The GU Journal has a free and independent position, is made according to journalistic principles.
Editor-in-chief:
Eva Lundgren
Phone: 070-969 10 14, e-mail: eva.lundgren@gu.se
Editor: Allan Eriksson, e-mail: allan.eriksson@gu.se
Photographer: Johan Wingborg, Phone: 070–595 38 01, e-mail: johan.wingborg@gu.se
Layout: Anders Eurén, Phone: 073-257 62 40, e-mail: anders.euren@gu.se
Address: GU Journal, University of Gothenburg, Box 100, 405 30 Gothenburg , Sweden.
E-mail: gu-journalen@gu.se
ISSN: 1402-9626
Translation: Språkservice
With music in his genes.
News 04–13
04 New hope for Kristineberg. 06 Unique research station 07 Challenges for academic freedom. 08 The US is losing credability, says researcher. 10 Big blow for the most vulnerable. 12 Many international doctoral students Profile 14–17 14 Professor with international glow. Report 18–21
18 AI challenges how we think of research. 21 With a focus on birds. 24 20 years of public health studies.
about global health.
Big project for bird expert.
Worried
Studying
Small steps for the climate – big steps for health
ummer is approaching – and with it a well-deserved breather for many of us. But before we step into the holidays, I would like to highlight two current events that give cause for both pride and faith in the future. Firstly: there is now a decision on the direction of travel for the University of Gothenburg’s work to reduce our climate footprint during the period 2025–2027. It is a concrete plan for how we will continue the journey towards halving our carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 compared to 2019, in accordance with the Climate Framework.
We are focusing on four areas where we know that measures will make a real difference. These are purchasing, premises, travel and – not least – better follow-up. One example worth mentioning is a furniture recycling system that will be introduced for the entire university. The work to make our premises more efficient will receive new tools and incentives. It is both about saving emissions and resources – and about organizing operations smarter. I hope and believe that the direction of travel will be a support in the daily work, and I look forward to the results of the commit-
ment and creativity that I know exists for this extremely important issue.
Another positive news is that we are well on our way to filling the Queen Silvia Professorship in Global Child and Adolescent Health, with a particular focus on mental health. Last week, four very qualified candidates were interviewed, and now only the final work remains before a decision can be made. This faculty-wide professorship represents our ambition to contribute to important societal challenges – in Sweden and in the world – with interdisciplinary research approaches that really make a difference.
With that said, I would like to wish you all a nice early summer. Whether you are going out to the archipelago, taking the night train to the continent or just enjoying a slower pace in the city – take care of yourself and each other. And remember: every contribution counts, both for the climate and for human health.
Back to basics!
t is pure repression, explained Claudia Goldin, professor at Harvard University and 2023 recipient of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. She was here to give the annual Tore Browaldh Lecture at the School of Business, Economics and Law, which was about the women's movement in the United States. But she also told GU Journalen about her concerns about developments in the United States.
– The fact that the president is targeting Harvard is of course because we are the oldest and most prestigious of all American universities. The latest decision is to revoke the visas of our nearly 7,000 international students. The decision is illegal and is also based on the misconception that it is the United States that pays for their education. That is not the case at all, they pay for it themselves or with the help of scholarships.
Ellen Lust, director of the Governance and Local Development Institute at Yale University and the University of Gothenburg, believes that it is more important than ever that European universities stand up for academic values and become a haven for international research.
Vice Chancellor MALIN BROBERG
The fact that international collaborations are also important at GU is shown not least by the increased number of foreign doctoral students. However, the migration laws pose problems, both during doctoral studies and after graduation for those who want to stay in Sweden. A review of the rules is underway, however.
AI models are something that has become almost an everyday tool in a short time. But AI also poses problems. Perhaps researchers and teachers must once again start asking the fundamental questions: Why do we write and teach and for whom?
GU Journal wishes all readers a truly wonderful summer!
New hope for Kristineberg
Currently, negotiations are ongoing with Swedish Polar Research Secretariat about taking over operations at the Kristineberg Centre for Marine Research and Innovation. And a foundation is ready to finance new positions at the station. The aim is to have a letter of intent signed on June 30.
There is a large number of marine researchers now being worried that the Faculty for Science and Technology will be unable to contribute sufficient funding to secure the agreement.
IN THE SUMMER of 2023, the vice-chancellor tasked the Board at the Faculty of Science with investigating which marine research station that would no longer have the University of Gothenburg as its principal.
On January 25, 2024, investigator Ingrid Petersson presented her proposal, which means that the university will hand over their ownership of Kristineberg and remain the sole principal for the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory.
Since then, both Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat have shown interest in taking over the running of Kristineberg. Discussions between the faculty and the Polar Research Secretariat have been held. Negotiations have revolved around the university’s contribution to the station during a tran-
»There is Stenungsund a few kilometres to the south and the Brofjorden oil port to the north, as well as several small communities in the surrounding area«
Ingela Dahllöf
sition period of four years. The process is described by Fredrik Jutfelt, Professor of Zoological Physiology.
– THE DISCUSSIONS centred on a plan for the university to reduce its annual financing of the station from 18.5 million krona in 2024 and 2025 to 11 million up until 2029. The faculty is proposed to fund 5.5 million while the rest will be financed by the Department of Marine Sciences, which is the host for Kristineberg, as well as the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. In this scenario, the Sjöberg Foundation has promised a grant of 50–75 million krona over five years, which will also finance two new senior lecturer positions as well as the recruitment of doctoral students.
If the Polar Research Secre-
Zara-Louise Cowan and Fredrik Jutfelt taking up some fish.
tariat takes over, it will result in a win-win situation, argues Joachim Sturve, Professor of Ecotoxicology.
– WE ALREADY have several researchers with a strong interest in polar research. If the agreement is concluded, the university will have even more research within the field and at a lower cost to boot. At the same time, the secretariat will be taking over a worldclass research station which, in line with Sweden’s strategic research priorities, can be developed into a national hub for polar and marine sciences.
KRISTINEBERG IS ALSO excellent for research into human environmental impact, explains Ingela Dahllöf, Professor of Marin Ecotoxicology.
