Spring Issue 2018 - JIBS United Magazine by Jibs United Magazine

SPRING ISSUE 2018

JIBS UNITED MAGAZINE

En dag på KPMG Hos KPMG ligger möjligheterna öppna för dig som vill utvecklas och göra en karriär utöver den vanliga. Vi erbjuder ett utmanade arbetsklimat med högt tempo och stort eget ansvar för den som kan och vill. Det kommer att ge dig nya kunskaper, öppna oväntade dörrar och ge dig betydande möjligheter. Hos oss kan du räkna med att arbeta internationellt redan på hemmaplan och det finns goda möjligheter till att jobba utomlands. Vi satsar helhjärtat på din personliga utveckling och vårt mål är att vara en spännande arbetsplats där du mår bra och har roligt. Läs mer på kpmg.se

© 2017 KPMG AB, a Swedish limited liability company and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.

Nu söker vi nya talanger till samtliga av våra avdelningar inför hösten 2018. Vi rekryterar löpande till Audit & Assurance, Business Process Solutions, Tax, Risk Advisory, Consulting och Financial Advisory. Läs mer och ansök på www.deloitte.se/ledigajobb

What Impact Will You Make? 3

WORDS FROM THE DEAN

IBS was founded in 1994. Still considered a young business school, JIBS is now “older” than most of its students. In fact, older than some of its staff. When JIBS was imagined and created in the early 1990s, the world map of politics, economics and welfare was different from today. The future envisioned for JIBS in the 1990s was to be a spearhead, at the forefront of education and research on entrepreneurship and internationalization. There have been many “firsts” for JIBS: host company programmes, engagement with SMEs in the region, and, most recently, the first school in Sweden to be granted double-accreditation by EQUIS and AACSB. You could say it’s in our DNA to be on the frontline. Our ambition to be a pioneer puts high demands on us. By entering the digital era, the world at large, and the world of business schools specifically, is changing. Evolving. Rapidly. We must prepare for this future. We are doing so in many different ways: updating our learning environments; preparing and training our teachers; experimenting with new technology; engaging our stakeholders in adjusting and developing programmes that will cater their needs bet-

Professor Jerker Moodysson Dean and Managing Director Jönköping International Business School

ter. But there are some things that must be done on a grander scale. In late 2017, JIBS Leadership Team, Strategy Group and Strategy Board discussed the final version of JIBS Strategy 2018-2024, which is setting a trajectory for JIBS’ development in the coming seven years. In the strategy, we define what we see as the key elements to our success. The end-year for the strategy is 2024 which marks JIBS’ 30th year in operation. This may seem like a long time for

some – for others it is not more than a blink of an eye. No matter how you perceive time, this is a period during which the conditions for higher education are redefined. To remain relevant, we must embrace these new conditions and take a leading position in redefining business school education. We, faculty and staff, wish to do this together with our students, our alumni and our corporate connections. By cross-fertilization of ideas and skills, we infuse thebest of the present into a new and exciting era.

Welcome to the future, new and old students!

Har du växtkraft? Frigör den hos oss. Ansvar skapar växtkraft

Våra medarbetare får stort eget ansvar, vilket skapar växtkraft. Kraft att utveckla våra kunders, de dynamiska ägarledda företagens, affärer. Men också kraft att driva på sin egen utveckling och hjälpa kollegor att växa. Vi arbetar i en företagskultur där vi tar ansvar, stöttar varandra och samarbetar i team. Låter det som en plats där du skulle trivas och växa? Välkommen till oss!

Sofie Nilsson Auktoriserad revisor

karriar.grantthornton.se Facebook: Grant Thornton Sverige Karriär

Jesper Olsen Redovisningskonsult

Sylvie DellaBruna Editor in Chief

Ella Meyner Managing Director

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the first of the three magazines being published this during the year 2018!

A little bit about me… My name is Sylvie DellaBruna, and I am a first-year, California-born international student here at JIBS. It is also my first time being a project manager for a committee here under JSA and I could not be more excited, nervous, and driven to go through this next year at the wheel of JIBS United with many wonderful people at my side. There are many goals that I have for the magazine this year. Firstly, we are proud and excited to be holding three lobby events for each of the issues being published where students can engage with committee members, pick up some coffee and goodies, as well as learn where to find the magazine

now that it is being published in an online platform rather than being printed. Secondly, we are also introducing a JIBS United podcast series where three articles from every issue will be further talked about in a three-day podcast series in partnership with RadioK at HLK. Podcasts are an emerging and powerful platform to spread information, and also a fun way to listen to your favorite satirist, comedian, talk show host, and the like, and JIBS United Magazine wants to encourage students to engage with us as a committee by through this platform as well. This Spring Issue’s theme is “The Future is Now.” We chose this theme because the members and I felt that 2018 is the year of a fresh start, and also a

year to take control of your future. The phrase represents the notion that every decision you make now, tomorrow, next week, and so on, can affect and inspire what happens in your life down the road. If you want to do something that you know you will love – then do it! If you want to plan for a really amazing trip, or educational experience – plan it! Live here and now and don’t miss a chance to be your own inspiration and driver for success. We at JIBS United Magazine, wish all of our readers the very best in their past, present and future. This is an amazing committee to be a part of, and I for one, am so excited for the year ahead. Thank you.

Lea Beck Emelie Edberg

Loredana Rusu

DESIGN TEAM

Meet the Team...............................................10 Become Your Future Self, Today..........................12 #METOO.........................................................................16 Social Media: Living Online or Leaving It Behind?................20 JIBS - Now, Then and Later.........................................................24 Social Media: The Future Is Now........................................................28 Meet Students For Sustainable Action.......................................................32 Now Is The Time to Explore Where You Live...................................................36 Coffee Break................................................................................................................40 Meet JSA Board..................................................................................................................44 Future Thoughts...........................................................................................................46 How Millenials Are Shaping The Future............................................................48 How The Concept of Work and Jobs Have Changed..............................52 You Have Heard It Before...................................................................56 Opinion | The Future of Government and Our Place In It..............60 Gap Years - Helpful or Hurtful?...........................................63 What to Do After Graduating......................................66 Words From The President....................................69 Words From The JIBS Alumni Association..70

ONTENT

SYLVIE DELLABRUNA Editor in Chief

ELLA MEYNER Managing Director

JENNIFER HERTZBERG Marketing

LOREDANA RUSU Graphic Designer

EMELIE EDBERG Graphic Designer

LEA BECK Graphic Designer

JULIA CARLSSON Marketing

ANNIE JOHNSON Writer

LINUS MAUTNER Proofreader

MEET THE

BEATA HEDLUND Marketing

REBECCA LARSSON Writer

NIKOLA KOLEV Writer

SABINA FINNIGAN Proofreader

JOHANNES AHLSE Writer

FANNY JOHANSSON Proofreader

TEAM

ELISA BAKER Writer

HANNAH EDGREN Writer

Graphics by Jason Ratliff

BECOME YOUR FUTURE SELF, TODAY by Johannes Ahlse

obody is going to get you to where you want to be except for you. Everything starts with a goal. The first step to embracing your future self is to find inspiration. That feeling when you imagine the grand, exciting and vivid images of what your future is going to look like. Seek that feeling. Secondly, understand that dreams and aspirations will remain just that if you do not nurture them. The risk is, that your dreams will simply remain a conversational topic at a dinner table, a desperate hope for something better or a distant escape from reality. Because the reality is, dreams are inspiring, as long as they

are dreams. The second you make the decision to pursue and throw yourself into your aspirations, you are likely to face discouragement. The warmth in your chest, the fire in your eyes, turns into a lump in your stomach, palm sweat and a neurosis feeling of inadequacy. That beautiful picture you have painted turns into a distant thought and you are left with enormous challenges. Truth be told; a goal is something to work on, something real. The perfect dream does not exist in reality. I am not going to say it is a walk in the park, because it is not. Growing as a person takes discipline and it is unlikely you will admit that fear is stopping you from doing so. Instead, you have an arsenal of excuses as to why you are not pursuing your dream. Bad timing, I am not prepared, I do not really know what I want.

discomfort. As Johannes Hansen said during his inspirational lecture at JIBS,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Life begins where your comfort zone ends People are not born confident. People are not born brave. Becoming these things is about practice, gaining a sense of familiarity with these feelings, and pursuing what makes us uneasy even though our bodies tell us not to. That feeling of discomfort is the feeling of improvement. It is a feeling that we have been taught to dislike although it is the only indication we have to prove our growth. It is important to remember that if hard work was easy it everyone would do it. I am not saying that I am all-knowing, I understand, we have all been there. We have all faced our fears, we have all let ourselves down. It can be scary, but does not have to be. You will not become your future self overnight. It is

I believe that discomfort should be something to strive towards. You are never going to become the person you want to be, or achieve the things you want to achieve unless you embrace

ADMIT FEAR 14

EMBRACE IT hour and think about who you are and what you want to gain/learn from life. Are you not the person you want to be? Then think about who you want to be, and how you can become that person. Set clear goals. The reason people often prioritize “mindless scrolling” on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook etcetera is because people do not have clear goals. No clear goal of what they actually want to achieve and therefore cannot tell at the end of the week if they achieved what they wanted to achieve.

a neverver-ending project. There are two things I believe in when it comes to growing as a person; firstly, admit fear, secondly, embrace it. Easier said than done you might say? It is not. It is going to be challenging, but it is going to be worth it. Right now, there are more opportunities than ever before, people can become whomever they want. The resources are there, you just need to use them. I strongly believe in the concept of “surrounding yourself with successful people will lead to your success”. This belief is not about success rubbing off, it is about learning from people who are where you want to be. Compare habits and discipline, but do not compare yourself to other people. We all want different things, but we can all learn from each other. Fundamentally, pro athletes, scholars, or successful business-owners all share similar traits. They are dedicated to reaching their goal and have a clear vision for it.

