aarhus University for a time, he was told about a position at the University of Gothenburg. He took the chance and applied – despite the fact that the only connection he had with Sweden was through ABBA. – I love ABBA. I listened to all their music when I was growing up. But only in Spanish, they recorded the songs in many different languages. I can still only hear the Spanish lyrics in my head, he says and smiles. Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz now lives in Mölndal, his husband is still at home in Denmark, and he longs for the Swedish summer. – I am really looking forward to experiencing the summer and to travelling along the coast. It is very beautiful here now, with the harbour and the sea. But this summer it will probably be even nicer. Text: Hanna Jedvik Photo: Johan Wingborg
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Report
The rock type is called nepheline syenite and Axel Sjöqvist was the first to carry out a proper analysis of the stone using modern methods.
Investigation of unique geological find In Norra Kärr outside Gränna is the world's fourth largest deposit of heavy rare earth metals. The find is unique because it contains unusually high levels of the most sought-after metals and almost completely lacks radioactive substances. – Without rare earth metals, there will be no green transition, Axel Sjöqvist states. In December, he defended his thesis, which was about this geological find.
On a shelf in his study, he has a large
rock with green and pink stripes. The rock type is called nepheline syenite and Axel Sjöqvist was the first to carry out a proper analysis of the stone using modern methods. – The rock is 1.5 billion years old and unlike most other rocks, it does not contain quartz. It is also rare; there are only about a hundred sites in the entire world, and in Sweden only the one in Norra Kärr. Because the site where the candy-striped rock was found, is close to Gränna, it is sometimes called grännait. But I don't think that's appropriate because it could be confused with granite. Rare earth metals comprise a group of 17 elements, of which 16 occur naturally.
However, despite the name, they are not very rare but are found almost everywhere in the earth's crust, Axel Sjöqvist explains. – On the other hand, it is rare to find them in sufficiently high concentrations to make it profitable to mine them. The metals are also often found together with radioactive substances, such as uranium and thorium, which makes mining both expensive and difficult. But the find in Norra Kärr contains almost no radioactive substances and will therefore be particularly interesting to extract. It was in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that scientists began to discover the rare earth metals. A large number of the elements were actually discovered
In order to manage the green transition, we must therefore find new deposits, not only of rare earth metals, but also of cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel, for example. AXEL SJÖQVIST
an ordinary car and a wind farm on land requires 9 times as much metal as an equivalent gasworks. In order to manage the green transition, we must therefore find new deposits, not only of rare earth metals, but also of cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel, for example. One way to reduce the shortage of metals is to increase the degree of recycling, Axel Sjöqvist points out.
by Swedes. But it was only recently, with modern technological development, that the rare earth metals have begun to be considered important, says Axel Sjöqvist.
– The elements have different properties that make them useful in a variety of different ways. They are used in monitors, laser beams, special glass, camera lenses, catalytic converters, batteries, and nuclear fuel rods, but also in cancer treatment as well as in X-ray and bone density equipment used for diagnostics. Most notable, however, is their use in the world's most powerful permanent magnets. Because the magnets are so strong, they can be made very small and put into headphones or mobile phone speakers, for example. But they can also be used in generators and electric motors to create more efficient wind turbines and electric cars that can be driven longer distances. Technology development was previously fossil dependent. Now, it's dependent on metal instead, Axel Sjöqvist explains. – Manufacturing an electric car requires 6 times as much minerals as making
– At present, practically nothing is recycled when it comes to rare earth metals, which of course is due to the fact that there are not yet that many electric cars or wind turbines to reuse. In the future, however, I believe that recycling will be important, not least because recycled metals are already separated, which of course they are not in nature. The EU is a world leader in the production of wind turbines, but there is no production of rare earth metals here. Instead, the EU imports them from China, which is the world's largest producer of rare earth metals. It is problematic for several reasons, says Axel Sjöqvist. – On the one hand, production in China entails considerable risks both for the environment and for human health. But it is also worrying that the EU's Sustainable Development Goals, which include wind turbines and electric cars, are completely dependent on China. Consequently, the rare earth metals are now on the EU's list of raw materials that risk becoming scarce. There are large deposits of rare earth metals in places other than China. One of the world's largest deposits is in Greenland. However, it contains high levels of uranium and thorium. – That is the reason why it will not be extracted. The Greenlandic parliament has in fact adopted a law that prohibits uranium mining and exploration for other metals in rocks with more than 100 ppm of uranium. Opening a mine is a lengthy process. It involves obtaining an exploration permit
and mining licence from the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden, as well as an environmental permit from the Land and Environment Court, which can take many years. Mining also often gives rise to environmental protests. This has happened in Norra Kärr, for example, where there is concern that Lake Vättern will be contaminated by mining operations, says Axel Sjöqvist.
– However, it is a bit of a contradiction
to be in favour of a green transition at the same time as you are opposed to mining the minerals that will make such a transition possible. If the EU is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals it has set, it is also imperative to find new deposits of both rare earth metals and a number of other metals. To be able to do that in a good way will require increased knowledge, and I hope that my dissertation will contribute to that.
Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Johan Wingborg
Facts Axel Sjöqvist, Department of Earth Sciences, defended his thesis on December 10, 2021 entitled Ample Rare Elements: A Geochemical Anomaly in the Earth’s Crust at Norra Kärr. Rare earth metals are a group that includes 17 elements: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, and y ttrium. Norra Kärr is ranked one of the most interesting sites in Europe, partly due to the high levels of heavy rare earth metals, which are the most sought after, and partly due to very low uranium and thorium levels. Swedish researchers are behind the discovery of most of the rare earth metals. In 1794, the chemist Johan Gadolin found a new substance in a mineral from Ytterby outside Stockholm, which he named y ttrium. Another seven elements were later discovered in the same area and, in addition to yttrium, ytterbium, terbium and erbium, were also named after the site. Furthermore, holmium is named after Stockholm and scandium and thulium after Scandinavia. In 1803, Jöns Jacob Berzelius, together with the chemist Wilhelm Hisinger, also discovered the element cerium in the mineral cerite from the Bastnäs mine in Bergslagen. Further investigations led to even more discoveries, including lant hanum, neodymium, and praseodymium.
Photo: JOHAN WINGBORG
Snapshot Where? Who? When?
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Auditorium, the university’s main building, Vasaparken. Stefan Löfven, former Prime Minister, and the Arthem Roma theatre. The event, Samling för demokrati (Gathering for Democracy), Thursday January 27, 2022.
Short description – I want to see it as my life's ambition to stand up for human dignity and democracy, said Stefan Löfven at the event Gathering for Democracy. He also stood up during the performance of the Roma national anthem Gelem, gelem (I walked and walked), performed by the Arthem Roma theater. Initially, Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor, Fredrika Lagergren Wahlin, spoke about the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression at a time when anti-democratic forces are
aining ground, not least on social g media. In addition to several speeches, there were also musical performances. The event Gathering for Democracy has been held in Gothenburg since 2000. January 27 is the international day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust because it was this date in 1945 that the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated.
