News archive

This year’s operational plan for KI’s Professional Services (PS) and University Library is now ready for viewing. “The joint document is intended to ease communication, enhance transparency and build a mutual understanding of how each unit contributes to KI’s shared goals in Professional Services and other parts of the university,” says University Director Veronika Sundström.  

The conditions under which research and education collaborations with the USA operate are in danger of being undermined by decisions announced by the country’s recently instated president. Here, Karolinska Institutet’s president Annika Östman Wernerson comments on the situation and talks about what KI can do to prepare for any changes that might come.

Thursday 20 February saw the latest round of NOR awards, at which 34 members of the KI staff were commended for their long, impeccable service. The recipients of the 2024 KI Silver Medal, Stephan Rössner and Carol Tishelman, were also celebrated during the ceremony.

What pressing issues do you think the university needs to address better? Take this opportunity to raise matters that you would like the academic vice presidents for KI’s the faculty board’s committees to pursue more actively.

As always at this time of the year, KI submits its annual report and budgetary data to the government. Our university is currently enjoying an upward trend, and this is something we can feel really proud about. As one of Europe’s leading medical universities and one of the foremost in the world, we are able to attract serious research grants, top-tier researchers and highly qualified students.

The school shooting in Örebro has provoked many reactions. Here is some information on security at KI for students and employees, and details about whom to turn to if you have questions or feel anxious.

On 30 January, a symposium on dementia was held in honour of HM Queen Silvia at Karolinska Institutet. The event was part of the "experience gift" that KI presented in connection with the Queen’s 80th birthday.

On 29 January, KI's Professional Services gathered for a first staff meeting in the new organisation. All offices were introduced and researcher Ylva Trolle Lagerros described how Professional Services and research are linked at KI. Below is a summary of the information shared at the meeting.

What I most look forward to now, in the early days of the spring term, is the receding darkness and getting to meet all of you under various circumstances. Only last week, for instance, I and my colleagues in the university management had the privilege of meeting around fifty of our colleagues on Campus Flemingsberg in an open dialogue meeting, just like the one we held on the Solna campus just before Christmas.

Times Higher Education in the UK has published its World University Rankings by Subject 2025. The ranking is based on both hard data and reputation surveys. KI improves its position in several categories.

Sven Carlsson has been appointed as new head of the Legal, Planning and Economic Affairs Office. He comes from the position of CFO at SLU, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

KI President Annika Östman Wernerson has been elected as a member of IVA's Biotechnology Division. This took place in connection with the Academy meeting in November, when IVA, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, elected 41 new Swedish and international members – prominent researchers and experts from both the business community and the public sector.

As the year comes to a close and we look forward to a well-deserved holiday, let me, Vice-President Martin Bergö and University Director Veronika Sundström, share some of the highlights of the past couple of months

The group will be deciding on the establishment of senior lectureships and professorships and identifying both short and long-term competence shortages in order to secure and strengthen KI’s core activities and create long-term stability in education and research.

Karolinska Institutet is investing over SEK 200 million over five years on a new funding package for EU-financed research projects. The aim of this investment, which was decided by the President on 11 November 2024, is to bolster research at KI and attract more international research grants and global collaborations designed to address today’s societal challenges. It is also intended to reward successful researchers that have won large prestigious external grants for breakthrough research.

As KI’s new presidential advisor, Maria Eriksdotter will be leading the university’s collaboration with Region Stockholm, giving her a key role in the future of clinical research and education in the capital.

On 5 November, KI submitted its final batch of material to the Swedish Research Council’s national evaluation of preclinical medical and pharmaceutical science for 2024-25. Seven universities are participating in the process, which aims to provide a national picture of the research field.

Following a decision taken by KI president Annika Östman Wernerson on 26 November, the Medical History and Heritage Unit (MHK) will be integrated with the Karolinska Institutet University Library (KIB) on 1 January, becoming its own division and with the same management as before.

Karolinska Institutet was honoured in October by a visit from Professor Brian Hodges, the 2016 KIPRIME recipient. The award, which is given in recognition of achievements in medical education research, has been of profound significance to him, and now he was in Sweden to open next year’s KIPRIME Fellows, an initiative devised to cultivate the next generation of prize-winners.

Vice-president Martin Bergö, University Director Veronika Sundström and I want to meet you in our open dialogue meetings in December. These meetings are important sources of perspective, knowledge and insight concerning pressing issues facing KI, such as how we can work even better together as a university and equip ourselves for a constantly changing world.

While Karolinska Institutet has solid outreach procedures, there are several areas that could do with improvement, according to a report by the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) on Swedish universities and university colleges that was presented to the government on October 31.

The Swedish government has presented an updated strategy for life science with the aim of making Sweden a leading nation in the field. Annika Östman Wernerson, President of KI, has been a member of the advisory group behind the strategy.

Karolinska Institutet has produced a new environmental policy to tackle present and future environmental and sustainability challenges. The environmental policy describes the intentions and directions of KI’s work with environmental sustainability. In integrating the environmental perspective throughout the organisation, KI will make an active health-focused contribution to addressing society’s key environmental and climate challenges.

After the freezer failure in Neo, the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) opened a supervisory case. The case has now been closed and IVO considers that the investigations carried out and the measures taken by Karolinska Institutet are sufficient to fulfil the requirements of the Biobanks Act.

What are KI's important issues for the future and what forums do we need to work even better together? Take the chance to discuss these and other important topics with President Annika Östman Wernerson, Vice President Martin Bergö and University Director Veronika Sundström as they once again invite all employees to an open dialogue meeting in Flemingsberg 22 January.