Remember to start small, this is not about making a life changing journey in a matter of a day, it is about developing the habit of embracing discomfort and personal growth. Personally, I have never been the reading type, but reading books such as Outliers and Blink has broadened my perspective of thought, something that I want to work on. So, ask yourself, what can you do today that your future self will thank you for?

To conclude this article, I want to challenge you to take a second, minute or

REAL LIFE

YOUR COMFORT ZONE

#METOO by Beata Edlund

17,700,000 might seem like a big number, which it is, and the worst thing is that it is the reported number of sexual assaults and harassments by men on women since 1998. This may come as a shock for some of us, but not for others. Either way, this is what our world looks like today, a fact that rarely gets enough attention. Fall of 2017, will be remembered as the time when women stood together against the harassments performed by men all over the world. It was the fall when #METOO spread worldwide.

came a huge trend, and the previously unknown numbers of unreported sexual crimes started to grow. Alyssa Milanos was the woman who came up with the hashtag and it started as a tweet to encourage other women to let the world know the truth. Milanos shared her story about when she was harassed by the movie producer Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood. She is not the first one, but she was the one who stood up and showed that we have to put an end to this. Her story was the story that inspired women all over the world to share their stories as well.

Creating the Hashtag #METOO The hashtag arose and got known all over the globe in just a few days by women who, on Twitter and other social media, confirmed that they had been sexually assaulted, during at least one occasion in their life. The hashtag be-

#ME

TOO

#ME

#METOO #METOO

What originally was composed as an innocent tweet, is now something that celebrities, politicians and all of society are talking about. Harassment and rape are no longer forbidden subjects to discuss. The subjects are finally getting the

#METOO

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amount of attention they deserve, and people are strongly showing their support. In order to make a change people need to talk about it, and highlight the importance of it all; no woman should ever feel unsafe when walking alone, dancing in a club or being at her workplace. Many people were shocked by the rapid spread of the hashtag, suddenly your colleague, neighbor, sister or teammate started telling their story. Their experience and what they have had to live through. The large number of women who have stories to tell is overwhelming, something that has led to a lot of people to think and realize its importance. Today‘s society has a problem, and it is a problem which deserves each and every piece of attention it is given.

A Fight Spanning Decades The fight that women all over the world are fighting today is not newly emerged. It is a war that has been fought for decades, only now new aspects have risen. The first wave of the feminist‘s movement came in the 1920‘s when women started to fight for voting rights. The second wave of the feminist movement occurred during the 1960‘s and 1970‘s when women had voting rights, but still had no voice when it came to their workplace environment or household, the man always had the upper hand. Women wanted to do more with their life than what was expected from them, more than to take care of the house and children. Even though this is an important task the women thought it was unfair that they were barely allowed to have a job, and the types of work they

ETO

O #METO O

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#METOO

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could get were limited to teaching or becoming a nurse or secretary. Women aiming for a higher education were highly unwelcome, in an article written about the American Feminist Movement, a dean at a medical school once expressed: “Hell yes, we have a quota... We do keep women out when we can. We don‘t want them here - and they don‘t want them elsewhere, either, whether or not they‘ll admit it“.

harassment or the like. It is also a way for women to stand up for themselves, and reclaim their bodies. A man could be stronger than a woman, but no man is ever stronger than the women standing up for themselves, and each other. The way back may be long, but together we can do it. It is not only women who should support other women, we should all support each other in this. The harassment cases do not only affect the victim, but everyone involved, and society as a whole. For a better world here and now, because the future is now; will you, when someone says ME TOO say NO MORE? This is the end of sexual assaults. Something we should all be fighting for,and as a unified society, we will put an end to this in order to make the world a place where everyone feels welcome, safe and most important, loved for who you are.

A Fight for Today and the Future After decades of fighting for our rights, the right to decide for ourselves, our bodies, our careers, opinions, and future, maybe it has come close to an end? Could it be, that we have come to a point where a woman could be seen as equal to a man? In every aspect and every environment, no difference between which sex you have, or do not have. So, to go back to where we started, me too, is a way to support each other and finding a way back to life again, after a

poster by Deva Pardue, For All Womankind

SOCIAL MEDIA: Living Online or Leaving It Behind? by Annie Johnson

or the past three years, the worldwide-known phenomena and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has been the greatest source of inspiration in many people’s lives, mine included. When Sheeran in December 2015 decided to take a break from social media, he created headlines all around the world. His explanation was that he had been seeing the world through a lens and wanted to experience it himself. “There will always be someone else there to photograph it”, he said. A year later, I decided to do the same. At 23.59 on New Year’s Eve 2016, I deleted all social media applications on my phone except for Messenger (cheating or not, I still wanted to be able to stay in touch with long-distance friends). I had two initial reasons for making this choice, a choice that seems to become more and more common. - Number one: I do not understand the concept of having to be reachable at every single moment. Number two: I wanted to experiment and see if I would be able to become more efficient and productive with my time while living under a rock. Millennials and Social Media The first day was quite interesting. I unlocked my phone at least ten times that day, with the purpose of checking Snapchat. And then ten more times to check Instagram. And later ten times to check Facebook, it was definitely a sign of addiction. It also made me aware of how dependent I was on social media, which is a problem for many millennials in today’s society. As a matter of fact, a study reveals that young peo-

ple today spend nearly two hours daily on social media. This is summed up to a total of five years and four months in a life span, whereas eating and drinking only consumes on average three years and five months. This means that there are millennials that spend more time on social platforms than they do eating or even socializing in real life.

receive social approval through achievements. In this case, the accomplishments are through getting “likes” or a high number of followers. The feeling of happiness that is created stimulates the reward system in the same way a promotion at work would do. However, depriving the brain of this “reward chemical” leads to a shortage of dopamine and could consequently cause depression. To make it even worse; a study that was published in Forbes in 2017 reveals that 42% of the users of social media platforms feel jealous when someone else’s post receives more “likes” than their own, including posts from celebrities as well as friends and family.

It might not be a surprise that there are more pictures taken in two minutes today than during the entire 19 century, since studies show that the average individual spends a total of 40 minutes on Instagram and Snapchat daily. However, these two platforms together are ranked the most disadvantageous social media on a mental aspect. According to American Marketing Association, one essential explanation as to why there is such a high frequent usage of the social media is due to a release of neurochemical dopamine in the body when people th

Health and Social Media After finding all this information on how bad social media is for one’s health, confirmed in one study after the other, why do we keep using them so frequently? I found two crucial reasons: Firstly,

Small tip: Download an application called Forest. The application uses a timer, and until it sounds, one is not allowed to use the phone. Perfect for exam periods when there is a high need of staying focused!

it is not a secret that social media platforms are addictive. There is actually even evidence proving that these sits are continuously improved to keep their usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; engagement high. This is, for example, done by using a personalized news feed for each member. Â Secondly, we live in a society that is based on a life online. Without access to Facebook, the risk of missing out on important information or upcoming events is high. This creates a feeling of being an outsider, which could be discussed to have the same negative mental affects as a social media addiction has.

mainly for the sake of receiving firsthand information. However, I had definitely learned how to use my time more productively in January. I watched more Ted Talks than ever, got into the habit of listening to documentaries instead of watching Netflix, and I finished that book I had postponed reading for weeks. To conclude, I would recommend anyone who recognizes oneself in the addictive behavior described, to take a break from social media, even if just for a day. Alternatively, why not turn off the notifications to stay present in the moment? Social media itself is an astonishing feature to our society; it has ever been easier to access information. However, the addiction is dangerous. Therefore, it is definitely an interesting experiment for yourself to see if you rely your happiness or spend an unnecessary amount of time on social media platforms.