– There is Stenungsund a few kilometres to the south and the Brofjorden oil port to the north, as well as several small communities in the surrounding area. Besides research, there is also a lot of education being provided with plenty of opportunities for field experiments. The proximity to Gothenburg also makes it convenient for students and researchers to come here on a day trip. What is currently concerning the researchers isa new proposal that will mean a
»It the agreement is concluded, the university will have even more research within the field ...« Joachim Sturve
further reduction of financing by the faculty, from the proposed 5.5 to 1.9 million krona per year. This has prompted 114 marine researchers to sign a letter to the vice-chancellor where they argue that the proposal puts the agreement at risk. If so, there is a threat of closure of the near 150-year-old station, Fredrik Jutfelt points out.
– IF KRISTINEBERG closes down there are some plans to transfer some of the operations to the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory. But the research being conducted here cannot be replicated anywhere else. Firstly, Gullmarn is the perfect place for research into all types of environments, from open water to shallow coves, and with the possibility to pump both surface and deep water into the station. Secondly, our research requires special labs. And also, we cannot fit everything into the Tjärnö Laboratory. We could expand it of course, but that will be expensive in terms of both time and money.
Kristineberg is a strong brand for the university, stresses Joachim Sturve.
– WHEN I AM ON assignments abroad, I frequently meet colleagues who remember Kristineberg with fondness. Not taking the opportunity to secure the future of Kristineberg, reducing the financial burden for the university of Gothenburg while also strengthening the university’s leadership within marine and polar research feels very short-sighted.
Göran Hilmersson, Dean at the Faculty of Science and Technology, presently does not wish to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
– We have continuous talks with the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat about a possible take-over and I have some hope that we will find
a solution. But I cannot say much more on the matter right now as we are in a critical situation where a lot can change in a very short period of time. The activities at Kristineberg are very important to researchers at the faculty, but the faculty also runs plenty of other important operations.
Text: Eva Lundgren
Photo: Johan Wingborg
→Facts: The Kristineberg Zoological Sea Station was founded in 1877 and is one of the world’s oldest marine field stations. Up until 2007 the station was run by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in close collaboration with the University of Gothenburg. From 2008–2017 the station was part of the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Science, which in 2017 changed its name to the Lovén Centre for Marine Infrastructure. Since 2018, the station belongs to the Department for Marine Sciences. In January 2022, the consortium Kristineberg Centre for Marine Research and Innovation with the University of Gothenburg as its principal, and in collaboration with the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Chalmers, KTH and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).
Several reports have been written about the university’s field station over the years. The most recent one, Organisation and Governance of the Marine Research Stations, was presented on January 25, 2024, by Ingrid Petersson, former Director General of the Formas Research Council.
Göran Hilmersson
Sam Dupont
150 years of research data
The Gullmar Fjord is what makes the Kristineberg research station unique. It offers both open waters and protected coves, deep and surface water environments with their different organisms, as well as settings with varying degrees of human impact.
– And this Marine Research Station is also one of the oldest in the world, which means that we have 150-years of data from different measurements, says Sam Dupont, Associate Professor of Marine Ecophysiology.
WHEN THE GU JOURNAL visits Kristineberg, Zara-Louise Cowan, researcher at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science, has just been down to the pier to pick up fish: cod, goby, corkwing wrasse and polewig. She is the head of research for the VR project Känslighet för klimatförändringar i olika
livsstadier hos fisk (Sensitivity to climate change in different life stages of fish) investigating whether certain fish are more vulnerable to global climate changes at certain stages of life compared to other stages.
– ALMOST ALL FISH are ectotherms, which means that their body temperature is regulated by the temperature in the surrounding water. That type of animal is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to some studies studier, which however have been criticised for methodological inconsistencies, fish are particularly sensitive during the embryonic and spawning stages. In order to study whether this is correct, my team is conducting trials on different species of fish that are subjected to higher temperatures during different stages of their lives.
KRISTINEBERG IS the perfect place for this type of research, argues Fredrik Jutfelt, Professor of Zoological Physiology and head of an
ERC Consolidator project that is partly being conducted at Kristineberg.
– Kristineberg is a unique research station with a dozen large tanks where you can conduct experiments on both deep water from the North Sea and surface water from the Baltic Sea streaming through. This enables us to conduct experiments on land which replicate the natural environments.
SAM DUPONT HAS worked at Kristineberg for 22 years. He explains that the almost 150-year-old station has a very special combination of history and moder technology.
– having long-term longitudinal studies is important, not least in climate research; For example, in June we observed heat waves in the fjord that were 6 degrees warmer than it was 100 years ago. Since the University of Gothenburg took it over in 2008, the station has been updated and equipped with new technology and labs. A visiting researcher said that the station combines
the advantages of being on at sea, with the luxury of being ashore.
Great discoveries have been made at Kristineberg over the years, Sam Dupont tells us.
– THE ANIMAL kingdom comprises 31 phyla, such as molluscs, sponges and arthropods. It is not every day that you discover a new phylum, but the two most recent discoveries are based on species collected at Kristineberg.
There are currently several EU-funded projects at Kristineberg: Contrast, Bio-plastics Europe, Aquavitae, AQUASERV and IRISCC.
But the University of Gothenburg is the most frequent user of the station and in a sense constitutes the very soul of the station, Sam Dupont explains.
Text: Eva Lundgren
Photo: Johan Wingborg
“We
cannot take freedom for granted”
The threat to academic freedom is growing –and Europe needs to take action, argues Malin Broberg, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Gothenburg.
– What is happening in the U.S. is a red flag. We need to be vigilant and mobilise in support of non-partisan research, she says.
AT THE BEGINNING OF May, when the President of France, Emmanuel Macron and the Chair of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen invited vice-chancellors from around Europe to a summit in Paris, Malin Broberg attended as one of five Swedish university executives.
At the meeting, a policy of “super support” for European research was presented, amounting to around 5.4 billion krona, as well as statutory guarantees for free research and investments in innovation.
– It was a strong demonstration of the importance of defending academic freedom. Having two world leaders dedicating their speeches to research, freedom and the importance of knowledge was both invigorating and deeply disconcerting. The fact that we even find ourselves in a situation where this needs to be reiterated out loud is worrying.
MALIN BROBERG IS deeply concerned about developments in the United States where researcher are being stopped at the border, important databases risk being deleted and certain research fields, such as climate, gender and global health, are being questioned.
– There is growing uncer-
– The dismantling of academic freedom in the U.S. is happening rapidly, Vice-Chancellor Malin Broberg argues.
