NO 2 | APRIL 2015
Team player at all levels For Marie Lagerquist, research is all about working together GU CLOSE THE TARGET
EXCESSIVE CENTRALISATION
UGOT CHALLENGES
More women promoted
The University victim of global trends
Twelve projects proceed
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Vice Chancellor
Higher education is an investment for the society
A MAGAZINE FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF GOTHENBURG
April E D I TO R - I N C H I E F A N D P U B L I S H E R
Allan Eriksson 031 - 786 10 21 allan.eriksson@gu.se E D I TO R A N D V I C E P U B L I S H E R
T H E R E I S A G R E AT D E A L of discussion nowadays concerning the value of higher education. On the one hand, both the present-day importance of knowledge in society, as well as in a future society, is being emphasised along with the need for a broader participation and lifelong learning. We see this not least from our new Minister for Higher Education and Research, Helene Hellmark Knutsson. On the other hand, there are those who would rather write and talk about today’s students lacking literacy skills, that the Pisa collapse has now reached even the university, and that students should not make their choices based on their personal interests but rather in accord with what is best for today’s job market. An editorial in the Göteborgs-Posten recently said moreover that students in general do not take their studies seriously because they are perceived as being free of charge. Adding that this is something that could change if tuition and fees were charged for university education.
of knowledge for the individual and for the society at large is an important social responsibility. Higher education should be available to anyone who wants it and has the motivation to learn, irrespective of personal social and economic background. To actually broaden the recruitment base for universities and other institutions of higher education will require some serious effort, but it is important here to keep in mind that it is an investment, not a cost to society. If we are serious about that higher education should be an option for everyone, the introduction of general tuition fees is not the solution. Instead of broadening participation, this would certainly risk adding to the increasing social bias in recruitment to higher education that we see today. In a society that aims to PROT EC TI N G T H E VA LU E
PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
combat social exclusion, alienation, and segregation, education is a key factor. And with this I obviously mean not just higher education. All children have a right to a basic education and it is especially important is that they learn to be able to read and write. Without being able to read and write, it is impossible to acquire second subject knowledge and eventually go on to studies at an institution of higher education. Functional language capabilities is the tool that every citizen needs in order to understand the context and to be able to participate in a democratic society. Higher education gives students the requisite tools needed to shape and develop the society of the future – a critical approach, analytical skills, and the ability to put knowledge into a context. development requires many different skills. In order to be better prepared to to address global societal challenges such as climate change and environmental threats, segregation, violent extremism, declining school performance, limited freedom of speech and freedom of the press, or anything else, it is not sufficient that subjects such as engineering, medicine and economics are learned. In order to create cohesion and integrity in the solutions, the humanities, arts and social sciences must also be included. It is my hope that the national government sticks to its plan to continue to invest in higher education while simultaneously allowing the humanities, arts and social sciences to maintain their place in order to create breadth and diversity. A S U STA I N A B LE
FRO M T H E S I D E of the employers, it is quite often argued that universities and other institutions of higher education find it difficult to match the needs of the labour market. Here, I think we as a university can do better to illustrate how even though on paper a particular student may not have the precise education or skills that is in demand, they may very well be just the person who is needed. Together with employers, we must be on our toes and try to understand what will become tomorrow’s needs. In order to be open for lifelong learning, not the least for individuals who come from other countries with different educational systems, it is important that the society gets better at validating knowledge. Yes, there are many aspects of higher education. Above all, it is an investment for the future.
Eva Lundgren 031 - 786 10 81 eva.lundgren@gu.se P H OTO G R A P H Y A N D R E P R O D U C T I O N
Johan Wingborg 031 - 786 29 29 johan.wingborg@gu.se G R A P H I C F O R M A N D L AYO U T
Anders Eurén 031 - 786 43 81 anders.euren@gu.se
T R A N S L AT I O N
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GU Journal University of Gothenburg Box 100, 405 30 Gothenburg E-MAIL
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Marie Lagerquist Photo: Johan Wingborg
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Contents
GUJOURNAL 2 | 2015
3
FROM THE VICE CHANCELLOR
2 Allow the humanities, fine arts and social sciences to have more space. NEWS
4 Special efforts devoted to female teachers have led to more women professors. 5 Those at male faculties are paid best. 6 GU is switching to electronic voting in the spring election. 7 More travel by air may aggravate the climate situation. CONVERSATION WITH 14 Increased centralisation is the wrong way to go, in the opinion of Czarniawska. PROFILE 10 Playing football strengthens the legs, explains Marie Lagerquist. NEWS 13 Twelve projects proceed further in UGOT Challenges.
10 Football and research Marie Lagerquist has two major interests.
REPORT 14 GU’s skeleton finds on Gotland are here.
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16 Anne Hormes misses the winter on Svalbard. IN THE END 17 European students invite the Prime Minister.
Resist global trends
14
Skulls and bones
We need to have a critical perspective, says Barbara Czarniawska.
Macabre find in a storage room.
16 UGOT Challenges
Nine years on Svalbard Anne Hormes misses the moonlight nights.
Here are the finalists.
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Editors: Protect an independent student newspaper! W H AT I S G O I N G TO H A PPE N with Götheborgske Spionen? At the present time, the University of Gothenburg subscribes to the newspaper for all students and staff. Now there is a proposal that the SEK 1.8 million this is costing be allocated instead to the student unions. They will then decide where the money should go, maybe to the Götheborgske Spionen, maybe to something completely different. While we understand that the student unions are short of money and may have other important priorities, we believe that an independent news-
paper, which critically examines the University from a student perspective, is extremely important. A university needs debate where many diverse voices are heard. M O R EOV E R , W E believe that the Götheborgske Spionen also plays an important role as a venue for all different kinds of students who otherwise, without the common newspaper, would not get to know very much about each other. In this issue three representativs of the Götheborgske Spionen write about
the importance of an independent student newspaper. We also write about UGOT Challenges the University of Gothenburg’s significant investment in research. 12 projects have moved on to a final evaluation, but only four of these have a woman as research leader. On the other hand, the University’s recruitment of female professors is progressing well, and is now close to the government’s target. Flying short distances is not compatible with GU’s environmental policy; still Stockholm remains the top desti-
nation for our employees, explains Environmental Manager Eddi Omrcen. We have also interviewed Barbara Czarniawska. She argues that line control is in vogue both in Sweden and internationally. But trends come and go. Right now, centralisation and rankings are in vogue and both represent a strong global trend. Perhaps the pendulum will soon go back. Still, we don’t see much evidence of this occurring. The fact that universities follow trends, as all others do, should invite reflection and above all resistance.
