We have gathered many of the previous historical articles from our newsletter Lundensaren for you. Maybe you missed a few or would like to reread one. There really is an article for all moods and interests. For instance, what does the beast of storsjön in Jämtland have to do with Lund University? Or maybe you are more interested in reading about murder and love scandals. If so, the articles “A bone of the devil” and “When Alfons met Polly” are the perfect read. If that is too dramatic, you can always get to know the first female students at Lund University and the struggles they encountered.
These are only a few of the historical articles from the past years. You can read any of them in English or Swedish, just click on the title of your liking to start reading.
This Wednesday morning, the winners of the annual Future Innovation Award by Lund University Innovation and Sparbanken Skåne were announced. The competition aims to promote an innovation-friendly culture within the University, and to encourage more new ideas that can lead to future innovations. All student and employee projects that show a high level of innovation, commercial and/or societal benefit and newsworthiness are welcomed into the competition. This year, a solar energy system for schools in developing countries and a new treatment for patients suffering from heart attacks were crowned winners.
Grand prize winners in the Future Innovation Award 2020. Photo by Lotte Larsen.
Off-grid power for schools in developing countries
Grand prize winners in the Student category were Wenjing Yang and Hanna Geschewski’s project, Solar4Schools. Solar4Schools develops an off-grid solar energy system for schools in developing countries that do not have access to reliable, affordable and clean energy.
Today, there are more than 2,8 million schools in developing countries that do not have reliable access to electricity. During her studies, Wenjing Yang made a field trip to Kenya, where 57,000 schools burn kerosene to get lighting. It affects the quality of education for more than half of the country’s students. This is where the idea for Solar4Schools was born.
Solar4Schools has developed an independent system with fewer components but which still meets the schools’ basic needs. By also offering a telephone charging service to the local community, with the help of mobile payments and IoT technology, the customer can self-finance the product.
In the Employee category, Alexandru Schiopu received the grand award for his research on “A new anti-inflammatory treatment to reduce the consequences of myocardial infarction”.
Cardiovascular disease is the single most common cause of death in the world. Alexandru Schiopu’s project develops a revolutionary treatment for patients suffering from heart attacks. By reducing inflammation in the heart, the patient’s heart function can be improved, and the risk of heart failure reduced, which significantly affects the patient’s prognosis and quality of life.
In this project, a special pro-inflammatory protein that is secreted in large quantities after an infarction has been identified. The protein kills heart cells directly, intensifies the inflammation in the heart and worsens heart function. But – there is a small molecular blocker, which can stop the pro-inflammatory protein. The potential social and economic benefits of a treatment that effectively reduces the consequences of heart attacks can be considered extremely high and the intention is to further develop the project towards clinical testing. Alexandru works as associate professor at Cardiovascular Research – Immunity and Atherosclerosis at Lund University.
Our office has reopened again after the summer vacation. But it’s not really business as usual. Many of us are working from home and we are more often meeting through Zoom than IRL. Even the mandatory “fika” is now enjoyed with our colleagues during a “Zoom-fika”. We are also looking forward to meeting many of you online since we are planning a digital version of our autumn events programme for alumni.
Here are some updates from Lund University, Lund and the alumni community from the last two weeks – exciting research news, a different type of Arrival Day, a new way to move around in Lund and an alumna competing for a masterchef title on TV.
Photo above by Kennet Ruona of Sjön Sjön (the lake “Sjön”) by LTH.
New rapid and robust COVID-19 antibody test developed
A new COVID-19 antibody test developed by scientists at Lund University has shown robust performance upon clinical validation and application. The test detects antibodies in the blood targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, and determines in just 15 minutes whether a person has had COVID-19, regardless of whether they have had any symptoms. Click here for more information.
