Anders Hamsten to be installed as new president of Karolinska Institutet

Anders Hamsten qualified as a physician at Karolinska Institutet in 1978. Tomorrow, Friday 25 January, he will be installed as the new president of the university, in a stately ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall.

Outgoing president Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson will pass the baton to Anders Hamsten with pomp and circumstance, making him the 21st president of Karolinska Institutet. The day will commence with a scientific symposium, and will end with dinner in the Blue Hall and the Golden Hall.

The symposium starts at 9.00 am and will be streamed live over the internet. The speakers include 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Peter Agre, who will give a presentation entitled “Science as a tool for international diplomacy”, and Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission. Anne Glover’s speach is entitled “How science makes your life better”.

The Swedish government appoints the president of Karolinska Institutet, and Anders Hamsten will lead Sweden’s most prominent medical university until 31 December 2018.

“Anders Hamsten will be an excellent president. It is also very gratifying that he has solid support from within the organisation”, says Susanne Eberstein, Chairperson of the University Board at Karolinska Institutet.

During his term of office, Anders Hamsten intends to strengthen and clarify the academic career pathways, such that promising young scientists can feel secure and commit themselves to research. He intends to make Karolinska Institutet even more attractive to scientists, and in this way reinforce the already solid position of the university. This will subsequently make it easier to recruit international talent.

“Another of my objectives as president is to invest in the quality of basic education, such that Karolinska Institutet continues to attract the most creative, energetic and enthusiastic students. One way of strengthening the core of our teaching activities is to re-engage senior teachers in basic education. Students taking basic education seldom meet these teachers today. This is a pity, since such meetings are usually highly appreciated,” says Anders Hamsten.

Finally, Anders Hamsten intends to develop interaction with the health and medical care system, such that research and education do not suffer when the nature of the patient population changes, as evermore caregivers become established and large groups of patients receive care outside of the hospitals.

Anders Hamsten is Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases and senior consultant cardiologist at the Karolinska University Hospital’s Cardiology Clinic.

“I have a double background as an experimental clinical scientist and as a physician with more than 30 years’ experience of working with patients and in various management roles in the University Hospital. This means that I am well suited to develop the interaction between Karolinska Institutet and the medical care system,” says Anders Hamsten.

Live stream of the symposium