4
News
More Women become Professors T H E N ATI O N A L G OV E R N M E N T ’ S goal is that of the new professors GU appoints during the 2012-2015 period, a minimum of 40 percent should be female professors. Average for the first three years so far is at 37 percent. “There is a really good possibility we will reach the target. In recent years we have made a significant commitment at all levels within the University,” reports Pro ViceChancellor, Helena Lindholm Schulz. One explanation for this success has been the special initiative “The Professor Project,” according the Pro Vice-Chancellor. “The project has not been reviewed and evaluated just yet, but I am convinced that its contribution has been of great importance. From the beginning, more than 60 women, from all the faculties, participated in the project. I’m impressed by how actively everyone involved has been working with this.” G U ’ S M O D E L I S inspired from the University of Tomsø, which has gone from being the worst to being the best in Norway regarding the recruitment and hiring of woman professors. The project has been based on getting women teachers and researchers to more rapidly achieve their advancement. A total of SEK 13 million has been earmarked for the project. The funding comes from all levels in the system. “The Heads of the Departments have been tasked to identify women who are close to the edge of being promoted to full professor and the selected women have been asked to submit a preliminary application that is reviewed by an external assessor. Based on this, the Head of the Department has offered them the opportunity to, for a limited period of time, concentrate on their research or to attend a higher education teacher-training course in order to gain additional experience and qualifications. This has not been an issue of creating a fast track giving preference to a few, but rather the same requirements are imposed on their final applications as with all candidates.”
So far, 30 women in the project been promoted to full professorships. Another 26 are expected to be promoted this year. Another change is that the University is now actively looking for suitable women candidates, nationally and internationally, each time a professorship search is announced and urging them to apply for the position. The objective is that there will be candidates of both genders in each appointment. If there are no women candidates, a revision of the text of the announcement might need to be made.
PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
The University of Gothenburg’s recruitment of female professors is progressing well. GU is close to the national government’s target goal of 40 percent, but the path to gender equality is a long one.
“The uniqueness with our efforts is that they have permeated the entire management level,” comments Pro Vice-Chancellor Helena Lindholm Schulz.
B U T AT T H E present time, there is no need for new initiatives, assesses Helena Lindholm Schulz. “We will strive for greater gender equality but would rather not engage in targeted measures even though there are good reasons to make a special effort this time. We are discussing various different ways to proceed. The Vice Chancellor has recently decided on a new gender equality and equal treatment plan which means that the work should be integrated into the activities rather than having its own track. That means to integrate this into the thinking of everything we do. Another idea might be to develop some form of mentoring for young researchers, both for women as well as for men.” One issue that recently has been the subject of much discussion is how women are assessed in grant applications. “This has attracted the attention of the Swedish Research Council. HELENA LINDHOLM SCHULZ One dilemma with excellence initiatives is that it is mostly men who benefit from this. We must have more awareness and insight into processes and how we evaluate what women and men actually do. For example, it is often regarded as a positive thing if men have copublished a lot, while for women it sometimes seen as a sign of lack of independence.”
»That means to integrate this into the thinking of everything we do.«
Although more women have been recruited to professorships, the proportion of women professors overall is only 27 percent. “That not so much progress has been made in terms of the overall total is of course frustrating. The long term goal is to reach a level of equality, i.e. 40/60 percent. If we do nothing at all, it will take a very
long time before it levels out. Nor is it the case that simply because the majority who are obtaining an education are women that the problems will resolve themselves on their own, but rather this requires a deep level of intentionality and consciousness. Many have ideas about how we should get there. I think it is important to raise the awareness of gender equality in various ways throughout the University and its activities. But that does not rule out that we can eventually make special efforts,” says Helena Lindholm Schulz, who points out that she is particularly concerned about the growing gap in educational levels between men and women. side of the equation, it is a major societal problem that so many young men are excluded from higher education. For me, this is at least as big a problem as the proportion of women professors. Therefore, we will shortly present a proposal to broaden the recruitment.”
“O N T H E ST U D E N T
ALLAN ERIKSSON
FACTS Looking at the University of Gothenburg overall, gender distribution is relatively even. Among the employees, 58 percent are women, and women are in the majority in undergraduate education. But when you look closer at the numbers however, one sees large differences within which positions that men and women have their employment: 77 percent of all administrative personnel are women, while 73 percent of all professors are men.
GUJOURNAL 2 | 2015
PERCENTAGE OF MALE PROFESSORS
PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE PROFESSORS
Average salary women
Average salary men
5
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Social Sciences
The Sahlgrenska Academy
Faculty of Education
The Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts
School of Business, Economics and Law
IT-Faculty
54 280 kr
54 500 kr
60 400 kr
58 395 kr
53 040 kr
52 413 kr
61 650 kr
60 400 kr
20 %
28 %
25 %
41 %
31 %
42 %
19 %
19 %
80 %
72 %
75 %
59 %
69 %
58 %
81 %
81 %
56 750 kr
55 949 kr
61 000 kr
60 200 kr
52 800 kr
49 980 kr
64 250 kr
61 300 kr
More in the wallet where there are men The difference in average salary between a professor of fine arts and a professor of economics may be as much as SEK 10,000. Salary levels tend to be higher in male-dominated faculties, according to a survey that GU Journal conducted. level, there is not much difference between a woman’s and a man’s salary as professor, but the differences become clearer when one delves in deeper to the data and compares the various faculties. Our study shows that salary levels are generally higher at the faculties that have more men. The IT Faculty and the School of Business, Economics and Law, where the proportion of women to men is only at 19 percent, have the highest salary levels at GU. The highest salaAT A N OV E R A LL
ries have professors at the School of Business, Economics and Law with an average median salary of SEK 64,175. The Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts, which has the largest proportion of women professors, is located at the bottom with a median salary of SEK 51,400 and shortly thereafter, the Faculty of Arts with a median salary of SEK 53,040. of Science, the men on average earn SEK 2,470 more than the women. At the School of Business, Economics and Law the difference in pay is SEK 2,400. The difference in median salary is lowest at the Faculty of Arts, with the women receiving SEK 240 more on average. One faculty in the survey sticks out: the Faculty of Education, 41 percent of its professors being women, has the AT T H E FAC U LT Y
third-highest median salaries. Is it reasonable that there is so large a difference in salary within the same profession?
“I do not want to go into salary policy, but rather note that the differences are historically constructed and in part because the pay is higher in highly male-dominated faculties which have a different labour market and a competitive business environment. The differences will be difficult to correct in the short term,” comments Pro Vice-Chancellor Helena Lindholm Schulz. What responsibility does the university management have to even out the gap?