1,024 new international students arrived safely in Lund
On Monday 17 August and Tuesday 18 August, Lund University welcomed 1,024 new international students. Due to the pandemic, a number of precautions had been taken in order to give the new students the safest and warmest welcome possible. Instead of having the halls of the AF building filled with enthusiastic and talkative students, Arrival Day was split into two days, offering a crowd-free self-check-in service. Many of the Orientation Weeks activities have moved outdoors or online. Like every year before, however, the international student mentors are doing a fantastic job helping the new students finding their way in Lund. Click here to read more about Arrival Day.
From Arrival Day 18 August at Medicon Village
Alumna reappears in Swedish Masterchef
The TV show “Swedish Masterchef” is broadcasting a jubilee season where they welcome back former winners to compete for the title of “Masterchef of the Decade”. We are proud to see that alumna Jennie Walldén (Masterchef in 2013) back in the cooking show. Click here to read more about the show (in Swedish).
LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking sites with 675 million monthly users and with 30 million companies on the platform, it’s safe to say that the platform is the right place to be if you’re looking to widen your professional network. But setting up an account isn’t as easy as it sounds. How do you make your profile stand out from the crowd? And what are some of the dos and don’ts?
Earlier this semester the Alumni and Career Offices hosted a LinkedIn webinar where the certified CV and LinkedIn expert, Birgitta Möller, explained how you should think and act when setting up your profile, as well as when you’re using the platform to connect with others. Because so many of the viewers appreciated her tips and tricks, I’ve created a short written guide for LinkedIn based on her presentation. Enjoy!
LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with millions of users
Step number one: Setting up your profile
A well-maintained LinkedIn profile will help build your personal brand, but keep in mind that your LinkedIn profile is not a digital resumé. LinkedIn is a social platform, so here you have the possibility to be more creative and personal when listing your knowledge and experiences.
These sections should be completely filled out in order to maximize your profile:
Your profile picture is the first impression your profile visitors will have of you. So choose a picture that looks professional. Take a look at your picture and ask yourself: “Does this look like a person I would hire for this particular job?” Your photo does not have to be taken by a professional photographer in a fancy studio. However, try to avoid selfies.
Selfies are great – but maybe not optimal for LinkedIn
Banner photo:
Your banner is part of making your profile more memorable. Try choosing an image that compliments your story and fits the context you want to be in.
Your headline:
In this section you have 120 characters to make an impression. So use the opportunity to tell your personal story by using keywords relevant for your field of work and/or be vocal about what you can help people with in your work. Or you can list some of your strongest skills. But try to avoid generic, cliché descriptions and buzzwords.
About:
Here you should take the opportunity to market yourself! Make it a single job targeting text and give recruiters a chance to get to know you, your skills and what you have to offer. Write in first person as it sounds more personal.
Experience section:
When listing your experience, make sure to use real job titles that are commonly known, since they are searchable. Include relevant skills in each job description, but keep it short and don’t focus too much on details. In order to make your profile more interesting, try to include relevant media (you could add your thesis, photos, presentations, videos etc.) for each job description.
List your most relevant experience in your profile
Education:
Here you should list any degree or coursework that is relevant for the field in which you want to work. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, the education section is a chance for you to include any other relevant experience, such as licenses, certifications or volunteer work.
Skill section:
A very important section for search engine optimization. The more you include, the better the chance that recruiters will find you. But make share that the skills you list are relevant. Make use of top skills listed in job ads.
Recommendations:
A great way to make your profile stand out. Your recommendations should come from someone who can directly speak to your characteristics and strengths. Never exchange recommendations with a classmate or a colleague – recommendations should be genuine!
Additional tips on optimizing your profile:
Customize your personal URL! By doing so, it shows that you know your way around LinkedIn and a short, personalized link looks good on your resume.
Fill in your industry and choose the one most relevant for you. Recruiters search based on industries!
DOs and DON’Ts when using LinkedIn
Now that you’ve created a professional profile, it’s time to start building a network and finding exciting new opportunities. The key to finding these are through your connections. So how many connections do you need? You should strive to have a minimum of 50 connections, but the more the better. This is because you usually find new opportunities through a contact of a contact.