What Can You Do? Suddenly I realized, the idea of becoming more productive as a person instead made me inefficient in finding information about everyday-life activities. So, a couple of days into February, I decided to access both Snapchat and Facebook again. I was back online, but this time

JIBS

by Elisa Baker

– Now, then and later

It would take until the year 1992 for the one most vital report in JIBS history to be presented to the Swedish Minister of Education. A Foundation Board was set up, and they were the brains behind the report, mainly proposing the establishment of a business school in Jönköping that was internationally oriented and of the highest class, in terms of faculty, student exchange, and curricula. The report also stressed the lack of “a business school in Sweden that could contribute to the development and renewal of higher economic education and research in Sweden with a major profile in entrepreneurship as well as small and medium-sized companies”. These ideas were presented as an alternative to the “administrative” perspective that was traditionally dominant in Business Administration and Economics education in Sweden at the time. Further coopera-

he story of how JIBS came to be, and how it has changed since those first small steps in the 1970’s, can give us students greater understanding of why our beloved business school looks the way it does today. It may also give us a puzzling hint to what the future has in mind for JIBS. Taking its first tumbling steps in the 1970’s, JIBS was a rough diamond for over twenty years. At this point in time, a university-level education in Business Administration was started in Jönköping, in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg. Jönköping University College was set up as a state university college and only two national programmes in Business Administration were offered to students.

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tion with local and national businesses was suggested, and the major innovation presented in the report, that later became implemented, was the so-called host company programme. This meant undergraduate students would have a host-company to create an arena for meetings between theory and practice. It turned out to be a successful launch, still in use to this day.

opportunity for these students to study full-time in Sweden. Truly, this was a significant step towards becoming a truly international institution.

The coming years were characterized by extensive work to establish and implement the new international business school in Jönköping. When the first students arrived in 1994, there was programmes in International Business, Business Informatics, Commercial / Tax Law, and soon another programme in Economics and Politics was started.

A great milestone in the history of JIBS was in the year of 2015 when JIBS received EFMD, EQUIS, and AACSB accreditation. It was the first business school in Sweden to achieve this.

Today JIBS offer 4 bachelor degree programmes and the civilekonom program for Swedish speaking students. It also offers 9 master programs in advanced levels of education.

JIBS is truly a success story, achieved through hard work and strategic development. What the future holds in mind for our beloved school no one will know for sure, but personally, I believe we can find a hint of the future development of JIBS by looking at the three principles that together guide all decisions and actions that affects every student at JIBS.

Right from the start, all programmes had an international focus, and all students had the opportunity to study abroad for one or two terms - something that is still to this day, a quite unique characteristic for JIBS. JIBS started to develop partnerships with universities all over the world right from the start, and today it has over 200 partnerships. From 2003, international students could study an entire bachelor programme in English, providing an

2003

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Did you know that? …

Being “international at heart” means that we have aat local, national Being “international heart” meansand thatinternational perspective in and everything we do. we have a local, national international perspective in everything we do. JIBS currently has just above 2000 students, of which about 45% are international exchange students. Out of 113 employees, about 35% have an international background from 17 different countries. 85% of all program students at JIBS spend at least one semester abroad.

Being “entrepreneurial in mind” means that we should always be curious, Being “entrepreneurial in mind” means resourceful, passionate and capable. that we should always be curious, resourceful, passionate and capable. One in ten students starts their own business during their studies at JIBS. The first award ceremony in JIBS Entrepreneurship Challenge took place in 2012, and it is a contest for students made possible by donations.

To be “responsible in action” expressTo be “responsible expresses our es our commitment to in beaction” a role model commitment toconduct be a roleresearch model in our field and in our field and to and to education conduct research and offertoeducation offer that is relevant the sur- that is relevant to the surrounding community. rounding community. JIBS has signed UN’s PRME principles for greater focus on sustainability and social responsibility in education and research. This focus on responsible entrepreneurship in research has given JIBS international recognition. JIBS is ranked in second place globally, and first in Europe, in entrepreneurship research. It is also third place globally, and first place in Europe in the field of family business research.

Photo by Patrik Svedberg

by Nikola Kolev

SOCIAL MEDIA:

THE FUTURE IS NOW A story of a giant

en years ago it was a social media with just 100 million active users. However, its team of enterprising individuals led by a man with a unique vision for his product wanted to make sure that it had a bright future. Ten years later, this future is NOW, and the company has passed the 2 billion members milestone thus surpassing even China’s population total count. Inevitably, though, this astonishing boom in its user base brings some unexpected cons quences. The question everyone is asking now is: is the leadership able to navigate this modern-day Titanic in the stormy seas of today’s society or will it eventually bump his own iceberg?

Yes, I am talking about Facebook, a name which has established itself as a synonym for social media the same way Google is to internet searches. However, in contrast to Google, it had to continuously improve and adapt to the current conditions in order to face the fierce competition for people’s trust. Regarding this aspect, Zuckerberg developed a powerful strategy based on the scale of his company compared to the startups its was competing with: If they are interfering with your customer base, buy them. For evidence, you can ask the owners of Instagram, WhatsApp and the 65 other firms which were swallowed fiercely by the modern-day Leviathan of social media. Nevertheless, that is not always the case.

concept had to be entirely revised to meet the tastes of tomorrow. Therefore, the news feed was engineered to highlight news articles instead of photos and videos. So far so good, however someone had not considered the uniform way of how articles appeared: it does not matter if it is a legitimate investigative article by an authority in media production such as the New York Times or a complete scam from an unidentified source, it all looks in the same manner on your personal feed. The problem was that if Facebook began to edit some of the content, it would become liable for the latter and thus making its life extremely complicated. But the decision of non-interference made by the executives had its immediate consequences: a spreading of misleading and false information. “Fake news”, as we tend to call the lies nowadays, started impacting the decision-making process for enormous groups of people.

hen there’s another Titan in the fight for popularity and acquisition is simply not an option, plan B comes to hand: If you cannot buy them, imitate them.

As a result, on a market level, it captured the biggest profits in the advertisement market, though on a societal level, it polarized peoples’ opinions thus disrupting the way our society works.

This was the strategy used when facing the biggest threat to Facebook’s hegemony: Twitter. The 140-character- media had concentrated its feed on today’s news - or possibly more correctly said – on the reaction to them. This approach helped them become the primary source for the consumption of news by the public. Back then, Facebook was still a “face-book”: a place where people were sharing their own “chilling-on- thebeach” photos to gain their friends’ affection through likes and reactions. This

t is crucial to us, the business executives and policy-makers of tomorrow, to become conscious of the extreme importance of the issue for the future we want for us and as well as for our children.

As of now, I am confident that this large-scale phenomenon already has had its peak and it shocked us enough to realize its power. I hope it functions in the same way a vaccine does: by injecting a harmless dose of the disease we want to be protected in the long run. Therefore, I hope that our societal immune system is getting stronger, the consumption of “fast-news” is declining and the traditional organs that still produce quality news content regain its audience approval.

Be critical

As cliché as it may sound, the ability to properly assess information is critical for surviving in today’s turbulent media environment. We are being bombarded with so many news pieces from all places and all sources that many people fail to distinguish between the ones that are there to move our attention away from the truly important ones.

Always verify your sources

Keep proper media hygiene

Pretty much in connection to the previous one, behind all content, there is someone creating it, and if there is no name on top of it, then you should be seriously concerned with its credibility.

My three tips for navigating in the world of Social media in 2018:

In other words, as harmful as fast food is for your body, the same goes for “fast news” for your mind, and by removing them from your media consumption diet, you make yourself as well as the people around you healthier and, thus, happier!

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Meet Students for by Hannah Edgren

What is SSA?

Why was SSA founded?

Students for Sustainable Action (SSA) was founded as a group in November 2016 and officially became an association under the Student Union in January 2017.

SSA was founded by students who all experienced a common interest in taking action towards sustainable development at the school. It all started with a few students at Delta house who decided to come together over a meal to discuss current sustainability issues. As this dinner event accidentally went public on Facebook, students from other schools at the university, with a common interest in sustainability, decided to attend as well. As a total of eleven people showed up that night, and over a bowl of beetroot soup, positions were delegated and a board had been created.

The association’s primary purpose is to work towards sustainable development both at Jönköping University and in the local community of Jönköping. This is done by following and focusing on the triple bottom line model of Environmental Protection, Economic Development, and Social Progress when addressing current issues. SSA also aims to be a cross-school association, having members from all schools in the University to create a cohesive movement in which students can contribute the very best of their particular discipline. All in all, we wish to ensure that people now and in the future, will benefit from living in the sustainable society we can collectively create.

