First off was the Logic Colloquium 2017, co-arranged by the mathematics and philosophy departments in partnership with KTH. This was the middle part of a three-week event – the first week was a summer school and the third was another conference, Computer Science Logic – all of which were hosted by SU. Stockholm University also hosted Resilience 2017 with the theme “Resilience Frontiers for Global Sustainability”, attracting some one thousand participants. The same week also featured Interspeech 2017, “Situated Interaction”, which had around two thousand participants and was arranged in partnership with KTH and KI. The common denominator for these three conferences, in addition to having a wide range of participants from around the world, is their inter- and multi-disciplinary character – researchers from a large number of disciplines were meeting for intensive scientific exchanges. Collaboration is one of Stockholm University’s core values, and it’s heartening to see it put into practice like this.

Welcome Day was next, when the campus starts teeming with students again. In the morning I had the pleasure of welcoming our new education students. Training teachers is one of our most crucial – possibly the most crucial – educational areas for the future. I was really happy to see so many excited students so full of expectations in Aula Magna. Society needs them! At lunchtime there was a welcome message to the other new students. The hall was filled to the very top – not everyone got in! The energy and excitement in the room was unmistakeable – as well as our obligations to students. Our foremost task as a university is to offer the highest possible quality education and a good learning environment to every student. Late in the afternoon, I welcomed the final group – our international students. As before, the energy was buzzing and the enthusiasm was palpable. I hope that they have a great experience and come to feel at home in Stockholm and the university. Welcome Day is truly special for a vice-chancellor. It reminds us of our primary task as a university: to offer high-quality education with a strong basis in research, which is also our biggest contribution to society.