Making new connections
When connecting with other people on the platform, DO NOT send a default contact message. DO write a personalized contact message instead. Explain how you know each other and why you are interested in having them in your network. If you don’t know each other, introduce yourself and ask if they are open to new connections. If they’re not, you can always follow them instead.
Being an active user
An important part of using LinkedIn is of course to be active. A great profile is not enough; you need to write posts, share, comment and like other people’s posts in order to be seen. When writing posts, DO NOT use advanced, complicated language. Instead, be conversational and personal as people are more likely to respond to posts that they understand and can relate to.
DO follow company pages. Follow companies you want to work at, it sends a clear signal to recruiters that you are interested in this particular company and want to hear more from them.
DO join groups. It’s a great way to meet new professionals within your field of interest. Be active in the conversations within these groups and share your knowledge. That way, you can connect with people who have the same interests as you. For example, join the Lund University Alumni Network group to connect with other LU alumni around the world.
There are a lot of tips and tricks on how to optimize your online presence and widen your professional network, however, I hope that this guide has given you some valuable advice on how to use the platform. Social media is all about building your own personal brand. And knowing how to do this, even if it’s just knowing how to set up a professional-looking LinkedIn profile, will definitely be a step in the right direction toward reaching your career goals.
How do we live life more sustainably? How do we shape cities so both people and the environment can prosper? And how can we use materials for a longer period of time? Enroll in three MOOCs offered by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University to learn about the answers to these questions.
Greening the Economy: Lessons and Experiences from Scandinavia
How do we live a good life on one planet with over seven billion people? This course addresses this question by looking into how individual choices, business strategies, sustainable cities and national policies can promote a greener economy. This course is offered by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University. Start date: 10 August Click here for course registration.
Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities
How can we shape urban development towards sustainable and prosperous futures? This course will explore sustainable cities as engines for greening the economy. This course is offered by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University. Start date: 10 August Click here for course registration.
Greening the Economy: Circular Economy – Sustainable Materials Management
In this MOOC we look at where important materials come from and how they can be used more efficiently, longer, and in closed loops through innovative business models, policies and local initiatives. This course is offered by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University. Start date: 10 August Click here for course registration.
A list of podcasts by Lund University or our friends and alumni. Enjoy!
IIIEE podcast: Advancing Sustainable Solutions (in English)
Click here to reach the podcast The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) is an interdisciplinary research and education institute at Lund University with activities focusing on the transition to low-carbon and resource efficient economies. In this podcast, IIIEE shares ongoing research and activities through engaging conversation that is relatable and applicable to our daily lives. Working from home? Check out the latest episode “Tips and Tools for Teleworking”!
Studentafton podcast (in Swedish and English)
Click here to reach the Studentlund website Click here to listen to the podcast on Spotify If you use another podcast app, please search for “Studentafton”. Interviews by the popular student organisation Studentafton which has welcomed distinguished guests since 1830. On the long, and old, guest list you find speakers such as Dag Hammarskjöld, Henry Kissinger, Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, Will Farrell and many, many more. Studentafton also invite their speakers to join their podcast. There are podcasts in both English and Swedish. Check out the links above for more information.
LU Futura podcast (in Swedish)
Click here to reach the podcast A podcast by the LU Futura Think Tank with a focus on understanding the pandemic and its consequences for our society. LU Futura is the University’s new think-tank, which will take an interdisciplinary approach to important future issues. With research conducted at nine different faculties, Lund University has a unique opportunity to look at future problems from all possible perspectives.
Vetenskap & hälsa podcast (in Swedish)
Click here to reach the podcast A podcast presenting exciting research at Lund University within the field of medicine and health.
Öppet fall podcast (in Swedish)
Click here to reach the podcast ”Öppet fall” is a podcast by the Faculty of Law at Lund University. In this podcast researchers analyse the most notable Swedish crime cases throughout history.