Sustainable Action What are some goals or aspirations in which the association wishes to achieve both in the short and long run?

What are some things SSA has been able to accomplish so far? During our first semester, SSA did projects such as the Documentary club, raising money and awareness to be part of building a school in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and improving the recycling situation. At this point in time, however, most of our effort went to writing a business plan for a sustainable student-run library cafĂŠ at the university. Unfortunately, the university decided to go through with a bigger and more established chain and although this was a disappointment, another project evolved from this â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The SSA Student Kitchen. Here, members of SSA cater delicious sustainable food to other associations or events, also collaborating with the Student Union. In addition to The SSA Student Kitchen, we also started our project called WakeUp where we attempt to create a system at the campus that reduces or removes the number of disposable coffee cups that are thrown away each year. This project is still ongoing.

In the long-run, we wish to have an influence on coming generations to act responsibly in their lives and in their careers. We hope our actions will engage students and faculty similarly so that the principles of sustainability can be lived and spread far beyond our scope. Our final long-term goal is that associations like SSA are no longer needed and instead, the University, Sweden, and the world is able to put sustainability as their main mission to assure that humans and animals can survive. A short-term goal of ours is to assure that the sexual harassment work at the university is improved so that student victims can receive easier access to treatment and better overall help. We also hope to see a successful Green Day on May 5th so that we are able to plant lots of trees in the world!

Last semester, we grew as an association and started important projects such as the Hands Off project that spread the #MeToo campaign at the university. We also did work to improve the current system that treats sexual harassment victims. Last semester we also went public with our online magazine/blog which was really exciting.

we have organized the Student Sustainability Summit 2018 which brought 70 students from all over Sweden to visit Jönköping University for a 3-day conference together with speakers, workshops, and networking. We have also worked together with the Student Union on a Sustainability Policy that we hope to get voted through during the Annual Meeting. SSA has also been accepted by the SDSN Network and will operate under the North Europe delegation to spread awareness about the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This semester we voted in a new board and SSA has continued to perform stronger than ever. These past months Felicia Gustafson, President of SSA

What is it like to be a part SSA and how do you become a member? If you want to be a part of SSA you can either apply for a position on the board or you can join as a member. The board meets at least once every week, the members-only meet officially every other week. As a member you can either engage in projects, you can contribute with ideas during meetings, or simply support us through our social media or public events. The board sits only for one semester, so at the end of the semester, we vote for the next semester’s board.

The SSA currently has a board with the following positions: President

Vice President

Treasurer

Administrator

Operations Manager

Members Manager

Marketing Manager

To become a member, you pay 40kr each semester and sign a contract that confirms that you have the right intentions and agree with our core values. This can be done in Rio Student Service or at the same time as you pay your semester fee to the Student Union.

Currently looking for a Graphic Designer and a Journalist.

Contact Information:

Upcoming Events:

FACEBOOK: Students for Sustainable Action

Biannual Meeting will be held in May.

INSTAGRAM: students4sustainableaction

Here you can apply to become a board

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/com-

member for Fall 2018.

panystudents-for- sustainable-action/ EMAIL: ssastud@js.ju.se

April 5 th : Sustainability Hangout with

Our newspaper that is currently on hold (but you can find old articles there): https://ssamagazine.wordpress.com/

Late April (TBD): Clothes Swap

RioPlus May 5 th : Green Day

The SSA Team

Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

by Rebecca Larsson

NOW IS THE TIME TO DISCOVER WHERE YOU LIVE

lot of people have travel bucket lists and they usually include, potentially, life-changing adventures to faraway lands. Even though there is something alluring about the far-away, there is a lot to be said for spending quality time discovering your home city. Summer is fast approaching, and people are starting to share their different summer plans. I thought it would be a perfect time to share tips for exploring Jönköping, and finding the joy and adventure that could be found in your own backyard.

1 Take a historic tour Every other day you drive by, take the bus or walk past this building, statue or church. But do you actually know the name of it or the history behind? Jönköping, as you mayknow, is famous for being Sweden’s “Jerusalem”. Even if you are not into religion nor have a deep interest in history, I would definitely suggest you visit the Sofia churchduring Lucia. To experience one of this country’s oldest traditions

in such a massive church is indeed a cool experience. Another place worth visiting is Tändsticksmuseet (located next to Akademien). There is no other product that has made Sweden, or Jönköping, more famous worldwide, than the safety match. Go out and explore! Take the time to learn about the history and secrets of Jönköping!

Make it a date While roaming around the streets on my days off, there are places that I pass by and each time I tell myself that “one day” I’ll check them out. I am sure that there are several places that pop into your mind as you are reading this. I cannot believe it took me almost 6 months to discover that the crepes at “Olgas Crêpes and Gelato” are the best thing to ever happen a pancake lover like me. Another hidden gem is Stadsparken. When I lived in Dalvik, I practically lived there. Take a run, pet the lamas, go watch a football game or play minigolf. There are endless amounts of activities that you can do, but it will never happen if you do not set out a real plan. So, open up your calendar, set a date, and stick to it.

3 Go to the top! After strolling around and exploring the streets of Jönköping, it is time to experience the top of it! This is another reason for visiting Stadsparken, you get quite a fantastic view over Jönköping, on a good day (and with extraordinary binoculars) rumor says that you will be able to see all the way to Gränna! If you live in, or close to, Husqvarna, you can hike up Husqvarnaberget, this is a perfect opportunity to gather all your friends and go for a picnic or have a barbeque! If you wish to stay near the city centre, and perhaps like photography, the top of the car park in Coop Atollen is said to have a terrific view over Munksjön and JU. It would make a great shot if you set the shutter on your camera on long speed and snap a photo of the cars driving over the bridge.

4 Hiking

Going on a hike is of course fun but it’s also awesome for your health. It is definitely the best way to explore the nature of Jönköping at its surroundings. It is a super easy and affordable micro-adventure that you can do over the weekend, or just for one day, to escape the concrete buildings and refresh yourself on Monday morning. Jönköping has quite a few hiking trails

that you can explore. Dummemosse, Hassafallsleden, and Hallbyleden are all located close to the city center. According to a 2008 University of Michigan study, your memory performance and attention span improve by 20% after spending one hour out in nature. In other words, hiking is perfect to do during exam period!

5 Go see a (different) Sports Event Many people have “their teams” that they cheer for and religiously follow. But have the idea of trying out a new sport or go see a new team ever crossed your mind? Jönköping was announced as “Sweden’s best city of sports” 2017 and the same year the local hockey team HV71 won the Swedish Hockey League. You are not a true Jönköping local until you have been to a HV71 game. If you rather soak up the sunlight, why not try one of Jönköping’s many golf courses? You also have the opportunity to run through many of Jönköping’s beautiful blocks during the Jönköping Marathon in August. Just imagine crossing the finish line on the Munksjö bridge, meeting the crowd’s cheerful joy. You’ll definitely feel like a true Olympic champion! Be open to trying new things and you may discover a whole new side of your city!

by Sylvie Marie DellaBruna

COFFEE BREAK WITH LISA HEDVALL Welcome to the first Coffee Break of the year! This article is a chance to connect with alumni of JIBS and see what they are doing after graduating from our wonderful school. I hope this year’s alumni will inspire you and help you to appreciate your education here at JIBS.

had the pleasure of sitting down with Lisa Hedvall, 24, a Ph.D. candidate and JIBS alumna, at Café Napoleon in Jönköping city for a needed “fika” after the end of a long exam-period. Having spent the first four years of her life in North Carolina where she was born, Lisa’s family relocated to Sandviken, Sweden where she grew up and graduated high school.

“And, I learned to pitch things. What, why, and who cares about everything? Just pitch it! Making ideas interesting and understandable, to an audience, quite early so that your message comes forward.” This is a skill put to use well when she is abroad attending conferences.

Lisa made her way down to Jönköping University when she received an admission to Industrial Engineering and Management, with a major in Logistics, a bachelor program at JTH. Continuing at Jönköping University, Lisa then entered her one-year master’s program, Engineering Management, at JIBS from 2015 to 2016 before deciding to continue on to her Ph.D. studies.

“

When reflecting on her time at JIBS, and asked about what courses prepared her for her Ph.D. studies, Lisa responded; “It was only one year, but I took entrepreneurship, leadership, accounting and finance, and so on. It was good to combine engineering and economics to gain perspective.”