“Our responsibility is to have an objective salary determination and the principle is equal pay for equal
work. Every third year, we conduct a salary survey that aims to smooth out the subjective differences, both at the group and the individual level. The next one will be completed this spring.” ALLAN ERIKSSON FACTS These statistics compare median salaries by gender distribution for professors at the University of Gothenburg’s faculties. It shows a tendency that salaries are generally higher at the faculties that have the greatest proportion of men. The data was taken from the payroll system, in February 2015. It relates to all professors and including senior professors and visiting professors (however not including adjunct professors).
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News
Ready for electronic elections More efficient, easier and faster. This spring, you will be able to vote via the web or your mobile device. Hopefully this will also lead to a higher voter turnout. TO CO N D U C T E LEC TI O N S electronically is something that has been requested for many years and is already in use at several Swedish colleges and universities. Now it’s time for GU to take the plunge. On 11 March, University director Jörgen Tholin made the decision to introduce electronic support in the internal elections, which is thus possible to use for the spring elections at the faculties and departments. Head of the faculty office for science Gustav Bertilsson Uleberg, who has been the investigator, points out that it partly involves a tool for electronic support, with creating a common routines and clear information to make it as easy as possible to vote. “Voting is not something we do so often, but rather perhaps only every three years, and many people I’ve talked to say that it’s like they have to reinvent the wheel every time and that it is administratively burdensome to conduct elections with voting ballots, envelopes and ballot boxes. The aim is to achieve an effective electoral process within the University,” observes Gustav Bertilsson Uleberg.
a matter of making any major changes. In GU’s Rules of Procedure, it says that elections must to be held, how long the mandates are for, and who is eligible to be elected and entitled to vote. But it says nothing about how elections are to be conducted in practical terms, and nor is there anything that is governed by general statutes. “It is the Nominating Committees who have the responsibility for unearthing the candidates, preparing a list of voters, and ensuring that the elections are conducted. The major benefit is primarily for those who are arranging the election at the faculties and departments.”
“Voting will be easier. One avoids having to go to a particular place at a particular time, and if it leads to higher turnout, this is an additional benefit,” observes Gustav Bertilsson Uleberg, who has studied the issue.
“We have developed instructions, guides and templates explaining the process step-bystep. These include a template in both Swedish and English, which is prepared for before election to the faculty and the respective department.” will be voting, it becomes much simpler because it does not matter at all where you do it. Notification of voting is sent out by e-mail. And you can vote at your own desktop computer, via mobile device/phone or tablet computer. “You will recognise the system. The electronic election resembles manual voting. But instead of a ballot paper, it is a question form on a page on the Internet. As a user, you won’t need to log in somewhere, but rather it’s sufficient to click on the link you receive in the e-mail. One thing to keep in mind is that one can not withdraw their vote, but that no different from what
explains that the information came out too late to be part of the system this time. Also at the Faculty of Arts, where they think that the decision came just in the nick of time, the elections will be held electronically. This is an eagerly awaited initiative that is long overdue, something that should have been done long ago, the School of Business, Economics and Law points out.
FO R T H O S E W H O
»You will recognise the system. The electronic election resembles manual voting.« GUSTAV BERTILSSON ULEBERG
T H I S I S N OT
it was before,” observes Gustav Bertilsson Uleberg. As before, you can say yes to the policy group’s proposal or submit a separate proposal that is partially or completely different from the policy group. You can also vote blank. To date, several pilot tests carried out with good results, highlights Gustav Bertilsson Uleberg. What assurances can you give that the voting will be anonymous and secure?
“We have chosen to use the university’s new web tool “Sunet Survey” for fulfilling our security requirements. By making use of an anonymous respondent poll, nobody can see what anyone has responded (voted). When one removes the questionnaire, it disappears from the tool’s interface and it is not possible to recreate at a later stage a link between the individual and the response.” A B R I E F S U RV E Y that GU Journal conducted shows that support for the introduction of electronic voting for elections is significant, and all but one faculty will take advantage of the opportunity. Head of the faculty office Christopher Lagerqvist at the Faculty of Social Sciences
T H E FAC U LT Y O F Education emphasises that it is a positive thing that common rules have been established and that it makes it much simpler to implement both the elections in general and to vote. The Sahlgrenska Academy is planning to hold elections for members of its Faculty Board, near the end of May. “This is a good initiative. The old way of voting with physical paper ballots and envelopes has clearly had its day. For those of us who have over 1,100 eligible voters, this is without doubt clearly more efficient,” points out Jan Rubensson, Deputy Head of the faculty office. At the IT Faculty, they have been conducting elections electronically for many years and they have had a positive experience with this. “It facilitates the administrative tasks and increase voter turnout because it is so easy to vote. We have not experienced any disadvantages with electronic voting,” observes Head of the faculty office Margaretha Jansson.
ALLAN ERIKSSON
News
GUJOURNAL 2 | 2015
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Flights may jeopardise environmental goals Carbon dioxide emissions per source of emissions (metric ton) 2014
More and more employees travel both by train and plane – while at the same time, the use of travel-free meetings is increasing. “The progress is encouraging, although it may be difficult to achieve the University’s overall environmental goals,” comments Environmental Manager, Eddi Omrcen. that the University of Gothenburg will drive down its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2015 compared with 2008. For several years, greenhouse gas emissions have steadily decreased, however last year, emissions increased slightly. So far, the decrease achieved is 18 percent, according to the Sustainability Report for 2014. “It looks pretty good, however there is a risk that we will come up short in some areas.” The challenge is to reduce emissions overall even though the number of trips continue to increase. “Our international contacts are increasing and this is a positive development, considering that we are an international university. But there is a clear conflict of interests,” reports Eddi Omrcen. T H E G OA L I S
T H E TOTA L E M I S S I O N S of carbon dioxide from travel has increased by 19 percent since 2008. Air travel accounts for about two-thirds of the University’s emissions. Even though air travel under 500 kilometres is not compatible with GU’s environmental policy, Stockholm remains the top destination. Never before have we seen so many trips to the capital city. Last year, these one-way trips increased by 10 percent. At the same time, there were more who took the train, an increase of 22 percent. Since 2011, all work-related air travel was carbon offset and the extra levy paid as a part of the ticket goes to development projects in India and China, which leads to a reduced carbon footprint. “We take our responsibility for our flights. In addition, some of the money goes back to the University´s climate fund. After the proposals were assessed by GU’s Climate Council, we recently
distributed nearly half a million Swedish crowns between five different projects.” Eddi Omrcen is absolutely convinced that globalisation will intensify and then it will become increasingly important with travel-free meetings as a complement: video conferencing and audio conferencing. Last year, we saw a record number of travel-free meetings. Measured in the number of hours, it amounted to 8,000 in 2014, which was an increase of 1,000 hours compared to 2013.