Sommar i P1 radio show with several alumni speakers (in Swedish)
Click here for more information Personal stories by well-known people from different parts of Swedish society. Pay special attention to episodes with Anders Tegnell, Betlehem Isaak, Patrik Svensson, Rasmus Troedsson, Ola Wong, Karin Smirnoff, Simon J Berger, Anna Takanen, Patrik Lundberg and Olof Stenhammar. We are proud to say that not only are they a part of “Sommar i P1”, but also a part of the Lund University alumni community!
In March earlier this year, I got a new job. I was over the moon excited, as I now was able to work full-time as a Communications Officer at the University. And this being my first ever full-time job since graduating in January, you can probably imagine how excited I was when I stepped into the office on my first day.
I was able to work for five days at the office, before my new boss informed us all that from now on, we would all work from home. In the beginning it was a peculiar situation, not only for me as a new employee, but for everyone. Luckily, I had a great onboarding and got comfortable in my new role very quickly.
My office for the past couple of months
As working from home is somewhat of the new “normal” right now, I can imagine that many of you who are currently looking for jobs will have a somewhat similar experience to me when starting a new job during these special times. Therefore, I had a chat with Anna Alpenhoff, who has experience with hosting digital introductions for new employees as well as digital recruiting, and she shared some of her best tips:
Make sure you are given a contact person that will have time set aside in their daily work to be available for you when you need them. As a new employee, you will have a lot of questions and it’s comforting to know that this person will have time to answer your calls or emails.
During meetings, ask if it’s okay to record the video call. Then you don’t have to worry about taking notes during the meeting, instead you can go back to the material later if you need to refresh your memory. But make it clear that the recording is simply for your personal use only!
Have an honest conversation with your co-workers about how you’re feeling about your situation. Everyone can agree that the situation we’re in is unusual and there’s a mutual understanding that it can be a struggle, especially if you’re new.
If your office has a digital “fika” or other regular informal video meetings, make sure you attend them. These are great for being included in the informal conversations at the office.
Anna has also conducted Skype interviews when recruiting new employees, so she had two additional tips for those of you who are going to have a digital interview:
Do your digital interview in a calm, quiet setting where you feel comfortable.
Make sure the technical bit works beforehand. Having a microphone or camera that doesn’t work in the middle of a digital interview, will just be stressful and interruptive.
She also highlighted that even though digital interviews have some obvious differences from “regular” interviews, they aren’t that different. What’s most important is that you are prepared for the interview regardless of whether it’s digital or in person.
A massive open online course (MOOC) is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. MOOCs provide an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills and advance your career. Lund University offers a variety of exciting MOOCs and in this post you learn more about MOOCs in business and law.
Digital business models are disrupting 50-year old companies in telecommunications, transportation, advertising, e-commerce, automotive, insurance and many other industries. This course will explore how software developers are not just the innovators but also the decision makers in modern competitive battles from mobile to cloud, and from consumer goods to enterprise software. This course is offered by the School of Economics and Management at Lund University. Click here for course registration.
European Business Law (course 1): Understanding the Fundamentals
The Lund University series in European Business Law ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on specialized areas of European Union law. In this first course we will examine the core structures and principles of the European Union as well as the main sources of law. This course is offered by the Faculty of Law at Lund University. Click here for course registration.
European Business Law (course 2): Doing Business in Europe
This course discusses strategic and financial considerations within Company law, as well as Labour law issues such as restructuring enterprises, working conditions and handling crises situations. The course also examines other legal areas such as Tax law, Environmental law and Private International law, and how they tie in to doing business in Europe. This course is offered by the Faculty of Law at Lund University. Click here for course registration.