“Culture; there were sixteen nationalities in my master program at JIBS, all with different perspectives on life and culture, how they perceived different things, and how they were raised.” This proved to be a point we could both connect on and talk about for many minutes. When one walks the halls at JIBS, it is instantly clear that you have stepped into an international environment; with different languages, always in ear-shot, and maps of partner universities all around the world posted in the corridors.

Lisa also reflects on her favorite part of attending JIBS;

Lisa also commented on some of the most important things she learned during her time at JIBS; “To see things in a more generalist perspective,” because of the specialized nature of her engineering studies at JTH, Lisa expresses the ability to gain a broader perspective with a business and economics view on how structures work in an organization. She adds;

Just pitch it! Making ideas interesting and understandable, to an audience, quite early so that your message comes forward.

There is one stand-out memory, however, that stands out for Lisa came at the end of her program at JIBS; graduation day.

“It was such a great experience with the ceremony and the robes, you feel so proud of yourself; one year goes so fast.” A pivotal and memorable moment marking the end of an era for a student rising in their education.

a strategic level in the future and am working on research questions for this level currently. I am not regretting it now, it’s something that I really like and I continue to learn new things; continue to develop and am forced to push limits and go outside my comfort zone – especially at international conferences.”

As mentioned previously, Lisa is now a Research student and Ph.D. candidate working at JTH. Her field of research is inCapacity Management, in the area of Production Systems, which may change to Operations and Supply Chain Management after some organizational changes.

“

When asked to give inspiration to those who want to pursue higher education and why she would recommend pursuing a Ph.D., Lisa responded with a smile; “If you are interested in continuing learning, then, why shouldn’t you? It is a great opportunity to go in depth about something you like.”

If you are curious to learn, don’t stop. Either you learn it’s not for you or you can become an expert in something.

Adding; “If you are curious to learn, don’t stop. Either you learn it’s not for you or you can become an expert in something.” Lisa will be finishing her Ph.D. studies and residence in 2021 and would like to work with business development at a strategic level. After working in a larger company for a while, she may even consider forming her own consultant company; helping companies with their production systems.

Deciding to start a Ph.D. education doesn’t seem to be common among most students, especially not right after finishing their master’s degree. Deciding to do so was not always so clear to Lisa. After debating whether or not to move back to Norrland, it was her professor who gave her the final push.

As a driven student, researcher, and JIBS alumna, Lisa is excited about the future and has quite a bit to say about what she thinks the future has in store for her, and her attitude going forward into 2018.

“I didn’t think about it from the beginning, in the last few months of consideration my teacher inspired me to see that I could take different paths to what I want to achieve in the future and the benefits of becoming a PhD Student. I want to do business development on

“In general, it’s quite a busy year with

a lot of things – exciting things going on. I am personally, putting together my house, traveling, meeting a lot of inspirational people that will impact my coming career, and continuing to develop myself. I feel positive, I am excited to learn more about myself.” Talking about the future ties into the theme of this very issue, The Future is Now, Lisa expresses how she feels when hearing that phrase and thinking about how to take hold of life while being in the moment; “Spend your time wisely right now, today. You can only be perfectly sure about what you do today, not tomorrow, set the stage for your future and your career. Make sure to listen to yourself, what you believe in, and what you feel good about.”

Lisa getting her Master degree at JIBS

Lisa was an absolute pleasure to interview and I hope that reading about her drive towards higher education will inspire those who are on the fence about deciding to continue, to give it a try. You can find out a lot about yourself by pushing your comfort zone and boundaries by going for something you may not even know you were meant to do. Pursuing a Ph.D., let alone a master’s degree is an opportunity to hone in on what one is really interested in, meet inspiring professors and mentors in one’s field of study, and develop as a student and person as a whole. Your future is now, and whatever you decide can lead you down many interesting and inspiring paths.

MEET THE Q: What do you expect for the future?

I expect the future to bring me many failures. Luckily failing means you are trying and in many cases, you‘ll also find those successes.

I believe we were given two hands so that we can pet two dogs at the same time. Thus, I am a simple girl who just wants two dogs for ultimate happiness.

Oona Heiska

Austra Kaše VICE PRESIDENT - HEAD OF EDUCATION

PRESIDENT

I expect a lot of new adventures with (hopefully) amazing people.

Always kind, yet fearless. I’m always late but worth the wait.

I am the future! Carolina Rebello de Andrade HEAD OF INTERNAL

Sara Hooton THE HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL

Lucas Yuan HEAD OF MARKETING

JSA BOARD I think the future looks good!

Don’t wanna say something I can’t live up to. My necklace says “Sic itur ad astra”

Edwin Davis

Malin Wiberg

HEAD OF ADMINISTRATION

HEAD OF EXTERNAL

Time is now, the future is now, so why not live in the moment. There is some truth behind „better an oops than a what if“

Doing some bookkeeping.

Viktor Gustafsson

Matilda Andersson HEAD OF SOCIAL

TREASURER

FUTURE THOUGHTS by Hannah Edgren

o me, the word and meaning of “future” is a toxic yet intriguing concept. Give it a thought. What does the “future” mean to you? To most, the future grasps the concept of time, and when we speak of something to be in the future, we often think of it as being many years from now. According to the Oxford dictionary, however, the future can be considered as “a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing; time regarded as still to come.” This means that as you have proceeded to read through this text, and as you continue, you are constantly being exposed to your future.

than later that our generation is able to access opportunity easier than ever before.

Although this concept probably does not come as any news to you, many of us forget to reflect upon it. Instead, we tend to go about our lives with our dreams of future achievements and aspirations in the lead– neglecting to acknowledge the importance of seizing this very moment. See, moments are more than merely an expression of a brief period of time. When in the hands of the right people, they are what make up the agents of change. It is thanks to those who chose to act “now” rather

Time has come for us to start seizing our “now’s” – to act as agents of change. Not only to be able to live in the future in which we want to see ourselves, but also to challenge existing innovations and allow sustainable growth for the next generations. If we all started using our moments wisely, I am sure a grass root movement will take off – inspiring others to do the same. And only then can we truly conquer the future, this very moment.

See, unlike previous generations, ours has been served with a shortcut. In fact, we are probably the first generation who are merely a button away from being able to design our futures the way we aspire to. Whether it is connecting with a potential employer on LinkedIn or joining a movement on Facebook, it has never been this easy to take a first step. So why do you choose to take advantage of your opportunities tomorrow, when you could be doing so today?

NOW 47

HOW MILLENIALS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE by Rebecca Larsson

azy. Impatient. Self-centered. Those are only a fraction of all the names Millennials have been called, names that imply a change, a difference. These changes arise as a result of the technological advances, globalization, and a new set of values that are shaping the future. We are in the middle of a generation shift where baby-boomers (born in the 40’s and 50’s) are retiring and are handing over the torch to the Millennials (also referred to as Generation Y). The Millennials are people born between 1980 and 2000 (time definitions vary). They are a group of 77 million people around the world and what is extra interesting about this generation, especially the people born in the 90’s, is that they are the first connected generation. They have grown up with the Internet, tablets, cell phones and with that, access to endless amounts of information. This has shaped them in a number of ways, in the dynamics of life and the way of thinking. As millennials are now in the ages between 18 and 38, they are making their way into the “adult world”. They are already in the process of transforming and changing how we look at work, the economy, personal life, and also the way we design and behave in our interpersonal relationships. Technology impacts and changes the way we work. Millennials are often misinterpreted as being lazy compared to previous generations, but they are actually aiming for more efficiency in their work life. As stated in a study by Deloitte (2017), Millennials feel optimistic about the rise of technology and believe it will bring more opportunities than risks. 53% think it will drive economic growth and 50% believe that technology will boost an organization’s ability to use labor more flexibly, which will result in more time to spend on value added projects. Millennials believe that a process should not take multiple steps nor take days to be approved by different managers. Things that used to take days to complete can now be done in just a few clicks.

