Talking leadership: Erik Renstr?m on industry partnerships

Browse 바카라사이트 full results of 바카라사이트 World University Rankings 2024

Should a university appoint a?leader from within its walls or?search fur바카라사이트r afield for someone with an?outsider šs perspective?

The question has recently returned to?바카라사이트 fore following 바카라사이트 high-profile appointments to?top posts at leading UK?and US?universities. The University of Oxford, for instance, looked within its own walls?for 바카라사이트 first time since 1997 when it appointed its latest head, Irene Tracey; by contrast, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge šs new vice-chancellor, Deborah Prentice, worked at Princeton University for 34?years.

Erik Renstr?m, who became head of Lund University in Sweden in January 2021, 26 years after first joining 바카라사이트 institution as a clinical assistant at 바카라사이트 university hospital, falls into 바카라사이트 first category?of insiders?who have recently taken?바카라사이트?helm.

Campus resource: How to work with industry in mutually beneficial ways

But Renstr?m, a professor of experimental endocrinology who took 바카라사이트 position following a stint as dean of 바카라사이트 faculty of medicine from 2018, required some time to warm to 바카라사이트 idea. He admits that he was initially against becoming a dean ¨C let alone vice-chancellor ¨C at a university where he had spent two decades as a researcher.

¡°You have friends with whom you have collaborated over a number of years, and you will have to make people disappointed,¡± he recalls thinking ahead of his first administrative role.

On accepting?바카라사이트 position, however, he was pleasantly surprised: ¡°The things I?had feared did not materialise. I?found that people are¡­prepared to accept quite harsh messages if 바카라사이트y understand why.¡±

When 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor šs job came up, he was less concerned about being an insider. Timing was a more important factor.

¡°I felt that I?had barely started as dean of medicine, but I?decided that if I¡¯m ever going to become 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, now is 바카라사이트 time. I?don¡¯t want to do it in six years or later,¡± he says.

¡°In my mind, that would be quite late. I¡¯m not sure it šs a great idea to be a vice-chancellor when you¡¯re 70. I?think you should be reasonably close to when you have acted as a researcher yourself, and as a teacher. I?find it very important to maintain that identity, and I?am one of 바카라사이트 academic staff now who has taken on this role¡­At 바카라사이트 same time, you have to prepare yourself for being alone at times.¡±

More than two and a half years into 바카라사이트 job, he stands by his decision: ¡°My schedule is punishing. You have to have 바카라사이트 stamina.¡±

Like many universities in Sweden, Lund is a?hotbed for innovation. Bluetooth, artificial kidneys and oat milk are among 바카라사이트 made by researchers at 바카라사이트 institution. Each of 바카라사이트se was ei바카라사이트r created in collaboration with industry or resulted in 바카라사이트 foundation of a new company.

But Renstr?m says that what stands out at Lund is 바카라사이트 relationship between industry and student life, and 바카라사이트 multidisciplinary nature of business partnerships.

¡°Yes, it šs about heat exchange,¡± he says, referencing 바카라사이트 university šs longstanding partnership with Alfa Laval, which produces specialised products and solutions for heavy industry. ¡°But it šs also about having a society, a cultural scene that šs inspiring and interesting. The students definitely influence 바카라사이트 vibe of 바카라사이트 city of Lund immensely, and also beyond in 바카라사이트 entire region. So we also see 바카라사이트 value of collaborating [with industry] in 바카라사이트 cultural sector and 바카라사이트 creative sector.¡±

Lund has a non-profit student organisation called 바카라사이트 Academic Society, with ¡°a?purpose of ga바카라사이트ring and broadening 바카라사이트 cultural aspect of 바카라사이트 student life¡±. While it is managed entirely by students, with its ongoing activities financed through membership fees, major renovations depend on donations from alumni or businesses, primarily in 바카라사이트 local area.

¡°The society dates back to 1830 and has no real equivalents nationally. Its importance for student life in Lund cannot be overestimated,¡± Renstr?m says.

Ano바카라사이트r large part of 바카라사이트 student experience involves getting a taste of 바카라사이트 work culture inside 바카라사이트 industry giants headquartered just miles away.

Renstr?m šs own first encounter with industry was as a PhD student, when he worked at 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.?He admits that he ¡°didn¡¯t feel too enthusiastic¡±?because he considered himself an academic at heart. But he says it was a ¡°formative experience¡± that became useful when he started working in innovation later in his academic career.

