The first day on the job for KI’s new University Director
Today, Katarina Bjelke has her first day of work at Karolinska Institutet as the University Director. She studied and earned her PhD at KI and also held various management positions at KI.
“I think that Karolinska Institutet is a very important university for Sweden. It will be very enjoyable to begin working here again,” says Katarina Bjelke.
Katarina Bjelke most recently comes from the position as the University Director at Uppsala University. She also previously worked as a ministry director, serving as the Head of the Research Policy Unit at the Ministry of Education and Research. Katarina Bjelke earned her PhD in neuroanatomy at KI in 1997, and a Master of Science in Dental Surgery in 1989. Between 2000 and 2009, she held various management positions at KI, such as the Head of the Research and Doctoral Education Division, the International Relations Office and the Grants Office.
“It’s very enjoyable to be back. I know that KI is an exciting workplace, with exciting and pioneering research and education and highly skilled employees.”
Katarina Bjelke says that she will devote the beginning of her time to familiarising herself with the activities. She plans on spending a lot of time on KI’s campus, meeting all of the department heads and administrative managers, as well as making rounds to the divisions of the administration, for which she will also be the senior executive.
“Of course, I will focus on operational support – getting it into good shape and adapting it to the activities is very important. Other important priorities are the new management organisation and of course Strategy 2030 – making it clearly rooted and prioritised in the activities.”
Katarina Bjelke succeeds University Director Per Bengtsson who retired on 30 April 2019.