»Having two world leaders dedicating their speeches to research, freedom and the importance of knowledge was both invigorating and deeply disconcerting..«
Malin Broberg
tainty. Researchers avoid participating in conferences in the U.S. It is happening at pace and it will have an impact on us.
For the University of Gothenburg, it has already had tangible consequences. A large traffic-safety project in Angola, funded through USAID, has been stopped due to cut-backs.
But despite growing apprehension around the world, Malin Broberg can see that Europe has an opportunity to respond and take over the initiative.
Photo: JOHAN WINGBORG
– There is a strength in mobilising against an external threat. It can reduce internal conflict and enable us to focus on shared values. For a long time, we have relied on the U.S. We need to extend our partnerships to new regions of the world – South America, Africa and South-East Asia. There is considerable potential there.
DISCUSSIONS ARE being held at both Swedish and European universities about American researchers looking to leave the U.S. But the University of Gothenburg has not yet seen a marked increase, although Broberg sees an opportunity to attract younger researchers.
– Sweden is a great country for families with young children – with equality, safety and stability. Work-life balance is often easier to manage here at the beginning of one’s career.
But she plays down the idea of attracting top researchers from the U.S.
– It sounds fine but is unrealistic. Moving an established research environment will require enormous resources. We are talking hundreds of million, not tens of million. And the migration rules for accompanying family members make it even more difficult.
HOWEVER, she does believe that it might be relevant to recruit European researchers who previously moved to the U.S. – particularly in a situation where many American universities have imposed a hiring freeze.
– In uncertain times people tend to move back home. That may open a window for resettling in Europe.
But most important of all
is that we show solidarity, argues Malin Broberg.
– Contact your American colleagues and show support. In a multipolar world order the threats to freedom can also lead to new partnerships and new alliances – in Europe as well as globally.
The summit in Europe was not only about money and politics, but also about the values of the enlightenment.
– Someone described it as living in a time of “endarkment” rather than “enlightenment”. I know, it sounds dismal but we must not be too naïve either. What is happening in the U.S. is also a red flag for Europe. That is precisely why we need to work actively on behalf of academic independence. We cannot take it for granted.
SHE ALSO REMINDS us that Swedish universities have weaker protection against political control than American ones.
– It would not take much to make the situation worse. That is why we need to have a clear strategy for how we manage these issues and demonstrate our contributions to societal development and prosperity.
But there is hope as well.
– There is a craving for knowledge, for solutions. We have a strong research region, not least within sustainability and health. If we can show how research has contributed to reducing mortality and disease, we will also be able to strengthen the trust in and the protection of academic freedom.
Allan Eriksson
‘International research makes us stronger’
The Trump administration's cuts are hitting American research hard – but the consequences are also being felt in Europe and the Global South. That is the view of political science professor Ellen Lust, who is currently on part-time leave from the University of Gothenburg and working at Cornell University.
– IT'S A LONG-TERM disaster, says Ellen Lust when I call her at her home outside New York. She is referring to the cuts and restrictions that have rapidly changed the playing field for universities, researchers, and collaborators, both in the US and internationally.
– I think most of us are surprised at how quickly it has happened and the enormous amount of change – from all sides at once. If we were to backtrack on everything that has been done starting tomorrow, it would be like a porcelain plate falling on the floor. You can try to fix it, but it will never be quite the same again. And I honestly believe that is where we are now.
IN A SHORT PERIOD of time, the Trump administration has made significant cuts to funding for research, development aid, and university support – including by stopping or undermining programmes such as USAID, Fulbright-Hays scholarships, and the so-called ‘Title VI grants’ that support foreign language studies and area studies in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
– It's not just resources that are disappearing but
– There is a fear of becoming a target if you say too much, explains Ellen Lust.
also trust in the United States' role in the world. We used to be seen as a country that extended a helping hand. Now we have lost much of that identity.
ELLEN LUST NOTES that several collaborations with American researchers and institutions have been paused or cancelled. A planned GLD-conference in Ithaca was
Today's research is highly international and dependent on cross-border partners. After a volcanic eruption in Spain, researchers from Cornell University collaborated with Spanish colleagues to develop a monitoring system that now protects Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
cancelled due to visa problems and participants’ concerns about travel to the US.
– This affects both whether researchers want to travel to the US and the flow of students. More are now looking to Europe. And when funding for field studies in Africa, for example, is cut, it affects both our collaborations and the working environment of our local partners.
ELLEN LUST POINTS OUT that Sweden has also made significant cuts to its development aid through SIDA, but that the US cuts are on a completely different scale – and are happening in parallel with a political campaign against elite universities, often with the Ivy League in the firing line.
Researchers working on controversial issues – such as diversity, climate and global health – have had their projects stopped Among those affected was one of her
Ellen Lust
colleagues who researches gender and authoritarianism in the Middle East.
The problem is that this creates self-censorship, according to Ellen Lust.
– There is a fear of saying too much, because you can become a target. University administrators say they defend freedom of expression, »University administrators say they defend freedom of expression, but one wonders how long they can really protect their researchers.«
but one wonders how long they can really protect their researchers.
THERE ARE ALSO threats against international students. Harvard is one example where student visas are being stopped or revoked. In addition, there are reports that the immigration authority ICE is requesting lists of protesters.
Ellen Lust believes that universities must stand up for their values.
She suggests facilitating dual academic affiliations – for example, between the United States and Europe – and broadening understanding of which research fields are now vulnerable.
‘This is not just about social scientists or health scientists in the Global South, but also, for example, computer scientists who collaborate with China or India. They are
also at risk of being hit hard.
At the same time, a window of opportunity is opening for European universities to take on a greater role. Ellen Lust says that an American colleague is currently applying for a short-term scholarship to come to Gothenburg.
– It is also important that European universities stand by their own values, even under pressure from right-wing populist governments. Being a sanctuary for free research supports the entire global academic system.
WHEN ASKED HOW concerned she is about the future, Ellen Lust replies that things will probably get worse before they get better.
– Many people believe that things cannot get any worse. But it can. There are many things we have not yet
seen the effects of – such as possible taxation of university foundations or general bans on cooperation with certain countries.
She concludes with an appeal to her colleagues, both in the United States and in Europe:
International research makes us stronger. Now we need to stand up for it together.
Text: Allan Eriksson
Photo: John G. Mabanglo, EPA/TT
→ Facts:
Ellen Lust founded the influential research institute GLD (Governance and Local Development Institute) while still at Yale in 2013, and conducts global research into why some societies succeed in creating good living conditions while others fail.
