New hospital important milestone for life sciences

2016-11-20

Foto: Medicinsk Bild

Today the first part of the new Karolinska University Hospital (NKS) has opened. I really congratulate all involved in the terrific effort to launch the first operational building. The opening of NKS represents one important milestone to realize the joint vision in creating a vibrant, cross-sectional life science cluster, involving actors from academia, the health care sector and industry. But of course, most importantly, the new hospital is there for the patients!

The Stockholm County Council (SCC) is Karolinska Institutet’s most important collaborator and Karolinska University Hospital is a major player within this collaboration. The new hospital will give Karolinska Institutet new and unique opportunities to advance clinical research, innovation and education, all to the benefit of the individual and society. It is within the health care sector that Karolinska Institutet identifies many challenges to human health that we need to address and this is also the sector where our answers are being put to use.

Installation lecture Stockholm Sjukhem Professorial Chair
On Wednesday evening I had the great pleasure to hold the welcome address at the installation lecture for the Stockholm Sjukhem Professorial Chair in Clinical Geriatrics awarded to Miia Kivipelto I am very happy and grateful that Stockholm Sjukhem has once again generously donated a professorial chair to KI. It is their third donation of this kind and it is very important that this fruitful collaboration can continue. This type of collaborations between universities and health care are essential to make science progress and for science to benefit patients. The specific topic – geriatric research – is highly relevant. Life expectancy is steadily increasing, partly owing to progress in medical research. But with increased life expectancy comes new challenges.. We must learn more about age-related diseases and challenges.
Symposium for diplomatic missions to Sweden
On Tuesday evening KI hosted an event for representatives from diplomatic missions in Sweden for a presentation of who we are and what we do, all with the aim to improve human health. The diplomatic missions are very important for an international university like KI. After my welcome address I got a, nowadays rare, chance to stay and listen to some presentations of the exciting research that is being conducted at KI. I was impressed and feel very proud of KI.