Growing up in the digital age, Millennials are by far the generation that spends the most time on social networking and is considered to be the most social generation (Pew Research Center, 2014). With the rise of social media, starting a business has never been easier due to the ability to „go live“ and „go global“ simultaneously using digital platforms. Starting a business is a wish more than half of Millennials have, and a lot of them already have. Looking at the “Forbes 30 under 30” list, you will find many founders, co-founders and CEOs, all from the Millennial generation. They know that nowadays, the only necessary tools for reaching global customers is talent, Skype and the cloud. Millennials are also more enlightened and educated than previous generations. Growing up with the internet and loads of different medias, they have, since a young age, been informed about war, environmental destruction, injustice and problems in the world. As a consequence of this, Millennials are more value-driven than past generations and reject companies that are only driven and motivated by profit. Millennials want companies they purchase from and work for to practice business sustainably and behave ethically. In the future, it will be important to not only use Corporate Social Responsibility as a marketing strategy but also to successfully attract, hire and retain workforce. Employees want to feel proud of the company of which they work for. Regardless of the opinions one might have about them, the changes generated by the new generation that is starting to make an appearance imply great developments for all. Millennials are rapidly changing the nature of our workforce with the use of technology, globalization and philanthropic values and we can all expect exciting times ahead.

www.pwc.se/student

Vad vill du uppnå? Låt oss ge dig möjligheter

Photo Charlotte Carlberg

Din framtid är just din och ingen annans. Det är du som sätter målen och får det att hända. Men som landets ledande företag inom revision och rådgivning kan vi öppna dörrar och skapa möjligheter som ger dig kunskap, erfarenheter och nätverk du har nytta av hela livet. Börja med att lära känna oss och din framtid på www.pwc.se/student

HOW THE CONCEPT OF WORK AND JOBS HAVE CHANGED by Johannes Ahlse

oday‘s working environment bears very little resemblance to a few decades ago. All aspects of work as they have traditionally been understood are wearing thin. Social and economic factors, as well as the tactility of work, are changing. Global recruitment company Next Generation along with NeoMam Studios, has released an infographic depicting a few of these social and technological changes that have transformed the way we work Businesses would previously advertise job openings in newspapers, storefront and through networking. Nowadays, these methods have become less prevalent and used in the same manner. For jobs that require higher qualifications and include more responsibility, employers often use sites such as LinkedIn, personal recommendations and headhunting-companies. The “previous” ways of working and advertising are still relevant, but more so in smaller businesses. Because the concept of work has changed so drastically due to the technological revolution, it would be impossible to cover all aspects in a short article. Therefore, focus will be applied to three aspects; working hours, working location and company structure. Comparing Generations Not only are people working longer hours and earning the same wage, but jobs requires one to always stay connected to work. Since many are working harder, a growing issue is of that the age of retirement is becoming increasingly postponed. It is expected that the minimum age for retirement in millennials will be at around 70 to 75, and in some cases, people will not be able to retire at all according to Vox. The plight is well known – Americans are at a record high student debt and historically low wages does not paint a healthy picture for our future potential and retirement hopes. Even though all the data shows we will not have enough money to retire, it does not consider that we are also said to

be the most driven and entrepreneurial generation. We might be both the most educated and underemployed generation in history, but as “millennials” we are natural born opportunists. One thing is for certain – retirement for us will look quite different than it will for our parents. Our parents have had to work their whole lives and save as much money as possible with the hope that they will be able to stop working at age 65+. That is when they can start taking social security, as well as live off their 401Ks and for the lucky few – a pension. That is many of our parent‘s retirement plan. Most of us are not likely going to work towards a magic day in the future when we can golf every day and maintain our garden “every day until you die”. To me that actually sounds pretty boring – why would I want to “disengage” for the rest of my life? Lower stress? Sure, I would definitely take lower stress, but I would still like to stay busy and have projects. I do not imagine ever just “checking out”. How many rounds of golf can someone play anyway? The Digital Nomad The research data suggests that while many jobs in the market today did not exist 20 years ago, it is expected that in around a decade’s time, 60% of the jobs will be completely new compared to today and many will not require a fixed place of work. Work is becoming more and more nomadic in the sense that almost anyone nowadays can work from a computer. The relation between “work” and “nine-to-five” is eroding. „Digital nomad“ is a term that is earning more relevance and popularity. At its core, being a digital nomad is about having the ability to work using technology. These nomads tend to be entrepreneurs, own their own business, freelance or work as consultants. The term spans a range of industries; programmers, coaches, translators, bloggers, and designers just to name a few.

FREELA

ANCE

TECHNOLOGY

To conclude, the concept of “work” has changed drastically over the last decade, and work as we know it today will most likely have changed in the same manner over the next 50 years. Before the Internet existed, the idea of someone making a living from a computer was probably ridiculed. Look at where we are today, people can work from one country and have a business in another that sources their product in a third country. That is kind of amazing. It is impossible to foresee where “work” will take us next. All we know is that we adapt, and work will adapt alongside us.

DIGITAL NOMAD

Company Structures Another aspect of change is company‘s structures. Traditional hierarchical structures have also given way to a more flexible, flat system; horizontal organizations. In other words, the level of power distance in companies is fading. The modern organizations are borderless organizations where networking and collaborating is more frequent than ever. Organization‘s are becoming for well-suited for rapid innovation and the agile response to customer needs. A common criticism of the modern organization is that they are unstable. They are dynamic but rely on constant change to grow. In short, company’s structures are reflective of modern society. People are becoming more liberal and power distances are closing, thus horizontal organizations become more frequent.

HORIZONTAL ORGANIZATIONS

NNOVATION 55

by Elisa Baker

YOU HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE...

…That everything we do has an impact our environment in some way. The food we eat, the clothes we wear and the cars we drive. Everything that is produced has an effect on forests, seas, freshwater, land, air, animals and plants. The more we produce and consume, the more it affects the environment around us. As a student, I often find myself in guilt over not being able to consume all organic, recycled, biodynamic ’saving-the- world-superhero- stuff’. It is simply not possible on a student budget. For many people, it is impossible even on a ”working class” budget. We must realize that everyone cannot to everything, however, everyone can do something. We should all strive to do our best with regards to reducing our carbonfootprint. Doing nothing, and thereby continuing as we always have, will be the easier path to walk down. The easier option will however likely lead to an internal conflict on whether we are ensuring a safe future for our children, generations after us need forests to walk in, fresh air to breath and clean oceans to swim in during the summer. In order to highlight some of the things you can do, we have constructed a list to help you get started! Try not to be discouraged or overwhelmed by the long list. The truth is that reducing our carbon footprint starts with making small changes to our lifestyles, and even doing a fewof these can radically help the movement.

- Recycle. Always, and everything.

- Eat more vegetarian and vegan food. Both pancakes and falafel rolls are lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Awesome, right!?

- Leave out soda and bottled water and rather invest in a reusable water bottle. - Run your washing machines only when full â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this applies to washing machines as well as dishwashers.

- If you choose to consume meat, choose carefully. Try to buy organic and local produce as far as possible. Fish and game, however, have the lowest environmental impact.

- Aim to never throw away food. Get creative with your cooking! Pies, soups, potsâ&#x20AC;Ś options are many. Name one thing that is not good to throw in a pasta dish!?

- Challenge yourself to buy at least three organic items every time you are in the grocery store. - When you shop for clothing, furniture and interior: invest in good quality materials. Choose things you really like and want to keep for a long time.

- When you renew your newspaper subscriptions, choose a PDF format rather than a paper magazine. - Air-dry your laundry when possible.

- Stop impulse shopping. Before buying something, you can always ask yourself if you really need the item. You might be able to borrow it from a friend or find it second hand.

- Do you have a car? Challenge yourself and see how many trips you can do by foot, bike or public transport. You will most likely also cut your gas costs!

- The reusable fabric bag is your best friend! Also buy thinner waste bags for your household waste.

- Change to a better electricity provider and invest in solar-, wind- and water energy.

- Replace skin and hair care products as well as make-up with natural and organic alternatives ... but use what you already have first!

- Join or donate to environmental organizations. - Grow herbs and vegetables on your balcony or in your garden. Your air improves and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll most likely save some money!

- Replace your cleaning materials for environmentally friendly ones. Why not ask your grandma how to use lemon, vinegar and old-fashioned soap?

- Do not print things unnecessarily.

- Buy groceries that are in season. Cheaper, better and lower climate impact. Win-win!

- Decline paper advertising and magazines! - Give to charity (for example Unicef) as a gift to the friend who already â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;has everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or to the host / hostess instead of flowers.

- Review your invested money. FairFinanceGuide will help you invest sustainably! - Do a thorough clean-out of your home and sell or donate items you are not using. This increases the possibility of someone else buying them rather than new products.

Logo vector created by Ajipebriana - Freepik.com

OPINION | THE FUTURE OF GOVERNANCE AND by Nikola Kolev

rom Trudeau’s funny socks in Davos to Trump’s less-than140-words executive orders: politicians are closer to us than ever. Once standing in power just like Greek gods on the Mount Olympus, they had to go down to the people to accommodate themselves in a technology-led era. However, harmless that may sound, it looks more like a deviation to some darker times than an evolution to a brighter future. As students, our role is to be aware of the processes that involve us and, as one of you, I will try to help you find your way during these stormy times.

proach voters had to accommodate this change. Because of the huge heterogeneity of people’s needs, tastes, fears etc. it used to be hard for a politician to correctly discriminate individuals on personal traits. However, the future is now, and through the modern-day communication channels, it is becoming increasingly easier to make people divide themselves into groups with similar preferences. As consumers, each of us is eager to share personal data in exchange for the provision of a product or service. The more the data, the more accurate the suggestions, the higher the profit in terms of money, number of votes and so on.

