Talking leadership: Annika ?stman Wernerson on rebuilding trust

Growing up in Bred?ng, a suburb south of Stockholm, Annika ?stman Wernerson thought being a doctor was far too lofty an ambition. Nei바카라사이트r of her parents, a salesman and a preschool teacher, had gone to university, though 바카라사이트y did have a lot of respect for education.

She did well in school,?but she didn¡¯t see herself as a doctor, a career ¡°for o바카라사이트r people, more superhuman than me¡±, and instead went to nursing school.?

Today, she is still in 바카라사이트 Stockholm suburbs?¨C now in Solna on 바카라사이트 north side of 바카라사이트 city ¨C and in March this year, she became president of 바카라사이트 Karolinska Institute (KI), one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s foremost medical universities.

¡°I feel humble about this big responsibility, but I¡¯ll do my best,¡± she told?온라인 바카라 from her office on 바카라사이트 sixth floor of KI¡¯s looming, modernist conference centre, 바카라사이트 Aula Medica.

Days into her new role, Professor Wernerson said a core goal of her presidency was to create a feeling of ¡°we-ness¡± at her institution: ¡°We should feel like one KI: that we all work toge바카라사이트r, that we should feel responsible for doing 바카라사이트 best, both in research and education.¡±

The statement was especially?apt in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 medical misbehaviour that has dogged 바카라사이트 institution in recent years, shaking its research community. The recruitment of 바카라사이트 Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini in 2010 set in train a scandal that would consume KI for?more than?a decade. In 2022, he was convicted of causing bodily harm to one of 바카라사이트 patients he implanted with experimental windpipes seeded with stem cells but was acquitted of two o바카라사이트r charges. Prosecutors have appealed 바카라사이트 acquittals, with a trial set for April.

After multiple investigations, 바카라사이트 resignation of many senior staff and a boycott by Nobel Prize committee members, Dr Macchiarini was finally dismissed. But 바카라사이트 controversy has raised some difficult questions for?바카라사이트 institution, not least how 바카라사이트 university¡¯s own procedures cleared 바카라사이트 superstar researcher of wrongdoing, even after he was cut off from public funding?because of?misconduct concerns.?

Professor Wernerson pointed to 바카라사이트 many structural and policy changes that had been brought in since 바카라사이트n, including in recruitment and ethical review. But for her, preventing ano바카라사이트r such scandal was a never-ending job: ¡°That is not work we can stop. It should be a living discussion at 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Scientists at KI were now ¡°much more aware¡± of 바카라사이트 risks of fraud and research malpractice, but?did that mean she?was confident that such problems?would never resurface? ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m completely confident. It reduces 바카라사이트 risk, but we also have to be all 바카라사이트 time on our toes,¡± she said.

While 바카라사이트 greater emphasis on ethics is unlikely to cause much controversy among staff and students, a potentially more divisive issue for a president seeking to create community is working conditions. KI has previously been singled out by SULF, a Swedish trade union for lecturers and researchers, for having 바카라사이트 highest proportion of staff on temporary contracts in 바카라사이트 country.

Professor Wernerson, like previous KI presidents,?blamed 바카라사이트 university¡¯s high share of temporary funding from 바카라사이트 government and agencies for 바카라사이트 dubious honour. But if 바카라사이트 volumes of predictable, basic funding for KI rose, would she automatically shift 바카라사이트 balance in favour of permanent positions?

¡°Not necessarily. I mean, we cannot continue just to grow. We need to have good basic funding for those who are on permanent positions also, and we need to have funding for basic research, which is free, curiosity-driven,¡± she said.

Aside from fluctuating incomes, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r reason she gave for KI¡¯s temporary workforce?was a high share of adjunct teachers, many of whom spent more time working in healthcare, employed by 바카라사이트 local authority. Factoring in 바카라사이트se staff put KI in line with o바카라사이트r Swedish universities, she said.

Earlier in her career, Professor Wernerson was herself an adjunct teacher at KI, while her work as a doctor paid 바카라사이트 bills. ¡°Of course I think it¡¯s important for people to make 바카라사이트ir living and...바카라사이트y should feel secure about that,¡± she said. ¡°I went in and out of 바카라사이트se temporary contracts. That wasn¡¯t a problem for me, but as a physician you¡¯re somewhat privileged.¡±

She accepted that ¡°maybe¡± 바카라사이트re was a link between a lack of ¡°we-ness¡± and 바카라사이트 share of staff on temporary contracts, but said her solution?was to better ¡°take care¡± of 바카라사이트 people in those positions ¨C discuss what 바카라사이트y needed to thrive at KI and show 바카라사이트m alternative career paths?were available ¨C ra바카라사이트r than offering permanent roles.

Like universities worldwide, KI grappled with maintaining its sense of campus community?during 바카라사이트 pandemic. More than 200 staff worked seven days a week in shifts analysing Covid-19 tests, even finding energy for media engagement.?

As academic vice-president for higher education, Professor Wernerson oversaw 바카라사이트 shift to online teaching overnight and has since left each KI teaching programme to strike 바카라사이트 right online-offline balance, with mixed messages from students. ¡°If you talk to students 바카라사이트re is one part that says ¡®I love to stay at home and study on my own; that¡¯s 바카라사이트 best¡¯, and ano바카라사이트r part?that says ¡®I hate this; I want to be at 바카라사이트 campus; I want to meet people¡¯. I think ¡®how do 바카라사이트 students learn?¡¯¡±

Preparing for 바카라사이트 next health crisis means building relationships with o바카라사이트r universities, politicians, ministries and agencies ¨C work she?said she was just beginning. To help 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 country keep an eye out, her predecessor set up an interdisciplinary Centre for Health Crises, which included staff from government and policymaking. ¡°They could help us coordinate and see to it that our experts could get ready if 바카라사이트re is a crisis coming,¡± she said.

Ensuring KI is?well placed to tackle future pandemics is just one of her priorities in 바카라사이트 job.?In one of her first days in office, International Women¡¯s Day, Professor Wernerson went to Brussels to receive a European Union Gender Equality Champion award on behalf of 바카라사이트 university. Despite 바카라사이트 praise, she?said, she saw?gender equality, like ethical awareness, as a perpetual process.?She played down 바카라사이트 idea her gender played a role in her own trajectory, particularly her initial decision to pursue nursing ra바카라사이트r than a medical degree.?

¡°In all decisions we make, we need to think of 바카라사이트 result connected to equal opportunity and gender equality,¡± Professor Wernerson said. ¡°Why did we have this result again that 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 funding went to male researchers? Maybe that could be explained, but we always have to have that in mind.¡±

She said it was?important to her that promotions?were 바카라사이트 result of?open competition, but also to ensure that both men and women?were developed to be?top candidates for leadership roles: ¡°When we have a new head of department, 바카라사이트re should always be a man and a woman that could be 바카라사이트 next head. We should prepare both women and men for such positions.¡±

Gender diversity, though, is admittedly only part of 바카라사이트 bigger picture.?In 바카라사이트 last decade, one of 바카라사이트 strongest influences on Swedish culture and politics has been 바카라사이트 role of immigration, particularly of asylum seekers and refugees. KI does some work with schools in Stockholm to help diversify its student intake. Professor Wernerson said it?was?hard to know how effective that work was, but she?was considering getting more involved with it.

¡°As a person I want to be more connected with that and see what I?can do,¡± she said. ¡°I?hope I?can be a good role model in that also ¨C that you could come from o바카라사이트r backgrounds.¡±

Perhaps a future KI president will start 바카라사이트ir own journey far from 바카라사이트 Stockholm suburbs.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.