The politics of Trump will severely impact global health
The U.S. cutting back on foreign aid and research severely impacts pregnant women and young children in the world’s poorest countries. Gunilla Krantz, Senior Professor of Global Health, has followed developments for decades – and observes the consequences with growing concern.
– Global poverty is aggravated by the politics of Trump, says Gunilla Krantz, Professor of Global Health.
SINCE THE BEGINNING of the 2000s, Gunilla Krantz has worked with global health in countries such as Vietnam, Pakistan and Rwanda – and has seen up close how foreign aid and research partnerships can contribute to change.
– It is poverty and conflicts that are the foundations to the situation, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Low educational levels, high infant mortality, serious infectious disease – it is all connected, she says.
Under the Trump administration, the U.S. have threatened to pull out of the WHO and withdraw funding from several international organisations, as well as restricting large parts of foreign aid via the USAID – something that impacts initiatives within HIV, malaria, maternal care and vaccinations in the world’s poorest nations. At a rough estimate, millions of people will die as a consequence of the cutbacks to support.
AS EARLY AS in 2022, the government made large cutbacks to Swedish foreign aid through Sida – something that Gunilla Krantz argues was not sufficiently reported on. Her project in Rwanda suddenly saw its budget halved.
– We were completely taken aback. The cutbacks had a severe impact on research programmes that had been built up over decades. When you terminate multiannual partnerships with countries like Rwanda or Mozambique you lose in terms of both relations and trust that took decades to build.
Three years on, global inequalities have worsened. She argues that Trump’s politics – and rhetoric – is characterised by a fundamental ignorance about poverty and global responsibility.
– It is such a short-term approach. Lifting people out of poverty is the most sustainable thing we can do in the long term, including from a global security and migration perspective. Trump does not want migrants, but he does not understand that the only way of reducing migration is to improve the quality of life for people where they live.
SHE HIGHLIGHTS Rwanda as an example of a country where foreign aid and research really produced results. The vaccination programmes work well, compulsory schooling has been expanded and health insurance as well as a small pension have been introduce.
– It is a country that wants progress. When the pandemic struck, the government decided to start producing the mRNA vaccine – many people did not think this would be possible –but they are now being supported by Biontec, which is starting operations in Rwanda. That is how you make a difference.
But this type of progress requires stable financing and longterm partners. And when the U.S. withdraws, it impacts other stakeholders as well. The WHO is faced with huge deficits, and the pressure is increasing on the European Union to step in and take over. Tackling the global public-health challenges requires both emergency measures as well as a strong and well-coordinated effort by the EU, Gunilla Krantz argues.
– THE QUESTION IS whether the EU can manage that. It is not solely about money – it is about accepting responsibility on a global level. Climate, migration and public health– these are important fields that in combination
»Lifting people out of poverty is the most sustainable thing we can do in the long term«
Gunilla Krantz
contribute to making it difficult for people to escape poverty.
But the politics of Trump do not only hamper research in the U.S. Swedish researchers are also impacted when grants are being withdrawn and reports on American databases are being erased. Several official agencies avoid or have started to remove “sensitive” words in their documents and on their websites.
– IT IS TRULY SERIOUS. Research into certain fields is no longer permitted. It is reminiscent of totalitarian regimes, says Gunilla Krantz who points out that they are now receiving requests from American researchers who wish to move to Sweden.
Text: Allan Eriksson
Photo: Johan Wingborg
→ Facts:
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) är USA:s biståndsmyndighet och står för 42 procent av världens humanitära bistånd, inklusive insatser inom global hälsa, jämställdhet, utbildning och katastrofhjälp samt forskning. Under Trumps tid i Vita huset har stödet till centrala program minskat kraftigt, särskilt inom sexuell och reproduktiv hälsa, vilket fått globala konsekvenser.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the UN coordinating body for international health initiatives. The organisation has a key role in times of global threats to health, such as pandemics, but also work long term with vaccination programmes and disease control in low-income countries. Historically, the U.S. has been one of the largest donors to the WHO, but the Trump administration have tried to withdraw its support as well as its membership.
More international doctoral students
The share of foreign doctoral students at the University of Gothenburg in 2023 was around 22.5 percent. But the differences between faculties are considerable: the Faculty of Science is at the top with 55 percent international doctoral students while the figure for the Faculty of Education is 8 percent.
THE DEPARTMENT OF Chemistry and Molecular Biology had as much as 71 percent international doctoral students in 2023. There are significant benefits with that, explains Per Sunnerhagen, Professor of Molecular Biology.
– Not only doctoral students, but also many postdocs and senior researchers, come from other countries. It creates an international environment, which is important to a university where the whole point is for researchers to travel and widen their views.
But the large share of colleagues who do not speak Swedish does pose a problem, particularly in graduate programmes.
– SOME DOCTORAL students are happy to teach, while others prefer to focus on their research, something which they are often encouraged to do by their supervisors. But good research results are important primarily to the doctoral students who
plan to stay in academia. For the around 90 percent who will not do so, experience of teaching is an important merit. Anyone who worked as a teacher is probably able to communicate, instruct and organise, qualities that are in high demand in the labour market.
Having many foreign doctoral students also places great demands on the supervisors, Per Sunnerhagen points out.
– It is about young people from a different culture who left their family and home behind, and who do not know
very much about Sweden, the University of Gothenburg or the post-graduate studies here. Of course, as a supervisor you always have a responsibility for introducing the doctoral student to the context and the group, and this is even more important if the student in question is in a vulnerable situation.
DOCTORAL STUDENTS from the EU/EEA area find themselves in more or less the same conditions as those from Sweden.
– But we have post-graduate students from many other parts of the world, such as India, China and the Middle East. The new migration regulations in place since 2021, which involve a lot of complications and uncertainty around residence permits, create a lot of anxiety.
Sofie Hellberg, Director of Studies for the doctoral studies at the School of Global Studies.
– I would like the Swedish Migration Agency to show a greater understanding of the different situations of our doctoral students. It can take time to obtain a residence permit and then to have it renewed, which sometimes means that the doctoral student cannot travel abroad
during the waiting period, for example for conferences or fieldwork, which of course affects their ability to perform their main work tasks.