In its core, things remain the same: politicians’ aspire to gain the people’s affection by connecting with them on both reasonable and emotional level. However, technology is disrupting the ways this task is being achieved. Since discussions moved from the streets to social media’s feeds, the way to ap-

“

Even more, it is a threat to democracy in its core.

Recently, this model’s foundations were shaken by the already well-known data breach suffered by Facebook and the

D OUR PLACE IN IT backlash which followed the revelations. Even though personal data of more than five times the amount of Sweden’s population was used by a third-party firm, the case is not that important as the long-awaited discussion about democracy that it triggered. Since then, lots of people became conscious that algorithms with unknown functioning are utilized to impact their personal choices. While this might be advantageous in buying the most suitable pair of jeans, in the decision-making process of political representation, it is unacceptable. Even more, it is a threat to democracy in its core. However, what makes me optimistic is people’s arduous response to the attack on their freedom of choice.

“

Technological revolution is in fact a political revolution. – Emmanuel Macron

The #deletefacebook movement grew enormously and led to huge losses for the giant in the social media world thus triggering reforms in the way personal information is treated.

use of our personal data. That is the only way to find our way in the informational storm that is surrounding us.

“

Another strong evidence for the direction in which the way of governance evolves is the recent statement by the president of France himself. Coming in very convenient time, in my opinion, Macron’s words establish AI as an essential part of the political process in the close future. An investment of 1.5 billion euros speaks for itself about the importance of technological development for the young politician. His extensive interview for Wired can be easily summarized by his own words: “Technological revolution is, in fact, a political revolution”. Therefore, to keep his political power in this era, it is necessary to get on the wave of artificial intelligence development. Nevertheless, what will determine us as society is to what extent ethical considerations remain in the decision-making process. I cannot agree more with France’s head of state that we must remain true to our values and be intransigent to unethical

International at heart. Entrepreneurial in mind. Responsible in action. (Politically.)

In this sense, I find JIBS&’ core values extremely relevant to the future of governance as I hope it would be. In order to benefit from global cooperation in technological advance, it is essential political executives to remain “international at heart”. To remain at the edge of progress, being “entrepreneurial in mind” is needed and an innovative leader like Macron is aware of that. And about our ethical stance regarding our development as a society, “responsible in action” must be the ground rule for the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, as aspiring leaders and proud JIBSers, we must be keen to the values we are educated in and continue promoting them in future. 62

Gap Years Helpful or Hurtful?

by Annie Johnson

or many students at JIBS, graduation is just a minute away. The opportunities are endless, but the incertitude may be draining. Will there be available jobs? If not, will there be any internships? Any exciting trainee-programs that may land you your dream job? For the rest of us, graduation may be perceived so far away that it is impossible to even imagine it will eventually be our turn to be dressed in a cap and gown. No matter where you are in your studies, you might have noticed that you are dreaming of some time away from school – to take a gap year. This is a “period of time during which a student takes a break from studying”, often thought of as a happening between high school and university. However, it can also work as a motivator during university studies.

four out of ten manages to succeed with this ambition. One thing is clear: the demand for gap years is increasing rapidly. For some, gap years means working long hours to earn just enough money to make reality of a dream vacation with friends. For others, it is time well needed to figure out what to do in life. Nonetheless the reason, it is debatable if gap years are generally beneficial or if they can have a negative impact on future opportunities career-wise. Benefits of the Gap Year The benefits of taking a gap year are to be found in articles and blogs all over the internet. The majority of those who take one or more gap years are longing to travel the world, experience other cultures and learn new languages. These experiences are likely to have an impact on future academic- and career choices. A study with more than 900 participants conducted in Sydney, Australia, proves that taking a year away from studies functions as a motivating factor, as well as boosts the performance during the first semester at university. As a matter of fact, economic researchers found that students in the United Kingdom and United States who had taken a gap year were more likely to graduate from the university with a higher average grade than those who had not.

Figures and Facts Taking a gap year is common among students in various countries. It is difficult to give an exact number of how many people make this decision, but the American Gap Year Association have experienced a 294 per cent increase in attendance at their gap year fair since 2010. In addition, a study made by SCB* claim that six out of ten students at high school in Sweden say that they want to continue their studies at university within three years, but only a total of

is rather unfortunate that these organizations are also aware of the rising demand. As of how the society that we live in today generally work, the rising demand automatically lead to a higher price tag. This means, receiving professional help to plan and organize your gap year usually requires you to be able to pay for the service.

One stunning example on how gap years can positively affect the future is Kate Wheatcroft. She is to be found on Forbe’s “Top 30 Under 30” list in the Food and Wine category, with her Bien Cuit bakery located in New York. Wheatcroft has been able to make use of the knowledge and skills she acquired during her year off when she worked on a farm and in political organizing. This proves that the right mindset towards a wellplanned gap year-experience, can lead to extraordinary accomplishments.

It’s Up To You! Taking a gap year can function as guidance surrounding what to do in life, help you determine if you made the right choice of studies, or realize what you truly value. If you manage to plan and go through with the gap year successfully, it will most likely be an adventurous year with new experiences, friends and lessons for life. However, if you are anything like me, with three gap years on my back and unable to afford doing the unpaid internship in Argentina you have dreamed of, but still willing to strive for adventures, you will have to be patient and creative.

Some Precaution However, there are a few factors to bring into consideration before taking your year off. Unless your gap year is wellplanned, the risk is that it will eventually turn out to be time wasted. Instead of feeling motivated to work hard after a year off, the risk is to experience the opposite: the feeling of falling behind. Luckily, there are plenty of organizations to help you if you find it difficult to make the plans yourself. Although it

I would recommend you to read “Now is the time to explore where you live (page number)” to find inspiration on how to create your own adventure in this beloved metropole and region.

SCB * Statistiska Centralbyrån

WHAT TO DO AFTER GRADUATING? Now is the time to think about your future by Beata Edlund

raduating, the word so many young adults associate with freedom. But is it really freedom that derives when you graduate? Or is it more of an unknown future filled with responsibilities and tough life questions?

traveling for one year after graduating from high school is normal and very common. According to the Swedish Agency for Higher Education, in 2013, a total of 69 percent took a gap year between high school and university. Where in the USA only 2,2 percent of the class of 2015 took a gap year before continuing their studies (Quartz, 2016). Not one option is best for everyone, but having multiple options can make the process of graduation easier.

There is no doubt that there are a lot of options after you graduate, whether it be from high school or from the university. Depending on your culture, country of origin, or what institution you are graduating from, there are different norms on what people actually do after they take their final exam. In Sweden,

Filippa Edlund is 19 years old, completing her last year in high school, and will

“

one day I feel more excited about graduating than ever and the next day I have never been more nervous, but overall I am excited about this fresh start.

be graduating in June. I wanted to know her feelings and hear her opinions about graduating and what she thinks she will do next.

her why just Asia, she responded that, because so many from Sweden are going there, it inspired her and her friends to go there to discover the beautiful beaches and surrounding places. ”I am a very passionate traveller, this is only one of many trips I would like to do”. After exploring Asia, Filippa would like to go back to school, more precisely law school in Lund.

Her feelings regarding graduation seem to be mixed, “one day I feel more excited about graduating than ever and the next day I have never been more nervous, but overall I am excited about this fresh start”.

Graduating gives a fresh start, but it also pushes one into a more complex world, filled with responsibilities, complex situations, and hard decisions. However, maybe we need to make the wrong decisions first to be able to make the right ones later.

Having plans after a graduation is of great importance, making it easier for one to find directive. Filippa’s plan after high school is to work at the worldwide design company Bolon; working six weeks in the customer service sector.

“

Filippa’s dream scenario after graduating is to get a job, save money and travel, but what is topping the list is to go to law school and move in with her boyfriend. Later in life, she wants to work as a district attorney and help victims of sexual assaults, which she feels strongly about.

I am nervous because it is a new job with high expectations, but since I had my internship there last fall I feel confident working there, in fact, I feel honored.

In the coming fall, she has applied for a full-time job at ICA Maxi where she wants to work for a few months and save up money for a trip to Asia. I asked

I also interviewed a former exchange student at Jönköping University. Govert Looije from the Netherlands, he is 21

FREEDOM? years old and spent six months at JIBS. His graduation from university depends on how it goes with his final exams, but he hopes to be done mid-June. “I am very excited to graduate but also for further studies after graduation”.