This year, Karolinska Institutet celebrates 25 years of support for visiting researchers and overseas doctoral students. Sharing knowledge and experience leads to innovation and progress, which is why we cannot do without our international collaborations. There are many support functions in place for our visiting researchers and overseas doctoral students, all to ensure their reception is as good as we can make it.

On 1 January 2025, a new organisation of KI’s Professional Services (PS) will come into force. Six existing offices will cease to exist and three new ones will be established. At the same time, working methods for increased coordination of cross-cutting issues within the professional services will be developed.

A decision was made by KI’s President on Tuesday regarding compensation for the freezer failure in Neo. The Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH) will be compensated with a total of SEK 30 million to be distributed to the affected researchers for costs incurred, and to begin recreating the collection of research material that has been lost.

On 10 October, University Director Veronika Sundström held a digital staff meeting for KI's Professional Services (PS). During the meeting, she presented an upcoming decision on the new organisation of PS. Below is a summary of the information shared.

The President has decided on a clarification of the instructions on the employment procedure for teachers at KI. The revision will make things clearer and more transparent for both the applicants and the ones assessing them. The updated instructions come into effect on 1 November 2024.

Sweet September has arrived, bringing some good news and some wait-and-sees. After the government presented its budget for 2025 on 19 September, it’s still not clear what kind of resources will be available for higher education.

A well-functioning crisis organisation is important to be able to handle special events/crises and to minimize damage to KI's operations, employees, researchers and students. Updated guidelines for the organisation are now available, including crisis plans.

The academic election of new teacher representatives to KI's University Board (Konsistoriet) has now been completed, and the election results have been confirmed by University Director Veronika Sundström.

At this semester's first staff meeting for KI's Professional Services (PS), some current results in the work on KI's strategic focus areas were presented, including the review currently underway of the PS. Here you will find brief information on the issues raised at the meeting.

On September 5th, the election period begins to appoint new faculty members to KI's University Board. During May, employees and students had the opportunity to nominate candidates for the role as faculty member on KI's board. Now, a total of three positions need to be filled.

Welcome to the 2024 autumn term! The new term officially kicks off on 2 September and I look forward very much to seeing all our students back on campus.

On 1 July 2024, the number of departments at KI went down from 22 to 21 as the integration of BioNut as a division of MedH came to a close. The project, which will now continue within MedH, has boosted the work KI is doing on its strategic focus areas as well as the “we” spirit within the department and KI as a whole.

Jennifer Cleland has been awarded the Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education (KIPRIME) 2024. Her scientific work has had a significant influence on the development of medical education worldwide.

The external review of the previous internal investigation into the freezer failure in Neo during the Christmas holidays 2023, supports the conclusions and recommendations of the internal report. This was clear when the external investigation was presented to KI's management and affected staff on 20 August.

Students, alumni and staff from KI participated in the colourful Pride parade under the universities' Adacemic Pride flag in Stockholm on 3 August. The atmosphere was great and this year's theme was clear – we are stronger together.

Anders Ekbom, Professor of Epidemiology and former Vice President of Karolinska Institutet, has died aged 76. He passed on 29 July after a long illness. Anders Ekbom had several roles and assignments at KI. ”His importance for Karolinska Institutet cannot be overestimated”, says KI’s President Annika Östman Wernerson.

During the year, the Swedish Research Council will carry out a comprehensive national evaluation of the quality and importance of preclinical research in basic medical and pharmaceutical sciences. KI is one of seven Swedish higher education institutions that are being audited. The Swedish Research Council's evaluation refers to the results of research published during the years 2018-2024.

Nobel laureate and former president of Karolinska Institutet, Bengt Samuelsson, passed away at the age of 90. Bengt Samuelsson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1982, along with Sune Bergström (1916–2004) and John R. Vane (1927–2004), for their discoveries related to prostaglandins – hormone-like substances that regulate several important processes in the body. Bengt Samuelsson also served as president of Karolinska Institutet from 1983 to 1995.

On 26 June, the President decided to repeal previous regulations and establish new guidelines for employment after reaching the LAS age (69 years, the age for the right to remain in employment).

The activities of the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition has been wound up and merged with the Department of Medicine, Huddinge. This means that the Department of Medicine, Huddinge is growing and that the activity at the department broadens.

Following a presidential decision that comes into effect on 1 July, the roles and mandates of KI’s deans are to be amended. The change is an outcome of the development of KI’s strategic focus areas.

In a debate article, President of Karolinska Institutet Annika Östman Wernerson and other leading representatives of the board of the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions call for continued and strengthened activities for the researcher, doctor, KI alumnus and Swedish citizen Ahmadreza Djalali. Since 2016, Djalali has been imprisoned on fabricated charges in Iran, in the prison that the Prime Minister recently described as hell on earth.

This spring, we embarked on an important and comprehensive change process to optimise our internal resources and to create even better conditions for our core activities and departments. This work is now entering a more concrete phase.

The proposal discussed with affected staff is that five offices will cease to exist and three new ones will be formed from 1 January 2025. The aim is to equip KI's operational support to meet increased demands and rapid changes in the outside world through more effective coordination, and to contribute to a stronger sense of unity throughout KI.

As Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza, students in Sweden and around the world have been staging protests on their university campuses, calling for all ties with Israeli universities to be severed. KI itself has seen smaller, peaceful demonstrations in which individual students have protested against Israel’s actions.