FROM A SWEDISH perspective, it would be valuable if the doctoral students who trained here remain in the country and contribute to society. But the migrations laws cause problems here as well, says Sofie Hellberg.
– You cannot apply for a permanent residence permit until shortly before the temporary one has expired, and you cannot get a permanent residence permit without having a job or your own company, something which few doctoral students will be immediately after graduation. The government is currently reviewing the migration regulations for researchers and post-graduates, which is a good thing. The fact that a change is necessary is evident from a recent report from the SULF Doctoral Candidate Association. In their paper, which really should be read by all university lecturers, several doctoral students describe how they have run into problems due to complications and unclear rules.
The University of Gothenburg should have a central support hub for migration issues, something that has also been discussed in the network of doctoral education managers and the doctoral education council, says Sofie Hellberg.
Per Sunnerhagen
– It requires a lot of hard work, both from the staff and the doctoral student, getting familiar with all the rules and regulations, which also change over time. A centrally located expert on migration matters would therefore be very valuable.
THE SCHOOL OF Global Studies has three subjects in their research programme: Peace and Development Research, Environmental Social Science and Social Anthropology, says Sofie Hellberg.
– But the group you belong to is of no importance to the community of doctoral students, which is very good at including everyone; they arrange various social activities and ensure that new doctoral students have colleagues to turn to, which are truly healthy factors.
Having students speaking Swedish is less important at the School of Global Studies where much of the teaching is done in English. But having
many employees from different cultures sometimes lead to culture clashes, says Sofie Hellberg.
– Other cultures may be more hierarchical with supervisors keeping a certain distance. In Sweden, we have a more laid-back approach, but of course hierarchies still exist here as well, which you as a doctoral student need to be able to navigate.
Robert Björk, Deputy Head of Department at the Department of Earth Sciences, argues that knowledge of Swedish can sometimes be important at his department.
– WE HAVE SOME applied research, such as how the urban climate impacts preschools and nursing homes. It can involve interviewing staff and clients, and it should preferably be done in Swedish, rather than English.
The department has several international collaborations, such as with China concerning research onto
“the third pole”, referring to the Tibetan plateau.
– In recent years, there have been a lot of discussions about collaboration with China in particular. It is indeed an important issue, but at my department we are not involved in innovations, patents or similar things so we are not particularly worried about espionage, even though there are other things to consider.
ONE REASON FOR the increase in the share of foreign doctoral students could be that the interest among Swedish students has declined, Robert Björk thinks.
– In Sweden, it is not certain that you will get a much better job because you have a doctoral thesis, and an academic career is difficult and insecure. Many other countries have more incentives for getting a doctorate degree, such as for a job as a senior civil servant. The EU network, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, for example, was created for producing doctors for society as a whole, not only for academia.
ANOTHER REASON may be that Swedish students do not get a chance to try their hand at research in the same way as in some other countries, Robert Björk argues.
– In Canada, for example, a graduate student may be recruited for simpler research tasks and as a master’s student, you spend two years entirely on research, in comparison with Sweden where only one or two semesters are spent on doing research. And Swedish regulations also cause problems for anyone who wishes to hire a student for a short period, such as the Employment Protection Act and the requirement to advertise even minor positions.
But not everything is better in other countries, Robert Björk points out.
– In many countries, the doctoral candidate is seen as a student who must pay tuition fees, for example. The Swedish system with employment and associated social benefits is very beneficial in an international perspective.
Text: Eva Lundgren
→ Facts: Feel free to read the report, How current migration policies harm international researchers and undermine higher education in Sweden, produced by the SULF Doctoral Candidate Association (SULF-DCA).
Photo: Johan Wingborg
Sofie Hellberg
– The Swedish system with employment and social benefits, is very good, says Robert Björk.
Foto: GUNNAR JÖNSSON
With the violin tuned for togetherness
– When I lived in Vienna, I was part of a musical trio in which the pianist came from South Korea and the cellist from Bulgaria. What is so amazing about playing together is that we do not need to speak the same language. The music is what is important.
This is Tobias Granmo, recently appointed Professor of Musical Performance and Interpretation specialising in the violin. →
wo phenomena have accompanied Tobias Granmo through life: water and music. He grew up on an island in the archipelago at Fiskebäckskil, a genuine idyl before the old fishing communities were discovered by tourists.
– It was an amazing childhood environment. Not least the proximity to the water has had an effect on me, this beautiful, inviting but also frightening element that can suddenly turn on you and flip the shipping forecast. That was why I became interested in sailing, which lets me be close to the elements, allowing me to relax and let the winds decide whether to take me north or south.
His father was an associate professor of marine ecology at the Kristineberg Marine Research Station. But both parents were also committed amateur musicians and Tobias Granmo grew up with the violin under his chin without really giving it much thought.
– I studied economics in upper secondary school but went every other weekend to Copenhagen for lessons with the famous violinist and music teacher Milan Vitek. He was short and stout and had an incredible presence, he crossed the streets without caring about traffic lights and spoke his own home-made mix of Czech and Danish. He taught me that it is what you don’t know that is truly fun and that you have to bring out the playful elements of the music; if something doesn’t work, you try something else. After upper secondary school I studied for a year at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm but when I heard that Milan Vitek became a visiting professor at the Academy of Music here in Gothenburg, I applied because I really wanted him to teach me.
After Tobias Granmo received his master’s degree in 1995, he continued his studies at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. The training resulted in a soloist diploma.
– Vienna has always been an international melting pot, of cours, but then, a few years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the city was particularly packed with people from all corners of the earth, not least Eastern Europeans. My teacher, the world famous Dora Schwarzberg, came from Odessa and I was actually involved in organising her fiftieth birthday celebrations which were held at the Russian embassy.
In Vienna he also had the opportunity to take fencing classes.
– It is important to be nimble and quick, which means that it doesn’t matter if you are fencing against a man or a woman. And you partially use the same terms as in music, such as fifth, fourth and octave, and wrist mobility is important, just as for a violinist.
Tobias Granmo met his wife to be, pianist and organist Helena, during his studies in Gothenburg. She was now studying in Lyon, which involved a couple of years of commuting between two cultural cities before Helena also moved to Vienna.
– At that time, I played with the Wiener Kammerorchester and went touring to lots of different places. It was a lot of fun of course. But after close to 10 years in Vienna it was time to move back home.