European Business Law (course 3): Competing in Europe
This course discusses how to compete on the internal market and protect your brand, product or invention. It includes legal disciplines such as Intellectual Property law (IP law), Competition law and specific branches within Public law, such as public procurement and state aid. This course is offered by the Faculty of Law at Lund University. Click here for course registration.
Photo by Stefan Bengtsson of the court room at Juridicum, Lund University
The summer is usually a very busy time for many of us. But, if you could find the time for a good book, which one would it be? And what movies and TV-series are you eager to watch during a rainy summer day? We reached out to some of our Lund University colleagues to ask these questions. And below you will learn about their absolute favourites.
Cicilia Carlsson, International Marketing Manager, Lund University
If you could read only one book this summer, which one would it be? A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini. I couldn’t really stop reading this book. The characters are fictive, but the story is based on actual historic events, taking place in Afghanistan from the early 70s to present time. The mixture of very strong characters, a truly emotional story and a culture I haven’t read much about before captivated me.
What movie or TV-series will you watch on rainy summer day? I’ve watched it several times already, but my go-to TV-series would have to be Band of Brothers, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Partly because I love Steven Spielberg’s work in general, but also because it’s based on actual historic events and real-life characters. It may be a bit too much action in some episodes though, and if I wouldn’t be in the mood for that during the rainy summer day, I would most likely put on the TV-series Friends instead – it always makes me happy.
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Audrey Savage, Junior Marketing Officer, Lund University
Which movie or TV-series will I watch on a rainy day: In honor of Pride month, I’ll be watching the second season of Pose, now that it is out on Netflix. It’s a fictionalization of the underground ballroom culture of the Black and Latino LGBT community of New York City in the 80s and 90s. If you’re familiar with the groundbreaking documentary on the same topic, Paris is Burning, then you’ll have a good idea what the show is about. Ballroom gave the LGBT community a safe place to gather in pride and find respect at a time when the rest of the world made it very difficult to do so, particularly during the AIDS epidemic. The show is beautifully filmed with a great mix of comedy, drama, emotion, and history (as well as Billy Porter’s greatest performance of all time, in my humble opinion)! Enjoy!
If I could only read one book this summer: Everything is F*cked: A Book about Hope by Mark Manson. This book seems particularly relevant in these difficult times we are going through with coronavirus and so many other tragedies this year. In this book, Mark discusses how we tend to view the world as getting worse and worse when it is actually arguably the best time in history to be alive. He attributes this to a larger loss of hope in our society and his book is an intuitive and often very humorous look at how to regain a sense of personal hope in the world in order to contribute to creating an even better one for the future.
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Kristen Clarberg, International Coordinator at LTH, Lund University
If you only had time to read one book this summer, which would it be? I would like to say I would read something quite sophisticated like Hemingway or Melville (because one should) but, in reality, I will be reading YA novels like The Hunger Games. Nothing like a dystopian future to put life in perspective. I’ve just started York: The Shadow Cipher, by Laura Ruby, which takes place in an alternative New York and involves genius twins who create a mystery to solve in the makeup of the city itself. Looking forward to finding out which riddles and answers are held in this version of the ‘city that never sleeps’.
What movie or series will you watch on a rainy summer day? I have two answers for this; with and without kids.
With kids, a family favourite for rainy days is Nailed It. Both my kids and I love it and if we then bake something afterwards, no matter how it looks, we feel quite good about the results (as long as it tastes good)!
Without kids, I would love to binge some HBO series like: Killing Eve, What We Do in the Shadows, His Dark Materials or try the new Perry Mason. I keep hearing good things about these series but we do not have HBO, so a summer binge would be just right to fix this ‘problem’.
Julia Hansson Communications Officer, Lund University
What movie or TV-series will you watch on rainy summer day? On a rainy summer day, I will watch the celebrated drama series Normal People based on a novel by Sally Rooney. It depicts love, power, youth and friendship. I have read the book and have high expectations for the TV series, that got 8.6 on IMDB. I’m almost looking forward to a few rainy summer days just to have time for this TV marathon.
