“Coming back to SU is like coming home”

He originally wanted to study biology and whales, but became a researcher in chemistry instead. Since February 2025, Hans Adolfsson is President of Stockholm University. Photo: Johanna Säll/Stockholm University

“It’s great to be back here at SU, it feels like coming home,” says Hans Adolfsson, as he sits down on the sofa group at one end of the president’s room in Bloms Hus at Frescati.

It’s a Monday in early April and the morning sun lights up the whole room. Two months have passed since he moved in here as President of the university, and the days are packed. 

“It’s been a busy time with lots of meetings, from 7.30 in the morning to late at night, but that’s part of the job, I’m new! And I really appreciate the personalised interaction with others. This was something that became very apparent during the coronavirus pandemic – how enriching it is to now be able to meet in person,” says Hans Adolfsson.

He has been President of Umeå University for the past eight and a half years – years that he says have been incredibly educational and good – and he has already noticed a big difference when he looks at his calendar:

“There are far more evening activities here in Stockholm than in Umeå, but that’s not so strange, there are more actors here in the city that we collaborate with in different ways and the events are more numerous.”

A few days earlier, he visited the University of Helsinki to talk about how the two universities can continue their long academic partnership in the coming years. This April, he will hold the last meeting for the spring with heads of departments, followed by meetings in Riga with the European University Association (EUA).

What made you accept the job as President of SU?

“Because it’s fun to be President, and because it’s an assignment that feels extremely rewarding on several different levels, both through the work that takes place within the university, to lead a large university, and the work that is done externally with other actors in society.”

When Hans Adolfsson is asked what he thinks are important issues to pursue in the future, the answer comes quickly:

“To work for the core academic values of autonomy and academic freedom. We have a great responsibility as a higher education institution to contribute new knowledge to society, through research and education. And in order to be able to contribute with this, we as a higher education institution need to have a good framework for it, this is an issue that I will pursue.”

“Open data benefits everyone”

He thinks the initiatives Stockholm University has taken in the area of open science are excellent and says he will continue on this path. Since becoming President of Stockholm University, he has taken over from Astrid Söderbergh Widding as chair of the steering group of the Bibsam consortium. The consortium promotes the open publication of scientific results and is made up of universities and research institutions in Sweden that together sign agreements for journals and databases.

“The work on open science is also in line with strengthening the core values of academia, sharing knowledge with each other and maintaining open data is something that benefits everyone.”

President Hans Adolfsson during a visit to Stockholm City Hall in March with representatives from six African partner universities within the European University Alliance Civis. Photo: Johanna Säll/Stockholm University

Hans Adolfsson is following with interest the debate on the form of association of Swedish higher education institutions, i.e. whether Swedish higher education institutions could become something other than authorities, an issue that is intended to be investigated by the government.

“In the latest research and innovation policy bill, the government intends to increase the allocation of funds for research and development by SEK 6.5 billion, which is good, but there is also a lot of micromanagement from the political side in the proposed initiatives. In addition, ‘only’ 25 per cent of the investments go directly to the higher education institutions, which will further shift the balance between basic appropriations and external grants sought from various research funding bodies.”

“We will probably not escape such financial control even if we had a different form of association, but many of us do not think it is optimal that most Swedish higher education institutions are authorities. I would like to see a different form of association under public law where there is an increased arm’s length distance from politics.”

What are the advantages of not being a government agency?

“We would be able to act more freely, own our premises for example and sign contracts more easily, undertake some overseas activities and raise capital to make investments.”

One challenge in the coming years will be to review student recruitment to certain programmes and fields, he believes. This applies to some science subjects and the language programmes that have very small student groups.

“We need to work more with student cooperation between higher education institutions in the future. We are used to doing this when it comes to research, but there is competition on the education side, and I think we need to co-operate more in the education mission. We already do this to some extent within the Stockholm Trio and it could be expanded even more to, for example, teacher education, language programmes, but also when it comes to certain medical programmes.”

Wanted to study whales

It was at Stockholm University that Hans Adolfsson himself began his academic studies in the late 1980s. He grew up in Smedjebacken in Dalarna and says that most people there who wanted to continue their studies moved to Uppsala, but for him it was his interest in music that made him choose Stockholm.

“There was a better punk scene here, that’s what drew me.”

He really wanted to study biology and whales, but ended up studying chemistry instead.

“I didn’t get into biology, so I ended up studying chemistry instead, and I was interested in that too. There were 48 places and all the places were filled. I got in as one of the last reserves.”

And he stayed in chemistry.

“I thought it was exciting to understand how everything was connected, everything is chemistry, the table here, we humans, everything is permeated by it!”

After gaining his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, he went on to study for a doctorate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and then a postdoctoral position at the Scripps Research Institute in the US. Hans Adolfsson was then employed as a research assistant at Stockholm University, then as a senior lecturer, and in 2007 he was appointed professor of organometallic chemistry. From 2010–2013 he was Dean of the Chemistry Section and from 2013–2016 he was Vice President at Stockholm University.

The years in the US inspired him a lot, he says, both in terms of research and leadership philosophy.

“My mentor was Barry Sharpless, who later won two Nobel Prizes in chemistry. The way he ran his research group is something that really impressed me. He worked with a high degree of inspiration, freedom and trust in the employees to run the research projects themselves within a given framework, which was very stimulating. I myself have followed that recipe in my own research group when I have supervised doctoral students and employees.”

What do you think of the recent developments in the US, including restrictions on certain types of research?

“It’s a terrible development, you don’t believe that what’s happening is true. It’s backwards and very worrying, I see it as one of the biggest threats to free research. I hope that there will be a backlash against what is happening now. This development shows that it is more important than ever to safeguard the core values of academia in our time.”

Meeting people face-to-face is something that President Hans Adolfsson appreciates. Here he is seen in Stockholm City Hall together with Robert Wamala, Director of Research at Makerere University in Uganda. Photo: Johanna Säll/Stockholm University