During a couple of years the couple lived in Värmland where Tobias Granmo got a job as a violin teacher at the Ingesund School of Music, Karlstad University. But in 2006 they moved back to the west coast. Tobias Granmo was then employed as a teacher at the Academy of Music and Drama where he was also director of studies for the classical music programme from 2011–2017.
As a teacher as well as a practicing musician, chamber music is closest to Tobias Granmo’s heart.
– Playing in a large orchestra and carry a part with perhaps 18 other violinists is of course also a fantastic experience. But in a smaller ensemble, each instrumentalist is alone in their part and need to more clearly produce their own musical ideas. It is like a conversation with the other musicians where you slip into and out of your roles. The smaller format also makes for a more intimate interaction with the audience that might be sitting only a few metres away. And I enjoy talking to the audience, introducing the piece we are about to play and perhaps pointing out something in particular to listen for.
Tobias Granmo has played in many different constellations with many different musicians. The most prominent and perhaps somewhat unusual instrument combo is probably the one he has with marimba player and professor Daniel Berg in Duo Granmo-Berg.
– When we started playing together around 15 years ago there was barely any music at all written for our kind of constellation. So we had to rearrange works by everyone from Vivaldi to Bartók, making it work with Daniel’s marimba. Since then, Daniel has written many of the pieces we perform but we also vi collaborate with composers like Bengt Lundin, Carl-Axel Hall, Paula af Malmborg Ward, Ann-Sofi Söderqvist and Áskell Másson. We perform in all kinds of settings, sometimes even at concerts at the Academy of music and Drama. We are hoping to inspire our students to also try out unexpected combinations of instruments.
Getting students to be open to new experiments and new ways of thinking is an important part of the education at the Academy of Music and Drama, Tobias Granmo argues.
– We accept students from around the world and some of them have had a very authoritarian education.
So we need to encourage them to explore what they themselves want so that they do not just do what the teacher tells them. This enables us to help them grow as musicians as well as individuals.
The importance of international collaborations was something that was driven home to Tobias Granmo during his time in Vienna, and he has kept in touch with several of his contacts from that time.
Among other things, he has been a visiting lecturer in a number of countries, often together with Daniel Berg. They give lectures during the day and perform concerts in the evening.
– I see the exchange as personal skill development while also acting as an ambassador for the Academy of Music and Drama. Of course, in Naples, Málaga or Zagreb they are not very familiar with the University of Gothenburg, but when I am there I take the opportunity to invite lecturers to come to us. Using EU grants mean that the exchange will cost nothing for the department. At the same time, I encourage students to come here. This will engender an even more international environment that promotes learning and provides new energy to the education.
And cross-border partnerships are also important, argues Tobias Granmo.
– At the Chalmers AHA Festival and at the Jonsered Manor, Daniel and myself have been able to work together with other art forms but also with different scientific disciplines. For example, we investigated how the acoustics of different rooms affect our playing.
And the Jonsered seminary series, The Four Elements, a few years ago included participation of several different disciplines. At the Water Seminar, for example, the Granmo-Berg duo collaborated with an architect, an artist, an underwater photographer and an investigator at the Agency for Marine and Water Management.
– And churches in and outside of Gothenburg are also important partners. For the past 15 years I have held a series of concerts with my violin students. Our students need to get out of the protected zone offered by the department and meet a different audience.
Tobias Granmo has now been appointed Professor of Musical Performance and Interpretation specialising in the violin. He sees the appointment as something more than just personal success.
– It is about recognising the role of classical music within academia. but also an appreciation of art in general. The redeeming power of music is perhaps of particular importance in today’s uncertain world. At the moment, for example, I have an Ukrainian student who has started playing together with a student from
Riga who turned out to belong to the Russian minority. But their different backgrounds are of no importance, they enjoy playing together and are united by their love of music.
Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Johan Wingborg
TOBIAS GRANMO
Position: Professor of Musical Performance and Interpretation specialising in the violin at the Academy of Music and Drama. He is also Director of the Board of the European Chamber Music Teachers´ Association (ECMTA), The Chamber Music Federation of Sweden, the Gothenburg Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music in Lerum. In 2019 he was the co-founder of the Frontside International Chamber Music Festival and he frequently sits on the jury in national and international competitions. Most recently in December 2024 in Riga, at the Baltic State String Competition and in May in the Västerås Concert Hall where Sweden’s foremost chamber music competition, Ung och lovande (Young and Promising), was held.
Family: Wife Helena and children Arvid, 21, and Harald, 16.
Motto: It is what you do not know that is truly fun.
AI – new answers to old questions
The culture of publishing and peer review, as well as the qualification system, those are some of the areas now being challenged by generative AI.
Perhaps modern technology will lead to a renewed discussion about the most fundamental questions for the research community. This is the view of some of the researchers that the GU Journal spoke to.
Illustration: LARS LANHED
o far, the focus has been on chatbots and cheating when discussing what the consequences of large language models may be. But cheating is not a new thing, neither among students nor researchers, concludes Christian Munthe, Professor of Practical Philosophy.
– But within research it is difficult to cheat in a way that is not immediately obvious, you have to spend almost as much time on tampering with the results as you would doing actual research. But anyone who starts building their career on untruths will find it difficult to stop. One well-known example is social psychologist Diederik Stapel who had 58 articles retracted and was fired from his university after having been caught fabricating results. An even more serious case is anaesthesiologist Joachim Boldt who, after his cheating was revealed, had as many as 210 articles about anaesthetizing patients retracted.
But an AI has no problem writing an article that at least superficially looks reliable, with pictures, tables and references, but where everything is made up, Christian Munthe explains.
– It is easier to mimic a scientific paper, which needs to be written in a particular way, compared to a novel, say, where there is no pre-existing template. Sometimes the AI tools come up with obviously absurd claims, which is commonly referred to as the AI hallucinating. However, this is a misleading term as anyone hallucinating normally has the ability to
distinguish what is real from what is fake. But an algorithm does not know what is true or false, and that is not what it is built for either. What it can do is finding and reproducing patterns which can be very useful, such as for identifying cancers on X-rays. But it takes an incredible amount of work to prepare the data set on which the AI model is trained, it is not as easy as many people seem to think. And creating an AI that can tell true from false would be an enormous leap in developments, much greater than the language models that we marvel over today.
Doing research is a high-status business that is almost always international, where anyone who is successful can change their entire life in interesting ways, Christian Munthe explains.