490
Electricity District heating Boat/ship
1565
Fossil fuel/energy
3733
Car, bus, train 222 412
7
According to Eddi Omrcen, travel-free meetings are good for both the natural environment and the working environment. “Above all, it saves time, which must not be forgotten. But we must work even harder to spread the technology. The vast majority of people may not have yet received any training in this technology, so there is great potential here. I think that people should ask themselves if it is always really necessary to be seen physically in person, or if it might work just was well with a meeting using video conferencing instead.” It is really easy today to use technology: there are clear and simple reference cards, good IT support, and readily accessible training.
Flights over 50 kilometres
237
»Everything we do at work and in our private life makes a difference.«
Eddi Omrcen
Flights under 50 kilometres
Several of the other environmental goals have been reached. Energy usage continues to experience a decline. “I have high hopes that the on-going work between us and our property owners will lead to further reductions, especially at the Lab of Experimental Biomedicine, which swallows up large amounts of energy. Another good example is the solar panels that are to be installed on the roof of the School of Business, Economics and Law. I hope this will have an impact and perhaps ripple effect for all of GU’s larger buildings.” A N OT H E R G OA L is to promote research in sustainable development in line with Vision 2020. In 2014, 241 scientific papers were published within the field, which Read more at: is an increase of 3 percent comwww.resfri.gu.se.
pared with 2013. Eddi Omrcen also emphasises that last year GU organised more than 1,000 activities on the theme of sustainable development, which was another record. But only talking about measurable environmental goals is not sufficient, according to Eddi Omrcen. “The students for instance organise a campaign for a meatfree day, which provides longterm effects. Everything we do at work and in our private life makes a difference. It’s about our trips to and from work, and what our consumption patterns look like. What is our individual responsibility? There is a direct impact and an indirect impact that is difficult to measure.” GU’s current climate change strategy expires this year and the Climate Council is now working on further efforts to develop goals for the following period. “In Vision 2020 the University emphasises these matters more clearly than before. We have a huge large social responsibility that is linked to our environmental and sustainability work. The University of Gothenburg should consider establishing a target in the climate area that is on par with the top ranked universities in the global arena.” ALLAN ERIKSSON
8
Conversation with
Resist global trends “Universities are not, contrary to what one might think, immune to trends. But the increasing centralisation, which in turn is related to the rankings, leads nowhere,” warns Barbara Czarniawska, Professor of Management Studies. Her contribution, University Fashions, has recently been voted as the publication of the month at the School of Business, Economics and Law. T H E I N C I D E N T that got Barbara Czarniawska to write the chapter was the plans for GU’s reorganisation from just over two years ago. The University of Gothenburg’s difficulties in obtaining large grants was the justification given in that it was necessary with an internal centralisation. Among other things, there would be fewer departments, and the remaining ones would become larger. The plans initially aroused a storm of protest among professors, but the criticism levelled off eventually. Anyway, this wave of centralisation was then very trendy, according to Prof. Czarniawska.
One would think that the university, as an ancient organisation, has more strength to resist the temporary trend of the day than others, but apparently they don’t?
“Even the Christian churches follow fashion of the day, so why shouldn’t the university do so?” You explore the phenomenon of “fashion” but why do you chose this as a starting point for your analysis?
“There is something paradoxical with fashion. It must be something unique and special, but since everyone follows the latest fashions, it soon becomes not so unique. Already more than a hundred years ago, the French sociologist Gabriel Tarde pointed out that fashion is a very strong social mechanism that has become increasingly important in global economy. It affects both supply and demand in the market. Fashion is a way of understanding one’s contemporaries, a model that creates a sense of order and coherence in a world of infinite possibilities. But this view has been ignored, or marginalised, in research as frivolous and irrational. Fashion is uncontrollable, therefore the very antithesis of the idea in
management studies. The term ‘fashion donor’ has been used to describe creative people or organisations that create new fashion. But what actually becomes a new fashion, one doesn’t know until afterwards and this goes in cycles. Only a few social theorists – Tarde, Simmel and Luhmann –have understood the power of being in vogue.”
“Even the Christian churches follow fashion of the day, so why shouldn’t the university do so?”
Centralisation and ranking are today’s big trends. Neither of these are fundamentally new; why do you think they have grown so strong now?
“Ranking is the new fashion, even if the phenomenon is not entirely new. It was first used in American business schools in the 1970s, but these rankings saw very little dispersion. Now the rankings are global and apply to the entire university. Centralisation is one of the means to climb up in the rankings. In and of itself, centralisation is a cyclical trend. One decentralises, and then one centralises, and one decentralises again. Right now, the rankings triggered the direction towards centralisation. The idea is that larger units have a better chance and the goal is to achieve a world-class university.” You point out that reforms in the Swedish public sector have a lifespan of about 30 years. There is some evidence to suggest that the cycles are gaining momentum and going faster and faster. Why is this, do you thinkat do you think this is due to?
“Perhaps we are soon down to 25 years. But the world is accelerating, which sociologists such as Zygmunt Bauman and HansGeorg Brose writes about in a very fascinating way. Demands for speed are similarly clear in the news media as at the university. But does a doctoral dissertation written in
three years become as good as one written in six years? Maybe yes, maybe no ...” Do you think that the centralisation of the university can lead to an improved location on the rankings?
“We are talking not about qualifying for the top-ten list, where it is impossible to get in, but rather about the 100 list. It is possible, but the results can be seen in ten or fifteen years, and one wonders if the rankings will still mean as much then, or even be in the same form. And if you compare the costs with the benefits; is it really worthwhile to disrupt activities to such a significant degree with uncertain hopes as the basis?” How much is your chapter actually about the University of Gothenburg, and a criticism of the changes that are going on here?
“In the chapter, I use other Swedish, Finnish and French universities as examples, but the criticism applies to our university to the extent it follows the same models. And I’m not saying that we should not follow the fashion – that would not be so wise – but rather that we should find a way to follow that which is more effective and specifically adapted to our local context. Sweden seems to be a world leader in digital advertising; would you be able to guess that based on what our website looks like? It is neither aesthetically attractive nor well-organised, as pointed out by many external evaluators. I understand that we are too big and too important to use such fantastic video advertising as Malmö and Umeå – after all it is a sign of weakness – but perhaps something in between?” There is a criticism that the university has become more to-down governed in that there is a stronger line control and centralisation. Does this trend constitute a threat to the collegiality? If so, how?
