Ole Petter Ottersen, president Karolinska Institutet 2017-2023

After the referendum in the UK, voting in favor of Brexit, it is important to emphasize the need for free movement of students and researchers in Europe. Furthermore, Karolinska Institutet has been heavily involved in, together with ie colleagues in the UK, discussions on European legislation in relation to register based research, as one example of an area which is facilitated by broad collaboration across nations. 

Karolinska Institutets scientists will take part in many activities in Almedalen which really shows the breadth of our activities and the interest in our opinions and contributions. Personally, I will take part in many activities on quite diverse topics.

I will take part in a panel on student health. What could be more important than that our students, our future, have good health and that we support their health?

I will take part in a panel about the need in medical research of practicing clinicians. This is a very important issue not least for Karolinska Institutet.  How do we facilitate that medical doctors and medical students enter a research career? In order to maintain a high medical quality in health care, promote Swedish pharmaceutical/medical technology industry and maintain a high quality of medical training, this is simply necessary!

I will also take part in a panel on Stockholm-Uppsala as an important Life Science Cluster. How do we facilitate the development of this cluster? Housing and transport are clearly key elements for further development of this cluster.

I will take part in a seminar on NKS, where the hospital director and myself will focus on how the Karolinska University Hospital and the Karolinska Institutet will work together to improve health care, medical research and education.

I will take part in a seminar hosted by “Läkartidningen”; After Macchiarini, how could what was considered innovative research end up in a situation which has been considered too damage Swedish research? How can similar incidents be avoided in the future? As responsible for the university that has a central role in this affair, it is natural for me to that part in this seminar.

I will also take part in round table discussions on research infrastructure, an area which I have been heavily engaged in during the last years, and on Life Science in Sweden where I believe that my background from working in a large pharma will be useful.

It will also be interesting to listen to the talks by the party chairmen and chairwomen, what will they say in relation to the bill on research and innovation that will be delivered in the autumn?

I will keep you posted on what has happened during the week!