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Isabelle Jönsson International Coordinator, Lund University
If you could read only one book this summer, which one would it be and why? A Nearly Normal Family by Mattias Edvardsson. The book is set in Lund and impossible to put down! It’s a crime story from a family perspective, instead of a police perspective, which shows that really anyone can get into big trouble. Very exciting and realistic! And, as a Lund resident, you are familiar with the story’s surroundings.
What movie or TV-series will you watch on rainy summer day? I’m looking forward to the Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. A film with Will Ferrell about the Eurovision Song Contest! 🙂 I’ve heard that Ferrell actually is a Eurovision fan and that will definitely put a very comical touch on the movie. Popcorn, glitter and glam all prepared. I love Eurovision, humour and Will Ferrell!
Earlier this month, Lund University arranged its first ever virtual career fair. The online event was a great success, with over 1,000 attendees eager to virtually meet the 24 companies participating in the fair.
I interviewed Marie Norén, Gig Manager at Gigstep, which was one of the 24 participating companies, about her experience participating in the virtual career fair.
Tell me about your experience of the virtual career fair – how was it?
– We had some great dialogues with potential employees for upcoming assignments. The people we chatted with were curious, asked relevant questions and gave the impression of being well briefed about our company.
Do you have any previous experience of recruiting from virtual fairs?
– Gigstep hasn’t done anything like this before and to be honest, we were a bit skeptical at first. The face-to-face interaction you get during a physical job fair has been crucial for us. But the virtual fair was a very positive experience, we very much enjoyed it.
At the fair, how did you “meet” the attendees and establish contact?
– The setup with different conversation windows and virtual exhibition stands actually made it easier to establish contact with attendees. The chat was very useful and allowed several representatives from companies to have a dialogue with several different attendees. Our virtual exhibition stand also made it easier for us to convey our brand, as we could include ads, descriptions of our organisation as well as including visual elements such as pictures and videos.
What are some of the pros and cons of a virtual career fair?
– At a” regular” job fair it’s sometimes hard to take in all impressions, since you meet so many different people. In our experience, the virtual fair was calmer with more qualitative dialogues through the chat. And another great thing is that the virtual fair makes it easy to link to our webpage, a relevant ad or to connect with each other on LinkedIn. However, I do prefer to meet people face-to-face because it’s a better way to develop a relationship with one another.
As an attendee, what can you do to prepare for a virtual fair?
– It’s always impressive when you notice that a person has visited your company’s webpage. Curiosity is key! Asking relevant questions is always a good idea. And also, it’s good to have thought about some of your strengths and weaknesses as well as your goals for your career path.
What are your best tips for students/alumni when participating in a virtual career fair? Any do’s and don’ts?
– It’s good to have a well-thought out presentation prepared for when you are going to be chatting with companies. And if there’s a company that you are extra interested in, it’s a good idea to follow up afterwards, either by email or a PM on LinkedIn. Lastly, be yourself. If you are a person who uses smileys in a text for example, do that!
The Midsummer night has always been surrounded by tales of mystery and magic. According to Swedish folklore, it was a perfect time to collect healing herbs and flowers as well as trying to predict the future. One of the activities that still lives on today is to put nine (or seven flowers) under your pillow at night. By doing so, you will meet your future spouse in your dreams.
Summer has arrived in Lund! Photo by Daniel Gunnarsson
Lund University named top 100
Lund University has been ranked as the top university in Sweden in the QS World University Rankings 2021. LU places 97th in the world, according to the prestigious ranking. Click here to learn more.
Art student from Iran named Global Swede 2020
The Global Swede award is given by the Swedish Institute to active, committed and enthusiastic students. This year, Zahra Moein, an Iranian art student, is one of 19 international students named a Global Swede 2020. Check out the interview with the Zahra here.
Cicilia Carlsson,
Audrey Savage,
Julia Hansson
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