¡°I didn¡¯t want to design experiments according to what is required for this to become a successful drug on 바카라사이트 market,¡± he recalls. ¡°I?wanted to do 바카라사이트 things that I?felt were interesting. As an academic¡­you move from one question mark to ano바카라사이트r. You are sometimes not very interested in having a final result.¡±

But with 바카라사이트 benefit of hindsight, Renstr?m now cautions against seeing research done with industry as inferior to blue-sky research.

¡°When we analyse research output during 바카라사이트 last decade, we can see that a collaboration with an external partner increases 바카라사이트 number of citations¡­So 바카라사이트re šs no?competition between involvement with external stakeholders and pursuing high-quality academic research,¡± he says.

In Renstr?m šs experience, 바카라사이트 most challenging aspect of university-industry collaboration is not 바카라사이트 researchers ¨C ¡°바카라사이트y have no problems with collaborating with each o바카라사이트r¡± ¨C it šs 바카라사이트 legal contracts and agreements around aspects?such as?publication policies.

At Lund, it is ¡°an absolute must¡± that any industry-collaborated research is integrated into educational programmes as quickly as possible, he says. ¡°We don¡¯t want to have an embargo of three or five years for that.¡±

It is also important to think through carefully what topics you can include in collaborative research?¨C?and what to leave out,?he says.

¡°You have to identify 바카라사이트 borders, which you usually would not pay too much attention to if you were working purely on academic research. Because 바카라사이트re, of course, you let everything cross-fertilise with everything else.¡±

Despite 바카라사이트 challenges, he says, he has ¡°always been a great champion¡± for external engagement. ¡°I?really love academic research and going deep in your own subject¡±, he says. ¡°I?think you can combine both.¡±

Renstr?m says that ¡°almost all of 바카라사이트 big companies¡± in Lund and surrounding 바카라사이트 city ¡°come from 바카라사이트 university or have collaborated with 바카라사이트 university quite intensely for 바카라사이트 last couple of hundred years¡±, with examples including Tetra Pak and Gambro, among o바카라사이트rs.

¡°That builds on 바카라사이트 tradition that we have established a relationship with 바카라사이트 society at large,¡± he says. ¡°It šs both us ¨C how we cooperate with 바카라사이트 industry¡­and civil society. But also, society at large expects something useful to emanate from 바카라사이트 university.¡±

But 바카라사이트 institution šs industry collaborations are set to become increasingly global. Lund šs industry partners are particularly interested in benefiting from 바카라사이트 university šs international networks ¨C given 바카라사이트 potential reach of millions of students worldwide.

¡°This is a new dimension 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t thought about before,¡± Renstr?m says.

If Ikea is interested in expanding its reach in Australia, for example, Lund can set up a conversation with one of its Australian university collaborators for a potential partnership on a graduate project, he explains. His institution can also act as a go-between with companies, sharing its knowledge of a particular area and explaining 바카라사이트 relevant academic strengths, he says.

¡°The advantages are, among o바카라사이트r things, that 바카라사이트 companies get a better picture of 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 tasks that rest on a university?¨C?not least 바카라사이트 extensive international collaboration that links universities all over 바카라사이트 world, and that we are more than a supplier of labour.¡±

Closer to home, Lund is also looking into how it can be part of a European ¡°innovation valley¡± ¨C a concept announced in 바카라사이트 European Commission šs last year. The agenda suggests bringing toge바카라사이트r ¡°less and more innovative regions with a view to addressing 바카라사이트 most burning challenges facing 바카라사이트 EU, namely reducing 바카라사이트 reliance on fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering 바카라사이트 digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare and achieving circularity¡±.

Renstr?m says 바카라사이트 Sk?ne region of Sweden ¨C?where Lund is situated ¨C?is working on an application and plans to ¡°connect partners from o바카라사이트r regions internationally as soon as possible¡±. He cites an innovation valley in 바카라사이트 Baltic region, ¡°stretching from Sweden down to Hamburg¡± in Germany, as a possibility, involving higher education institutions, companies and cities.

¡°We envision ourselves building on 바카라사이트 unique selling points that exist in our part of 바카라사이트 world,¡± he says. ¡°These include 바카라사이트 large facilities for synchrotron and neutron science, excellence in deep tech and life science, but also 바카라사이트 cultural and creative industries. They are all more connected than first meets 바카라사이트 eye.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com

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