–The research community must therefore protect itself from the small number of individuals who are tempted to take shortcuts. For this reason, I think it will soon be standard practice for researchers that review articles or applications to also carefully go through the list of references, ensuring that they all correspond to reality. And making research data available in open repositories will become more important, something that is happening already. And having ethics advisors for any major projects will become even more important than it already is.
With more controls research will become more complicated and expensive, Christian Munthe points out.
– It will be more important than it currently is to educate
students into a system that espouses the academic virtues of honesty and diligence. It must be difficult to cheat and even more difficult to get away with it for anyone who tries.
Jonas Ivarsson, Professor of Informatics, argues that scientific misconduct using AI is so far a fairly minor problem.
– But AI generated research papers can be harmful in other ways, such as if they are used as training data for the language models. The Russian state, for example, is flooding the internet with propaganda articles, that are in now way intended to trick researchers, but are instead meant to be picked up by the AI tools. Anyone posing questions to a chatbot thus risks getting severely skewed answers.
Instead of being used purely for cheating, AI will be important to the constantly growing pressure to ever more rapidly turn all research results into publications, argues Jonas Ivarsson.
– Both the individual researcher and the department are evaluated based on citations and publications in prominent journals. The rush to publish may lead to stressed-out researchers using incorrect information without properly verifying it. And journals and conferences risk being flooded with contributions where the peer-review process will be under extreme pressure. Having a researcher in such a situation being tempted to use AI tools to speed up a peer review is not entirely implausible. This can lead to the entire scientific system of published papers collapsing under it own weight.
This could lead to research having to be presented in different ways rather than as articles in scientific journals, Jonas Ivarsson believes.
– Perhaps the researcher will submit their hypothesis to an open repository where they document their process throughout the project and upload all their raw data. Then the researcher can choose between different options for publishing the results. Perhaps this will lead to our returning to the old days, when conversations were the most important way of exchanging ideas, such as in a podcast.
Jonas Ivarsson points out that the AI tools will affect all forms of publishing, whether it concerns science, journalism or art.
– We have to start asking the fundamental questions: Why do we write, and for whom? And how would the text develop over time if we can now get research results presented on demand?
Rolf Heckemann, Director of Studies at the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, has never himself come across a fake manuscript, neither as a peer reviewer or as support for a claim in a paper. He stresses that diligent peer review, conducted by the researchers themself, is a prerequisite for a well-functioning research community.
– When I submit a manuscript I rely on other people reviewing my work, so I have to do for others what I expect them to do for me. An if I handed over peer review to a chatbot, I would not be helping at all, because that is something that the editor
– I think it will soon be standard practice for researchers that review articles or applications to also carefully go through the list of references, ensuring that they all correspond to reality.
»So, yes, I bet that some peer reviewers are tempted to take shortcuts, but it would completely invalidate their contribution.
...« ROLF HECKEMANN
could do themself. So, yes, I bet that some peer reviewers are tempted to take shortcuts, but it would completely invalidate their contribution. Fortunately, peer review is voluntary, so I would hope that if someone wasn't willing to put in the work, they would decline, rather than submit a fake review.
And neither is Rolf Heckemann overly concerned about researchers writing fake papers.
– The only reason I can think of would be to improve the list of publications on your CV, for example when
you apply for a promotion or submit a grant application.
The CV entry only needs to live up to the most superficial scrutiny, like someone following the URL and seeing that the paper does, indeed, exist. The fewer people who actually read these papers, the better for the authors, as it reduces the likelihood of their fraud being discovered. The main harm is not policy distortion but wasted resources and a devaluation of genuine research.
Marc Pilon, Professor of Genetics, argues that the public
and the media may be tricked by the scientific papers rapidly produced by AI tools. But he does not think researchers will be misled, at least not by the tools available today.
– But eventually, and perhaps very soon, improved AI models will be able to create fake articles that could pretty much fool anybody. What do we do then? Are we going to rely increasingly on authentication of reputable authors to vouch for the research reported? How are these “reputable authors” to be identified?
Perhaps participation to "in real life" conferences will become even more important to identify human experts.
Using AI to write or review grant applications is not necessarily wrong, Marc Pilon argues.
– Anyone applying for funding from the Swedish Cancer Society or the Swedish Research Council can use as much AI as they wish, but the researcher is entirely responsible for the content
in the submitted application. So I believe that as long as it is clear that the researcher is responsible for the material, regardless of how it was produced, an AI could be an excellent tool for all aspects of the scientific process, including peer review.
But the current AI does not work for review assignments, argues Marc Pilon.
– Possibly, Chat GPT could read an article and suggest an assessment but it would not be particularly reliable, so the reviewer would still have to do most of the work themself.
But what will happen if the AI tools develop and become so good that even experts are misled?
– That would indeed be troublesome. By then however there may be “good” AIs that help keep track of science and counter the outputs of “bad AIs” or “misused AIs” …
Text: Eva Lundgren
Photo: Johan Wingborg
Marc Pilon
With birds in the scope
Are you one of the millions of amateur ornithologists all over the world who report their observations to various databases? If so, you are contributing to Heléne Aronsson’s PhD project. She examines what happens to birds and biodiversity when humans lay claim to new areas of land, for construction or cultivation.→
A few years ago, one of Heléne Aronsson’s friends told her that she had seen an eagle-owl, all fluffed up on the ceiling above a store in Brunnsparken. The fact that the city centre was being visited by the world’s larges owl was something that few pedestrians noticed as they rushed about with their eyes glued to their smartphones.
– It made me think about how we, as city dwellers, have a fairly skewed picture of the birds that are most prevalent in our country: jackdaws and magpies are easy to spot as they saunter about on our city streets. But Sweden’s most common corvid is actually the jay. I frequently see them fly across the motorway when I am driving along road 40 between Borås and Gothenburg.
Heléne Aronsson researches the factors that govern the geographical distribution of different species of bird.
In the long term, the project aims to develop a tool that government agencies and companies can use to determine how to best use an area of land with the smallest possible environmental impact.
– What happens to biodiversity when a building bridge or setting up farmland? Some species of bird can react well to change, such as seagulls, who can eat most things and are able to find more food in agricultural landscapes. But of course there are also species that are sensitive to transformations of the lands-
»One reason is that it is quite easy to do research on birds as this is the group of animals about which we have the most data.«
HELÉNE ARONSSON
cape. If one important species disappears is may disrupt the entire ecosystem.