“This is due to a different fashion, called New Public Management, which my colleagues and I also have written about. No doubt there are links between the ranking and NPM, a Zeitgeist which is referred to as “marketization,” but that’s a topic for another chapter!”
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GUJOURNAL 2 | 2015
Barbara Czarniawska says that there is something paradoxical with fashion. If everyone follows the latest trend, it is no longer unique.
You make reference to Harold Shapiro’s book A Larger Sense of Purpose: Higher Education and Society, which says that all revolutions and social change can best be understood as an integration of various competing visions, rather than that they realise a single idea or approach.
“Yes. Albert Hirschman was even clearer when he said that no reforms achieve their goals, but sometimes the unexpected consequences are better than the expected, and they must be understood and appreciated. The mobilisation of the professors at Chalmers and GU is such a result that is good.” In a recently published opinion piece at The Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences’ website, Nick Butler and Sverre Spoelstra warn about what will happen with research in an era of increasing demands for excellence. The evaluation system has led to researchers beginning to use various tricks to increase their chances of being published in the leading journals. Among other things,
publishing along with more accomplished researchers, even if they only simply add their name to the article. Is this a trend that worries you?
“They use the word “excellence” most ironically. The risk is precisely that mediocrity is forced by the standardised requirements of the so-called prominent journals, something which lowers the social sciences. Fortunately, not all researchers do same thing. Opportunism in research is not a new phenomenon, it’s just that Butler and Spoelstra are young and do not remember how it used to be. For once, I am more optimistic than they are.” In our time, the journals’ and universities’ rankings have created a climate where one gets asked questions about where they have published rather than what they are writing about. This causes a basic reassessment, according to Butler and Spoelstra, of our approach to research. What responsibilities do university administrators and research funders have?
“To have responsibility is nice, but it’s not sufficient – someone has to do something. I actually think that it’s not you, but rather us, the professors and university lecturers who are not afraid of losing their job, who must resist. Open access is a way and to stop brainwashing doctoral students and postdocs is another one.” TEXT: ALLAN ERIKSSON PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
FACTS Barbara Czarniawska, who is Professor of Management Studies at the Gothenburg Research Institute, has written a chapter entitled University fashions: On ideas whose time has come in the recently published book: Universities in the Flux of Time. An Exploration of Time and Temporality in University Life (published by Routledge, 2015).
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Relaxing on the pitch At seven o’clock on a chilly March evening, a bunch of 13-year-old girls are gathering at the Lindevi sports field. Stacks with yellow cones, orange-black footballs, and some blue water bottles are lying in a corner next to the field. Among the coaches, one finds Marie Lagerquist. The entire day, she has spent in her lab. But right now, the job has completely vanished. Here and now, there is nothing but football.
H E FLO O D LI G H T S are lit around the pitch and the girls are already running around on the artificial turf. This time, Marie Lagerquist’s team has had luck: they get the lit up pitch while at other times they’ve had to practice on a darker part farther away. Soon, a new training exercise is being tried out. “Stand in pairs opposite to each other. Take the ball under your right foot, drag it to the left and send it to your friend. Try to get into tempo; switch and then do the opposite, the ball is under the left foot and kick it on.” A ball happens to hit Marie Lagerquist right in the stomach. And a girl is complaining of pain after a stretch. But soon she is running around the pitch with a friend.
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»One in two women and one in five men will at some time in their life get a fracture caused by osteoporosis. This costs society approximately SEK 6 billion per year ...« bones that remain strong when one reaches advanced age.” Marie Lagerquist’s career is something of a success story. Three years ago she became a Ragnar Söderberg Fellow, meaning five years of research funding. The following year, she received the Nordic Fernström Prize, often referred to as the “Little Nobel Prize, one of the country’s most prestigious awards. And just recently, it was announced that she had received the Medical Society of Gothenburg’s Prize for young researchers. “One reason why everything has gone so well is that I have always had such a great mentor. But also we are a super great research team at the core, which helps and supports each other.” O N E M I G H T T H I N K that Marie Lagerquist had carefully planned out her career. But that’s not the case at all. “Basically, I have followed along where life has taken me. In school, it was the natural sciences that interested me, and that I would continue with molecular biology after graduating gymnasium school just felt natural to me. When I finished my BA, I was asked if I wanted to do a doctorate. As the research on oestrogen just then was at an
“Many get tired of football when they reach adolescence, but fortunately I have not noticed it yet with these girls.” During the week, Marie Lagerquist is a researcher at the Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research. It may seem to some that football and research are activities that are quite far apart from each other. But according to her, there are in fact some things in common. “Many people say that research is a lonely job. But I rather see it as a team effort where everyone has the same goal, just as in football. With the research I do, concerning oestrogen and osteoporosis, may be a good fit for a football coach. Football is a very good sport from an osteoporosis aspect as high intensity training results in a strong skeleton. And those who participate in sports while they are young develop healthy
interesting stage, I thought this opportunity sounded exciting. Previously it was thought that oestrogen has only one single receptor, i.e. the part of the cell that captures and transmits on the hormone signals. However, in 1996 a second receptor was found. So in 1998 when I was admitted as a doctoral student, it was the topic of oestrogen receptors that interested me.” A S E A R LY A S 2 0 0 4 , Marie Lagerquist received a research associate position financed by the Swedish Research Council, even though she had not yet received her doctorate degree. “I did a little later, in May. I was pregnant with my second daughter, which perhaps was great because I could not be bothered to worry so much. My postdoctoral position was at the Department of Rheumatology.” Osteoporosis is one of the common health issues that causes the most suffering in Sweden today. “One in two women and one in five men will at some time in their life get a fracture caused by osteoporosis. This costs society approximately SEK 6 billion per year and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in general.”
