The new organisation with separate Director and Chair of the Board will strengthen CEC. The Director will be supported by four Assistant Directors focusing on undergraduate education, PhD-education, research and stakeholder interactions.
“With this new organisation we will have an increased capacity to work with the long-term development of CEC. This will allow us to make good use of the increased funding opportunities for environmental and climate research and infrastructure, for example in the current Budget Bill, but importantly also to contribute even more to sustainable development through our education and interaction with societal actors”, says Henrik Smith, who now steps down as Director for CEC and continues as Chair of the Board, focusing on collaboration and strategic long-term issues.
A good position
New Director is Per Persson.
“I’m very much looking forward to be a part of the future development of CEC. With the new organisation, the excellent CEC staff and our extensive networks we are in a very good position to tackle some of the most urgent research questions in environmental science today as well as to educate future generations of professionals with the necessary skills to move our societies in a sustainable direction”, he says.
The following persons will be assistant directors:
- Katarina Hedlund (also Deputy Director): Assistant Director Undergraduate Education
- Natascha Kljun: Assistant Director PhD Education
- Yann Clough: Assistant Director Research
- Anna Ekberg: Assistant Director Stakeholder Collaboration
The stakeholder position is new at CEC.
“An even stronger focus on stakeholder dialogue will both equip CEC with more opportunities to develop as academic environment and support society’s science-based changemaking for sustainable development”, says Anna Ekberg, Assistant Director Stakeholder Collaboration.
A broader mission
From January 1, CEC also changes name to Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (instead of “research”). In Swedish the new name is “Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap”.
”With the new name we clarify that CEC has a mission that is much broader than just research. The new name demonstrates our aim to be an integrated knowledge environment, where research, education and societal interactions act in concert to tackle environmental and climate challenges”, says Per Persson.
CEC has also received new regulations from the Science Faculty which applies from January 2021. In the regulations, five clear tasks are pointed out. CEC’s mission is to be:
- a research actor who, in close collaboration with other departments, encourages and conducts integrated environmental and climate research
- a coordinator for strategic development of environmental and climate-related research and infrastructure
- a dynamic and creative meeting place for researchers who want to tackle current and upcoming challenges for research and society
- a hub for the provision of expertise through training of future professional actors in the field, and
- a knowledge bank and forum for innovative collaboration between research and the wider society
“With the new name, organisation and instructions, we have an excellent platform for the next 10 years of development. It will allow CEC to be a dynamic centre that can tackle shifting research frontiers and societal challenges by continuously renewing itself. However, importantly, where we will be in the future hinges on continuing the excellent teamwork by colleagues at CEC and in our networks that has made us into what we are today”, says Henrik Smith.