Heléne Aronsson explains that there is a great commitment to biodiversity at the companies she talks to.
– Just like everyone else, the people who work there want to protect the environment, not least for their children’s sake. But the environmental interest has, so far at least, mainly been about
Heléne Aronsson has been interested in birds since childhood.
the climate. This could be due to the fact that emissions can be measured while the impact on biodiversity is more difficult to quantify. We know that biodiversity is important for the resilience of an ecosystem, but it is difficult to predict what will happen if a specific species disappears from a certain area. The very fact that we do not know this is reason for being cautious.
What Heléne Aronsson’s PhD project aims to do is to develop a model for estimating how land exploitation in a certain area will impact bird life. Initially, she will look into macro-ecological issues, such as how the elevation above sea level, water supply and temperature will affect birds. Subsequently, she will process the data so that it can be used in a life-cycle analysis.
– The model I develop may perhaps be used in the future for other groups of animals as well, and for biodiversity in general.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is the biodiversity equivalent of the IPCC climate panel. The platform lists the five gravest threats to biodiversity.
– It concerns the exploitation of species – such as through fishing or hunting
– climate change, pollution and invasive species. But the most severe threat is changes in land use on land and at sea. There are around 11,000 species of bird in the world. Sweden has close to 300 different species, compared to Colombia which, with their 1,900 species or so, is the country in the world with the largest number of bird species.
However, birds comprise a fairly small group, considering the almost 8–9 million species of organisms that we estimate live on our planet. So there are plenty of animals to study. There are several reasons why Heléne Aronsson chose birds in particular to study.
– One reason is that it is quite easy to do research on birds as this is the group of animals about which we have the most data. This is due to the world’s amateur ornithologists who have reported an astounding 2 billion observations into the database I use.
Another reason is that Heléne Aronsson herself has been an amateur ornithologist since childhood. Her father is a photographer with a particular interest in birds, and she has accompanied him on numerous occasions to various bird-watching towers, looking out over the surroundings with binoculars.
And it was also her interest in birds that made her study biology and eventually become a project coordinator at the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre (GGBC). Being a doctoral student does not only involve research but also teaching.
– I teach both at the BA biology programme and on introductory courses that attract all kinds of people, from our own students to interested pensioners. Something that I would find very interesting would be to lecture on biodiversity at Chalmers, because those students will be building a lot of our societal infrastructure. And there are plenty of fun facts about birds that you do not have to be a biologist to find interesting. Some examples are that crows, jackdaws and ravens have been named for their calls, so-called onomatopoeic names, that the nuthatch is the only Swedish bird able to climb downwards on tree trunks and that we had to change the name of the swift from swallow because, in spite of its appearance, it is more closely related to the colibri than the swallow.
Text: Eva Lundgren
Photo: Johan Wingborg
About Heléne Aronsson
Current position: Doctoral student at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
Resides in: Gothenburg.
Family: My husband Johan.
Other hobbies: Sewing! I love making clothes out of old curtains I pick up at jumble sales.
20 years with public health
Health economics, epidemiology and gender issues were some of the new areas when the Public Health Science Programme started at the University of Gothenburg in 2004.
Om May 15, in connection with the European Public Health Week, the programme celebrated its 20th anniversary with an event that included presentations by five alumni.
THE KEYNOTE speaker was Nason Maani, Senior Lecturer in Global Health Policy at the University of Edinburgh, who lectured via link about commercial factors that impact health. One clear example was how you create acceptance for advertising alcohol.
– British whisky producers claim that their products are not harmful if they are consumed in moderation. At the same time, they target their advertising to till heavy drinkers, i.e. older men in socially vulnerable areas. That is because these people, comprising 20 percent of customers, represent 80 percent of consumption; this source of revenue is something the producers wish to retain, in spite of their talk about responsible drinking.
IN 2004, Sahlgrenska Academy initiated a three-year BA programme in Public Health Science with a one-year voluntary master’s course, says Gunnel Hensing, Professor of Social Medicine, and the first chair of its programme board.
– The board was unusually cross-disciplinary with representatives of Sahlgrenska Academy, the Faculty of Social
Monica Hunsberger was one of the organisers of the event.
»I am hoping that we can celebrate the European Public Health Week each year.«
Monica
Hunsberger
Sciences, the School of Business Economics and Law, the Nordic School of Public Health and representatives of the public. Health equality was a key term for the programme that included subjects such as philosophy of life and the treatment of others, gender and health, health care administration as well as a review of scientific methods and field studies.
AT ITS INCEPTION , the programme addressed a considerable need and had 1,050 applicants for 30 places in the first year and 1,209 applicants the following year, says Annika Jakobsson, one of the initiators of the programme.
– When the predecessor of the Swedish Council for Higher Education conducted an evaluation in 2006, they emphasised the programme’s strong profile areas and the exemplary integration of a gender perspective throughout the programme. A survey from 2014 shows that our students came from wide-ranging backgrounds. Besides people with a degree in public health science, there were also people who had studied public administration, social work and human rights; and a nursing degree was also common among the students.
HOWEVER, AFTER a few years, the interest in the BA programme declined and it was eventually terminated; the final group of students were accepted in 2017, says Gunnel Hensing.
– At the time, we already had two master’s program-
mes up and running, one in public health that started in 2010, and one in global health from 2016.
The latter programme involved a partnership with Sahlgrenska Academy, the school of Business, Economics and Law, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities, and was developed by Associate Professor Monica Hunsberger, currently the coordinator for the master’s programme in public health. It is a programme with applicants from all over the world, she says.
– FOR 2025 we have received more than 1,000 applications, of which we select around 40. Many come from Europe, but also from Australia and Brazil, as well as from countries in Asia and Africa. We also have Swedish students of course. We would like to do more to recognise our alumni, such as arranging more regular seminars at which they can introduce themselves and involving them as mentors for interns and perhaps even for master’s dissertations. In the future, I am hoping that we can celebrate the European Public Health Week each year.
Text: Eva Lundgren
Photo: Gunnar Jönsson
→Facts:
The celebration was held at the Health Sciences Centre and was organised by Monica Hunsberger together with alumni Cassandra Comey, Nika Bakhsoliani, Julia Selea and Thessaly "Tess" Alexander. A very much appreciated element was the vegetarian meal made from Swedish produce.