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MARIE LAGERQUIST PROFESSION: University Lecturer and Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. FAMILY: Husband and three children: 13, 11 and 6 years old. RESIDES: in Lindome. AGE: 40. INTERESTS: Football, movies and books, primarily science fiction. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW: Has played saxophone in a big band (a bit odd, as actually in fact I played the clarinet, but a friend put together a big band in high school for a single appearance and was missing an alto sax, so I just played ...) FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Dean Koontz. ROLE MODEL: Many, but among others my mother, for her ability to always keep a tidy and clean home, a characteristic which, unfortunately, has not been passed on to me. BEST SIDE: Positive. There are always two ways of looking at things and I try to choose the most positive in all situations. WORST SIDE: Time Optimist. If I say that I think we will be finished with something by lunchtime, so I usually add some time and take lunch with me if we are going to the animal house. L ATEST BOOK: Mockingjay in the Hunger Games trilogy. L ATEST FILM: Recently saw the British Sherlock series. FAVOURITE FOOD: Right now, it’s broccoli soup …
In women, the risk of osteoporosis increases at menopause when the production of the sex hormone oestrogen decreases. “Oestrogen loss can lead to the formation of a series of molecules called proinflammatory cytokines, which have bonedepleting effects. The same thing happens in chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism, which thus also increases the risk of osteoporosis.” oestrogen has a direct effect on bone has long been known. But in 2011, Marie Lagerquist was the first person in the world to show that oestrogen may also affect bone through the nervous system. “Formerly, osteoporotic patients were treated with oestrogen supplementation. But after that, when it was shown that it led to an increased risk of blood clots, and possibly also breast cancer, oestrogen earned a bad name. Previously, about half of all participants in an osteoporosis conference spoke about oestrogen. But around 2003 interest fell, so much so that my research group was among the few who still devoted themselves to research concerning the hormone. In recent years though, interest has started to increase again.” What Marie Lagerquist is trying to do is to separate the beneficial effects of oestrogen from the negative. In this way, she hopes to create new molecules, without T H E FAC T T H AT
»We cannot have one in the family who does not play football, very soon it will be time to teach him too.« MARIE LAGERQUIST harmful side-effects. In her studies, she uses genetically modified mice in which different parts of the oestrogen receptors are manipulated and then the animals are analysed to see what happens in the bones and other organs. “The disadvantage of animal experiments is that it takes such a long time. First, they have to be set aside for breeding, then it takes three months before one can begin their research. But an interesting discovery is worth all the waiting and all the hours spent in the lab.” In recent days, Marie Lagerquist has
spent almost all of her time in the laboratory. “Most attempts of course only produce negative results. Since the respected journals only publish articles about successful attempts, there is a great risk that the negative ones are not published at all. It’s really a pity; research that has not been successful is also important, if only so that other scientists don’t repeat the same thing. You can get around this by slipping into the same article where you are writing about positive results, also what didn’t prove what one had hoped. But unfortunately there are probably vast amounts of negative research results in drawers that would have saved others both time and money if they had become known.” S O O N IT I S TI M E to go over the results. And few things make Marie Lagerquist so happy as to analyse experiments. Except football. “My family is really into sports. I met my husband 20 years ago through football and both he and I are now coaches in Lindome’s junior league, myself in football and he with floorball. Our daughters play both sports, it’s only our six-year old who has not started yet. However, as our daughter Jennifer put it, we cannot have one in the family who does not play football, very soon it will be time to teach him too.” And Marie Lagerquist is not alone among university researchers who like football. When she started as a coach in 2008, she found to her surprise a colleague among the leaders and an additional two colleagues among the football parents on the team. “When you have a job that requires a great deal of concentration, it is important to be able to relax and think about other things. And nowhere do I do it better than on the pitch.” Sometimes it may even be a little too relaxing. “For instance I nearly missed my twentyyear celebration because I played a game right before the party. What I like is the game itself, the movement on the pitch, a pass that is perfect. When I practice football, all the experiments are in the lab, all applications and all administrative routines have completely vanished into thin air, and I can lose myself completely in the game.
TEXT: EVA LUNDGREN PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
News
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tion process nevertheless found the application procedure to be beneficial for them, remarks Staffan Edén. “They have had the opportunity to establish new contacts and explore interesting ideas and concepts. In many cases, they should find opportunities to make use of this in other contexts, such as within the EU Horizon 2020 programme.” All but one of the 12 research project leaders whose project has now moved to the next phase are full professors. Among them are wellknown names such as Thomas Sterner, Ingmar Skoog, Joakim Larsson and Kristina Sundell. that so many respected researchers are actively engaged and that representatives from all the faculties have been included. But this is not an investment in only established researchers; as the projects are so large and will be underway for six years, they will also provide the opportunity for young researchers to gain valuable experience.” Of the 78 applications that were considered, 42 percent had women research project leaders. Of the 12 that now remain, only four are led by women, i.e. 33 percent. “Gender equality has of course been important during the evaluation process. I do think that we ended up with a decent percentage of women, but this is of course something open to discussion,” observes Staffan Edén.
“ W E A R E PRO U D
ILLUSTR ATION: KRISTINA EDGREN
»Only 12 progress to the next stage« Of the 78 applications to UGOT Challenges, the University of Gothenburg’s significant investment in research into global societal challenges, 12 have now moved on to a final evaluation. “The thinning process with the applications was strict and only those projects that have received the absolutely highest scores have progressed further,” explains Deputy Vice-Chancellor Staffan Edén. Many women research leaders have however been dropped out along the way. expressions of interest were received when the call opened last summer, which led to a total of 78 applications. “I got a slight shock when I saw that interest here was so great, but of course this is super great,” recounts Staffan Edén, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research Affairs. Now, all of the 22 experts from nine countries have completed the first thinning of the projects that will be progressing in the assessment process.” “We have sought out experts from around the globe. Our demands have been very intense: for example in the field of aging, we have not only utilised general experts but also experts concerning the brain, the rest of the body, social aspects, and so on. The experts have been given clear instrucMORE THAN 100
tions on what to look at, i.e. broad subject areas concerning major societal challenges. Many have expressed admiration for how the University of Gothenburg has taken its own funds to make such a call for proposals, and as far as we know, this is unique. Universities all over the world are talking about the importance of solving major social problems, but we are doing something concrete.” A LL A PP LI C ATI O N S were divided into one of three broad groupings: those that revolve around health; social sciences/humanities or natural science/environment; learning and information technology. Each panel has been given the task of selecting 6–7 applications which are to progress further to the final assessment by the
University’s international advisors. “An expert opinion has been rendered for all 78 applications, along with recommendations on how they can work further,” Stefan Edén explains Staffan Edén. “There has been a lot of work, not the least logistically, with the reviewing of texts and things being sent back and forth with the experts. GU’s research advisors have really done a great job!” have been involved in more than one project application; in fact one is involved in seven different projects. “We have said that everyone is a free to submit more than one application, but the risk is that one divides their energies in too many different directions. And given the substantial commitment involved to lead a centre, an individual researcher can only be the principal in charge for one single project.” Hopefully the researchers who have not progressed further in this evaluaS O M E R E S E A RC H E R S
N OW I S T H E TI M E for the projects that have moved on in the process to produce a really good application for the final round. They must be submitted in September. “Each project that has progressed has received a planning grant. The Vice Chancellor makes the final decision in November and funding will be provided for between five and ten projects.”
