Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt has appointed Jenny Helin, Associate Professor at the Department of Business Studies, as Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Campus Gotland. The role of the Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor is to advise the Vice-Chancellor on matters concerning Campus Gotland and to develop the University’s activities there.

Jenny Helin will be taking on the role at a time of governance reorganisation for Campus Gotland, which became part of Uppsala University 10 years ago this year.

“During this time, we have built up high-quality activities at Campus Gotland, so we are moving forward from a very strong position. With our wonderful staff and the new organisation in place, we are well placed to continue to enhance our activities. To begin with, I will be working to highlight our strengths in areas such as sustainable development, but I will also continue to focus on our interdisciplinary research and education through collaboration between the departments that have operations at Campus Gotland. We are in an interesting phase, where I will have a coordinating role in development, and this is a task I am very much looking forward to,” says Helin.

Engaged in sustainability issues

For the last three years, Helin has been director of Uppsala University’s interdisciplinary Graduate School in Sustainability Studies (GRASS), located at Campus Gotland. Sustainability issues are something she cares deeply about

“Five research programmes are in progress here addressing key challenges in sustainability. At the same time, it’s important that we do not just study sustainability but also explore sustainable ways of working, and here the graduate school’s international and interdisciplinary environment has proved a good arena,” Helin says.

Grew up on Gotland

Jenny Helin came to Uppsala University as a postdoctoral researcher 10 years ago. She did her undergraduate work at Stockholm University and took a doctoral degree at Jönköping International Business School, with a thesis on dialogue in organisations. Helin grew up on Gotland at a time when no higher education was available on the island.

“Perhaps that’s why I’m so committed to research and education on Gotland. I see how much our University contributes to local development, but also that the environment on campus offers opportunities for cooperation across disciplinary lines within the University. That’s something I want to continue to promote,” Helin concludes.