His dream scenario after graduating is to finish his Master Accountancy as soon as possible and after do a second Master abroad. This shows two totally different perspectives on what to do after you graduate either from high school or from a university. There is no right and wrong, and as long as you have the motivation to start school right away that could be the best choice for you. However, if one’s motivation is to take a year or two off, that is okay as well. Whatever you do it is important to do something that you feel good about at the end of the day, it is your future - take it.

After graduation, his plan is to take extra courses and then continue with his studies, “My first choice is intermediate financial accounting, and second, intermediate management accounting.” When asked about how difficult he thought graduation is as a step in one’s life he responded, “To be honest I do not think that there are any hard parts regarding graduation.” Govert’s opinion about graduating may be different from many others and shows multiple perspectives on this phase in life.

WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT

remember as a child I often thought about what my future would look like. At approximately 5 years old, I wanted to be the president of Finland. Later on, towards my early teenage years, I wanted to make a difference in the world, maybe even save it. Eventually I got interested in the business world and wanted to strive towards becoming a CEO of a multinational company. I started looking into business schools around Europe and found one in Jönköping. Thus, I applied to JIBS and got accepted.

In this way, the theme of this number, “Future is now”, hits home quite well for me. The future I have so long dreamt about is already happening. Not fully, but quite a bit of the future I imagined in my childhood is happening right now. I have new dreams for the future, but at the same time have already reached so much. This is probably true to many students, there is quite a lot that has changed since our childhood. Maybe the future is different than what you might have thought about 10 years ago, but hopefully still something that you can be proud of.

Now the future I have been imagining my childhood is happening. I might not be the president of Finland but made it to be the president of JSA. I might not be saving the whole world but trying my best to work for the students that elected me for my position. In some way, I hope I am making a difference. I am not (yet) the CEO of a company but I have had the privilege to lead a large student association (JSA), where I get to take my studies into practice.

Soon it is time for me to step down from my position as President of JSA. That feels as a future a little sad and scary. However, being involved has given me so much. It has to be the greatest part of my work, learning something new every day. I feel like I am ready to face the new and unknown and leave the association in the next President’s capable hands. I hope whoever it is, has a great time creating the future of this great association.

WORDS FROM THE JIBS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

ear students & alumni, The news has just reached us, JIBS managed to extend its EQUIS accreditation for another five years and thereby establishes its position as a top European Business School. This is a respected acknowledgement that JIBS master a high quality in both education and research. We all have our pride in this success. Students for your tremendous endurance, curiosity and willingness to learn and be a part of the development of the entire Jönköping University. For the alumni, a stronger and more competitive JIBS enhances your position in the job market, alumni are the prolonged JIBS experience and now you have reasons to be even prouder of your university. Congratulations to us all and especially to the Dean Jerker Moodysson and his team for their excellent work in making JIBS a world class business school.

way, but still there is a lot of things to work with and we want you to be a part in this development. The board of JIBS Alumni is recruiting new board members. If you want to take part and help us develop the Alumni Network, apply today. Students graduating in June 2018 are also welcome to apply, as are exchange students who have completed at least one semester at JIBS and thereby qualified members of the network. In the following pages you will be able to read about our open applications. If you still haven’t joined us, read more and sign up at our webpage www.jibsalumni.com. The famous African proverb says; “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We can do so much more together; the sky is the limit. Take action and get the chance to shape your alumni network, your influence is vital for the continuity of JIBS Alumni Association.

The JIBS Alumni Association, JAA, strives for being an active and visiblenetwork, providing membership value through inspiring activities to fostery our social, professional and personal goals. For me, being a JIBS Alumni means that wherever in the world you are, your alumni association should always be present, either at your local residence or most likely via our online media channels. We have come a long

Sincerely, Mikael Klaar President & Chairman of the board JIBS Alumni Association

VACANT BOARD POSITION: Board member JIBS Alumni Association (JAA) provides JIBS graduates with a professional networkconnecting over 6,000 alumni and fellow exchange students around the world. JAA is an independent organization with its own strategies and targets, with a close collaboration with JIBS. Together we are making JIBS Alumni the best alumni network in Northern Europe. Our mission is to support JIBS Alumni in achieving professional success and we believe that having a strong, international network plays an integral part in this process. By collectively building a global network of successful professionals, united by the JIBS experience, we inspire and support each other in achieving our personal goals. We envision a dynamic, diverse and international network of JIBS graduates, who challenge and support each other. Throughout a variety of activities happening all the time we stay connected around the globe. We are a solid association to rely on by all our stakeholders, keeping the JIBS spirit thriving. JAA is entering an exciting phase with developing the entire organization and meeting new criteriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The following years will focus on: International expansion of the alumni network A growing network of JIBS alumni Developing the digital communication Diversifying membership value to meet members expectations Increase collaborations with JAA stakeholders Role description As a board member, you will experience the unique opportunity to continue strengthening the alumni organization. You will discuss and take action in areas such as strategy, finance, event planning and executing, project management, communication, network development etc. The board acts as a spokes body for the network on alumni matters, making strategicdecisions as well as executing operational tasks. High strategic decisions will be made at the board level. Responsibilities will not be overly demanding, and it is expected to devote on average about 2-4 hours per week. The current board is a dynamic group and is further introduced at www.jibsalumni.com.

Board member Serve as a Board member of the JAA board Serve as a representative of the JAA at events and JAA functions Participating in board meetings (five per year) Participate in alumni events, whenever possible Collaboration with Alumni Relations Office at JIBS Collaboration with External stakeholders Relevant qualifications include Minimum Bachelor degree from JIBS (Graduates can apply) Driven, self-going and solution oriented Strong communication and presentation skills, both oral and written Pragmatic and business-oriented Good knowledge in MS Excel and PowerPoint Fluent in English

Location Not specified. Conference calls are applicable. Travel to Stockholm and Jรถnkรถping in Sweden might be needed. Travel expenses are compensated. Entry May 2018 After the nomination and election at the Annual General Meeting Application deadline 29th of April, 2018 Send your CV and cover letter to election@jibsalumni.com We encourage female applicants and alumni residing outside of Sweden. For further information, please contact: Julius Chang, President of Election Committee at election@jibsalumni.com Mikael Klaar, President of JAA at info@jibsalumni.com or +46 (0)73 545 15 40

VACANT BOARD POSITION: Board member with responsibility of Marketing & Communication JIBS Alumni Association (JAA) provides JIBS graduates with a professional network connecting over 6,000 alumni and fellow exchange students around the world. JAA is an independent organization with its own strategies and targets, with a close collaboration with JIBS. Together we are making JIBS Alumni the best alumni network in Northern Europe. Our mission is to support JIBS Alumni in achieving professional success and we believe that having a strong, international network plays an integral part in this process. By collectively building a global network of successful professionals, united by the JIBS experience, we inspire and support each other in achieving our personal goals. We envision a dynamic, diverse and international network of JIBS graduates, who challenge and support each other. Throughout a variety of activities happening all the time we stay connected around the globe. We are a solid association to rely on by all our stakeholders, keeping the JIBS spirit thriving. JAA is entering an exciting phase with developing the entire organization and meeting new criteriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The following years will focus on: International expansion of the alumni network A growing network of JIBS alumni Developing the digital communication Diversifying membership value to meet members expectations Increase collaborations with JAA stakeholders Marketing and communication is vital for the organization and is considered in all aspects of the strategic and operational framework. The person(s) responsible has an important role by securing that the long-term marketing and communication strategy is fulfilled and being accurate in executing tasks such as email send outs, brand awareness and communicating with stakeholders. Role description As a board member, you will experience the unique opportunity to continue strengthening the alumni organization. The board member responsible for communication will devote the main time and resources to communication, but of course also take part in every other board decision.

The board acts as a spokes body for the network on alumni matters, making strategic decisions as well as executing operational tasks. High strategic decisions will be made at the board level. Responsibilities will not be overly demanding, and it is expected to devote on average about 2-4 hours per week. The current board is a dynamic group and is further introduced at www.jibsalumni.com. Responsible for: • Strategic and operational work regarding JAA’s communications; internal as well as external • Create and ensure brand communication and awareness, in line with JAA guidelines • Supervising the management of the association’s alumni database and web-platform • Develop and/or maintain strategic platform communications • Preparing and developing standard operating procedures (SOP) such as send outs and campaigns. • Create strong, ongoing client relationships, becoming their trusted partner and advisor on communication issues

Relevant qualifications include Minimum Bachelor degree from JIBS Minimum 1 years of work experience A high level of interest working with marketing and communication Work experience of marketing and communication is an advantage Driven, self-going and solution oriented Strong communication and presentation skills, both oral and written Pragmatic and business-oriented Good knowledge in MS Excel and PowerPoint Fluent in English