EVA LUNDGREN AND ALLAN ERIKSSON UGOT C HALLENG E S The University of Gothenburg Centres for Global Societal Challenges is an investment of SEK 300 million that the University of Gothenburg decided upon in June last year. In the first phase, 103 expressions of interest were submitted. These were then whittled down to 78 applications, which have now been assessed by 22 experts and the University of Gothenburg’s of international advisors: Iain Robinson, Arild Underdal and Krista Varantola. The 12 applications that are progressing on to the next phase will now receive a planning grant to be able to write an application that must be submitted by 17 September. The decisions will be announced in November.
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Skeletons in the closet! Does the University of Gothenburg, as well as the Karolinska Institute, have hidden skeletons from indigenous people and vagabonds in the cellar that we refuse to hand over? The GU Journal conducted a study, without however any spectacular finds. But actually we did run across the occasional skull. W E H AV E A R R A N G E D a meeting with Bengt R. Johansson, Professor of Anatomy, at Academicum in Medicinarelängan. He is taking us to an almost forgotten storeroom, so we follow expectantly with him down the stairs to the cellar. When he has unlocked the door, we curiously peep into it, and amongst the first things we see are some teaching skeletons dangling at their positions. But otherwise there doesn’t seem to be much more than boring old junk here, such as computers from the 90s, threadbare chairs, and some dusty mattresses. But then Bengt R. Johansson, puts on rubber gloves, and lifts up an old cardboard box. And there it lies, a brownish grey skull with a large hole in. Exciting, I think, but Bengt R Johansson is not very impressed. “It belonged to a man killed by a blow, two actually, to his head; several splinters
are gone. Soil residues and a few blades of grass remain attached; the skull has not been cleaned, but simply put into a box.” Under a table, in the farthest corner, is our next find: several large cardboard boxes of skeletal remains. B E N GT R . J O H A N S S O N pulls out a few bones which he examines. “They are the femoral all of them, neatly sorted, and seems to have belonged to healthy, well-fed and hardworking people. One can see a marked and powerful ridge on the bones, which suggests that we are talking about strong individuals here. There are no signs of osteoarthritis, tuberculosis, rickets or other health problems.” The femur is marked Korsbetningen, grave 2. It was the field where Gotland peasants went out en masse on 27 July 1361 to fight against Valdemar IV of Denmark.
Bengt R Johansson, Professor of Anatomy, reveals what is hidden in the storage room at Medicinarelängan.
»I had to then discreetly admit that these Gotland bones, actually they are in the basement of my institution.« BENGT R JOHANSSON
That the bones ended up in a cubbyhole at Medicinareberget is due to Bo-Eric Ingelmark, Vice Chancellor of the University of Gothenburg in the 1970s. “As a professor of anatomy he was interested in health-related research with archaeological material. Among other events he participated in, he was there when Erik XIV’s tomb was opened in 1958 and later published analyses of the state of the former king’s health.” U N FO R T U N AT E LY the bones from Kors betningen have been handled in an archaeological insensitive manner, reports Bengt R. Johansson. “It became clear to me when my wife and I visited the excavations at Birka in the early 2000s. Among other things the guide explained to us was that a bunch of medics had been there fifty years earlier and took bones with them, and thus the bones then became useless for an archaeologist, who of course needs the context in order to make an analysis. The guide also pointed out that the robbing had been even worse at Korsbetningen outside of Visby. I had to then discreetly admit that these Gotland bones, actually they are in the basement of my institution.” Another researcher involved in the bone analyses was the anatomist Thord Lewin.
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»Somewhere there must also be the skeletal remains of the old Lödöse cemetery« BENGT R JOHANSSON
Among many things there is a skull from the battle 1361.
“He was interested in measuring people, known as biometrics, but not for racial biology reasons. Instead, he collaborated with Volvo on the work to adjust their driver’s seats to the average body length of military conscripts, and with Saab in order to create a comfortable space for the pilots of fighter aircraft.” We continue to rummage around in the cabinets and eventually run into a skull of a young child, but without explanatory text, and a box labelled Sjöbergen 1965. “When the Älvsborg Bridge was being constructed, an old cholera cemetery was encountered on its southern abutment and we have some finds from here. Somewhere there must also be the skeletal remains of the old Lödöse cemetery, and other unmarked finds.” IT WA S W H E N the anatomy building was rebuilt in 1998 that a collection of forgotten bones, gathered together in the 1950-60’s, was found in a cupboard. “I have repeatedly tried to get the Museum of Natural History interested, but since I’ve never received any response, they have remained lying here.” Earlier there were also some twenty ske-
Those who were killed were strong and healthy, shows the femur.
You can easily see the stab wounds to the skull.
letons here from an expedition to Svalbard in the 1950s. In 2005, when the national government urged the universities to make an inventory of any remains of indigenous peoples, Bengt R. Johansson remembered that there were some materials in the old storeroom. “After many twists and turns, and an enthusiastic effort by the Sahlgrenska Academy’s then-Faculty Secretary Irja Persson-Utterhall, in 2007 the remains consisting of bones were returned to the Nordkalotten. So skeletons in the closet like
those at the Karolinska Institute, we simply don’t have.” To hold a 650 year old skull feels a bit chilly, I think. But Bengt R. Johansson is unaffected. “For me, remains are just artifacts. When I was a student in the 1960s, all the students carried a box that contained polished and lacquered white bones that one learned to rattle off the names of. There were genuine skeletal bones, partly from the collections we see here, and partly originating from India, which at that time were providing them. This ended in the early 2000s, so today we mostly use plastic skeletons. But it is impossible to emulate the wealth of details found in a genuine skull. So, what do you do with an old skeleton that nobody wants? “I suppose that Renova does not want us to throw it in the rubbish bin. Since there are no set of rules and regulations to adhere to, they will remain in the junk room until someone makes a decision.” TEXT: EVA LUNDGREN PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
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Longing for the blue light On 18 March, the sun shows itself for the first time after a long, dark winter. Then things happen quickly. In early April it is daytime for 24 hours until 23 August when the sun goes down again. “That’s what it was like to live on Svalbard,” explains Anne Hormes, a place where she has lived for nine years. L A N G E BY N O N SVA LBA R D is a very special place, explains quaternary geologist Anne Hormes. “One-third of the population works within coal mining, one-third in the tourism industry, and the remaining one-third within research and education. One could say that those who live up there like outdoor activities rather than opera; sports is what counts during people’s free time. The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), where I worked, is the world’s northernmost institution of higher education and attracts both researchers and students from all over the globe. No tuition is charged for the educational programme, however on the other hand, it is exceptionally expensive to live on Svalbard as all products must be transported in by boat. But in terms of research, it is amazingly fantastic.” Anne Hormes’ field of research deals with the climatic processes that affect the melting in the Barents Sea, which has been covered by inland ice several times over the years. The method she uses is called “cosmogenic nuclide dating.” “ W E A R E CO N STA N T LY bombarded by cosmic rays, mainly protons and electrons with such high energy as to cause nuclear reactions when they collide with other particles. The particles smash against the rocks on the ground and become isotopes such as beryllium and aluminium. But when the particles hit a sufficiently thick layer of snow, ice, or water, the isotope formation ceases. When the ice melts then you can measure if there are isotopes in the soil from previous radiation. In this way, it is possible to date when an area has become ice-free.” The relationships between the land and the sea in the Barents Sea pretty much resembles how it looks in West Antarctica, explains Anne Hormes. “By studying the ice melting in the Barents Sea, one can make a model of what can happen at the South Pole when the weather becomes warmer. It will be of great importance for understanding what the impacts of climate change might be.”
