Six researchers on how

Henrik Zetterberg, Professor at the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology:

– To me it was always very interesting, because I have experienced two diametrically opposed realities. Here, at our labs at Sahlgrenska and in Mölndal, where we are working on biomarker measurements for neurological conditions, we are looking at questions concerning how Covid-19 affects the brain. And we have seen clear indications that the viral infection may cause brain injury in certain patients. Naturally, this is very interesting, and it might not have been possible to study it if we had not been up to speed with the laboratory operations here in Gothenburg. – However, at the University College London, where I also have a lab and a research team, everything is at a standstill. The lab was closed in March and the twelve team members, like everyone else, have been at home, in lock-down. Obviously, that is not healthy. One of our post-docs from Bulgaria was feeling really despondent. Fortunately, she found a flight home to Sofia, was quarantined there and became very good friends with the quarantine officers who visited her every day for two weeks, whereupon she was able to be a little closer to her family and friends. – Of course, I am not able to go to London, and we have tried to keep everybody as active as possible. The team members have been able to attend online training and we have had Zoom meetings and after-work get-togethers on Fridays. Hopefully, we will be able to gradually open the lab in a few weeks, but I am concerned, of course. – Many of the world’s universities, like UCL, have closed down, which I think is a somewhat tepid response to the viral threat. I am proud that we are able to continue working at the University of Gothenburg, with restrictions in place of course, and thus contribute to the fight against corona and other important challenges in our society. Barbara Czarniawska, Senior Researcher at the Gothenburg Research Institute:

– The pandemic has led to a new research project. Myself and two colleagues have asked people who work on the coronavirus to send us their stories. When the pandemic is over, we will be analysing and writing. – In other ways, the pandemic has not had any major impact on my work. I am 80 percent retired and lately, I mostly carry out my research by reading and analysing books, films and the media, and you can do all that at home. Regarding meetings and collaborations, I have to say that I appreciate Zoom. The other day for example, I was listening to a seminar from Tel Aviv with a researcher from Yale. He was able to hold a presentation in a way that was just not possible before. As for myself, I held a PowerPoint presentation online instead of speaking at a conference in Warsaw as was scheduled. But I did not like it. You do not really go to conferences to learn something new, but to meet colleagues. And I enjoy being on stage, speaking. Deliang Chen, Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences:

– In general, it has been fairly positive for me. We do travel a lot within the world of research, perhaps a little too much, I find. We travel long distances, which takes time, and it takes time to recuperate afterwards as well. Now, we are meeting online instead. There are still some inequalities around the world in terms of broadband access but on the whole, online meetings are more accessible to everyone. You reach more people: both the ones you usually meet and those who would not otherwise attend our international meetings. I am also seeing a lot of data sharing, and the documentation is more structured and is put together more quickly now. – But there are of course also negative aspects to meeting online. It frequently takes longer to plan and you miss the informal chats in the corridor or in the canteen over a cup of coffee. Many online meetings increase the risk of spending too much time in front of your computer, and meetings clash with one another. – My own research very much involves running models and analysing data. It is sufficient to have access to the Internet to be able to continue working as normal. One advantage about working from home is that I can manage my time differently. Research time is more continuous and that enables me to save time. I find that the effects of the crisis on my research have generally been positive for me. We have a tremendous capacity to adapt and during the pandemic, we have learnt that there are other effective ways of working.

Åsa Arping, Professor of Comparative Literature, at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas and Religion.

– For me, I think the difference is minimal compared to many other researchers. I have a research budget for this year and I had planned to sit at home writing anyway. And some conferences have been cancelled. Many have been postponed for a year, which means that there will be plenty of them next year, if you want to go to all of them. Of course, there have also been plenty of digital meetings. For example, I am on one of the Science Council’s planning groups and we were going to meet for two days at the beginning of June. Now, there are several Zoom meetings instead, which requires quite a bit of extra work as the group cannot come together and discuss all the applications in the way we normally do. We have to work differently and split up into smaller groups. It is definitely more awkward. – Another aspect of it is that I have an upper-secondary school student at home who requires some coaching and socialising. For me, it has more of a mental impact. I live in the countryside and social distancing is easy, but on the other hand, it is easy to be understimulated in the long term. – I also see this as a precursor to the transition that we will be forced to make in the future, considering the climate crisis and the need for reduced air travel. Gunnar Köhlin, Head of Environment for Development at the School of Business, Economics and Law:

– Naturally, the crisis has been very palpable for those of us who live and work in an international environment. We coordinate operations for 15 environmental economy centres around the world in their research concerning the environment and the alleviation of poverty in the Global South. So, during the early stages of the crisis, it was all about ensuring the health of our colleagues. All potentially hazardous operations were halted. And then we had to check with our financiers, primarily Sida, that it was OK with them that some research projects were delayed. With a complete suspension of air travel, workshops, field work, annual meetings and conferences have been cancelled around the world. – But that does not mean that international collaboration has been suspended. – In a way, it is even more intense. We have previously invested quite heavily in video conferencing technology, which we are benefiting from now. It is full speed ahead and we collaborate on planning and conduct studies together. It is really only the data gathering that is delayed. – The pandemic and its consequences will impact research and its focus. – There are already plenty of ideas. It is of particular interest to us, as the environment is being so dramatically impacted by the restrictions. What will happen now that people are suddenly experiencing clean air in the Asian mega cities? These are things that we will make sure to follow up on. Anja Karlsson Franck, Lecturer at the School of Global Studies:

– I am involved in a project looking at how migrants from Burma seek protection in Malaysia and Thailand. That had to be postponed. But the international collaboration continues online. I am not really affected any more than people whose colleagues are here in Gothenburg. When you are quarantined, you are just as close to someone in Amsterdam, where my colleagues are, as to someone on Linnégatan in Gothenburg. Everything that is based on human relations and contact has been very complicated. – I also believe that my field of research, which mainly concerns migration and borders, will see a new focus. The corona crisis does affect border policies and people’s mobility. What will happen when the borders are reopened? Will the rules that have been rolled out be rescinded, or not? Another aspect, which directly impacts one of my research projects, is how to manage the spread of the coronavirus in the refugee camps on the Greek islands or in Libya, where people are being locked up. – During this time I have also thought a lot about what happens to human interaction when you only meet online. It is a strange feeling speaking in front of 38 empty squares with name tags. The opportunities for students to affect what is happening are very limited in a Zoom situation. When I am speaking in a classroom, the students influence me through signals they give out in the form of body language. The same thing is true for research interviews. A lot depends on the specific situation, people’s facial expressions, smiles and so on. You can always ascertain the facts but when it comes to creating greater understanding, so much is lost.