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Proud of her years at the University The building projects and the UGOT centres, these are just some of the many valuable investments that are mentioned by Cecilia Schelin Seidegård as she steps down as the Chair of the University of Gothenburg after seven years. – The vision was adopted at my final board meeting and I am very pleased to have been a part of that. WHEN Cecilia Schelin Seidegård
was appointed Chair of the University of Gothenburg in 2013, she had been on numerous other boards, including chairing the Royal Institute of Technology. She has also been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences for many years. But the University of Gothenburg was a new acquaintance. – I was immediately impressed by both the diversity and the size. Certain parts, such as the Sahlgrenska Academy, I already knew about, of course, and others I have come to appreciate during my time as Chair. The artistic branches, in particular, are unique to academia.
SEVERAL MAJOR building pro-
jects were initiated during Cecilia Schelin Seidegårds time as Chair, such as the new building for the Faculty of Science, Natrium, and the new building for the School of Business, Economics and Law. – Humanisten, home of the Faculty of Humanities, also turned out very well and I would naturally have liked to be part of the inauguration, when that takes place. All new buildings are valuable
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investments for the future. The RED 19 research evaluation was also conducted during Cecilia Schelin Seidegård’s tenure, as was the UGOT Challenges initiative, six interdisciplinary centres that take on the great societal challenges of our time. – PREVIOUSLY, THE University of Gothenburg achieved fairly poor returns on major research funding, such as the Investments in Excellence by the Science Council in 2006 and 2008. This has now been reversed, and the interdisciplinary centres have been particularly successful. One area where Cecilia Schelin Seidegård still thinks the University of Gothenburg could improve is in promoting their image in their hometown. – For example, if you ask a taxi driver to take you to the university, you are almost always asked whether you mean Chalmers or “Handels” (the School of Business, Economics and Law). The people of Gothenburg must start seeing their own town as a university town, the academic institutions are such an important part of the entire region’s development.
The people of Gothenburg must start seeing their own town as a university town. CECILIA SCHELIN SEIDEGÅRD
On of the most difficult challenges that Cecilia Schelin Seidegård had to endure as Chair was the vice-chancellor appointment in 2016. – Appointing a vice-chancellor is always something special but this time, it was particularly difficult, with resignations and problems throughout. Eventually, it turned out well, and I am very happy about having had the opportunity to work with two judicious and strong women vice-chancellors. At Cecilia Schelin Seidegård’s final board meeting on April 15, the board adopted the University of Gothenburg vision for the period from 2021-2030: A University for the World. – I THINK IT IS absolutely brilliant. Working for a better world is precisely what a university is about. I am very proud of having spent seven years as Chair of such an interesting university as the University of Gothenburg, and I am very glad that I had time to decide on our vision before I left.
Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Johan Wingborg