Anne Hormes has lived on Svalbard for nine years. She is studying the ice melting at the poles.
During her years on Svalbard, Anne Hormes been around to almost all of the islands, most often accompanied by field workers or students. “All courses at UNIS include field work, whether one is studying geology, biology, geophysics or technology. That is one reason why it is so popular among students. However since May last year, Anne Hormes has been working at the Department of Earth Sciences. Here she works as a research leader for the Arctic2k workgroup. “ T H E PROJ EC T I N VO LV E S collecting data from climate variability in the Arctic for 2,000 years. Among other things, I hope to set up a laboratory in Gothenburg for cosmogenic nuclide dating. There already is one in Bergen and one in Århus, but none yet in Sweden.” Anne Hormes enjoys being at the University of Gothenburg, not least because she has colleagues from so many different fields, something that may lead to new col-
»So winter on Svalbard and summer in Gothenburg would be the optimal, in my opinion.« laborations. What she misses from Svalbard is, unexpectedly, the winter. “In Gothenburg, certainly the sun is up there in the winter, but you see it hardly – It’s just a gloomy overcast throughout the day. On Svalbard, people long for the winter as the weather is clear and the moonlight causes the snow to light up. Already by the end of January, one experiences as the “blue light” when the sun isn’t up to be seen directly but the daylight is spread across the winter sky nevertheless. The summer however, is cold and cloudy. So winter on Svalbard and summer in Gothenburg would be the optimal, in my opinion.” TEXT: EVA LUNDGREN PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
In the end
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European Students Arrange the Prime Minister’s Visit
March 11th was Alexei Levinson, who is a researcher at the non-governmental polling and sociological research organisation, Levada-Center, in Moscow. His explanations as to why Putin is so popular in Russia filled the Dragonen auditorium, which was bursting at its seams, and Focal Point Europe’s organisers thought that they would never see such a large turnout again. “Ordinarily some sixty or so listeners come to our lunch lectures, but this time we counted 115 people in audience,” explains Astrid Jakobsson van Stam, Vice President of Brännpunkt Europa. “We get suggestions of possible speakers from various quarters, often from the Department, but this time it was Per Månson, Professor of Sociology, who arranged the contacts.” T H E LEC T U R E R O N
later, the record was surpassed by far. “The Prime Minister’s Office had contacted our Department to determine if Stefan Löfven could come here and meet with the students,” explains Floris van Stralen, Chair of Focal Point Europe. “Our department head, Fredrika Lagergren Wahlin, spoke with Urban Strandberg, Director of Studies for the Europe Programme, who discussed it with us. It all progressed so quickly; we got the information on 13 March, and 10 days later on 23 March the lecture was held.” Brännpunkt Europe always announces their events on Facebook, and they did so again this time.” B U T T WO W E E K S
“We didn’t think that too many people would sign up, because it was so short advance notice,” explains Astrid Jakobsson van Stam. “But after less than two hours, we had already received 800 reservation requests, which then rose to 1117. So we realised we had to change venues. The lecture was instead held in the Malmstenssalen at the School of Business, Economics and Law, which can hold 350 people.” “ B U T O F CO U R S E that wasn’t sufficient either,” points out Floris van Stralen. “So we decided to live stream the lecture in two adjacent rooms with space for 90 each.” What then did the Prime Minister say? Among other things, that it was a true pleasure to meet the University of Gothenburg’s students and that a future prime minister may be sitting somewhere in the audience right here. Then he discussed Sweden’s relationship to Europe, where human rights, sustainable development, and work for all are the most important areas to focus on. Following the lecture, students asked questions. They dealt with, inter alia, what will happen if Britain leaves the EU, the crisis in Greece, the vulnerable situation of the Roma, the Prime Minister’s views on the euro and NATO, as well as on how criminal gangs should be dealt with.
easy answers, but among other things, it is about creating jobs,” so said Stefan Löfven. “That is why my Administration wants that within 90 days unemployed youths will be guaranteed a job or training. All young people should feel that they have a future. But it is also important to devote resources in primary schools for pupils with problems.” After the lecture, the Prime Minister ate lunch with five students from Brännpunkt Europa.
“THERE ARE NO
PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
When Stefan Löfven visited the University of Gothenburg on March 23rd, it meant another success for Brännpunkt Europa – Focal Point Europe. The organisation is run by students and its primary purpose is the arrangement of lunch lectures on interesting topics of the day. “But the prime minister’s visit is by far the largest we’ve done!”
Floris van Stralen and Astrid Jakobsson van Stam had to put in a lot of work to prepare the prime minister’s visit.
»So we decided to live stream the lecture in two adjacent rooms ...« FLORIS VAN STRALEN
the University. And that it was our students at the European Programme and the Masters’ Programme in Political Science who were responsible for the arrangements, makes me so very proud,” exclaims Urban Strandberg. EVA LUNDGREN
Vice Chancellor Pam Fredman and three deans also participated in the luncheon, as well as Urban Strandberg. “It was the Prime Minister himself who had asked to speak with the students, and I suspect that it is precisely this that he likes. Students are not pretentious, they have no hidden agenda, and ask questions because they are honestly interested. Those who assert that the young people of today do not care about politics and government policies are wrong. For this seminar, there were students from throughout
FACTS Brännpunkt Europa - Focal Point Europe is a student organisation that organises lunch lectures on current topics. The organisation is run by students of the Europe Programme and the Masters’ Programme in Political Science with the support of the Centre for European Studies (CES) and Centre for European Research at the University of Gothenburg (CERGU). Since its inception in the spring of 2012, 28 lectures have been given.