Current deputy director, associate professor Line Gordon has been appointed the new director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. She will be joined by Victor Galaz who will become deputy director and Carl Folke as new chair of the centre’s governing board.

Bildtext får vara max två rader text. Hela texten ska högerjusteras om den bara ska innehålla fotobyline! Photo: B. Christensen/Azote

CENTRE MANAGEMENT

Stockholm Resilience Centre introduces new leadership group

Line Gordon appointed as centre director, Victor Galaz becomes deputy director and Carl Folke new chair of the centre’s governing board

Story highlights

  • Line Gordon appointed new centre director from 1 August 2018
  • Current deputy science director Victor Galaz becomes the new deputy director
  • Scientific director Carl Folke to become Chair of the centre’s new governing board from 1 January 2019

Current deputy director, associate professor Line Gordon has been appointed the new director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) following Johan Rockström’s move to Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany.

Current deputy science director and associate professor Victor Galaz will become the centre's deputy director.

Gordon and Galaz start their new roles on 1 August 2018.

Science director Carl Folke will work closely with Gordon and Galaz by becoming chair of the SRC’s new governing board.

The recruitment process was led by SRC’s international board, and the appointments were made by the president of Stockholm University, Astrid Söderbergh Widding.

Both Line Gordon and Victor Galaz have been a fundamental part of the SRC’s remarkable development over the past decade. The decision to appoint them as SRC’s new directors feels like a natural transition where a generation of new researchers forms the leadership.

Frances Westley, chair of the SRC board

Combining a new generation of leaders with experience and wisdom

Line Gordon has served as deputy director since 2015 and as a deputy science director since 2013. Trained in systems ecology at Stockholm University, she is an internationally recognised scientist in sustainability of water, food, and the biosphere, conducting innovative research that combines work with small scale farmers in Africa, global models of land-use and rainfall interactions, and top chefs. She is also on the board of trustees for EAT.

"SRC is a remarkable organization striving to address the world’s grand sustainability challenges," she says.

"Our research and activities aim to create excellent science that also induce real change in the world. This work rests on our ability to create an exceptionally creative, trusting, and enjoyable research environment to train and nurture highly skilled, motivated and empathetic people.”

Victor Galaz has a PhD in political science from Gothenburg University, and his research focuses on global environmental governance, financial systems and technological change . Galaz has been a deputy science director of the SRC since 2015 and has been instrumental in developing the centre’s current research organization and collaborative work culture. Since Since 2018, he is also the programme director of the Governance and Complexity programme at the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, located at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Science director Carl Folke will become chair of the SRC’s new governing board, which will be established 1 January 2019. He will also co-lead the development of future science strategy, with a special attention to international scientific and policy presence and fundraising of SRC.

Folke is a founding director of SRC, and one of the world’s most influential sustainability scientists. He is also director of the Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics.

"Carl Folke is one of the world’s most brilliant minds when it comes to understanding the interdependence of people and planet. We are thrilled to have his experience and wisdom with us as we continue to strengthen SRC’s presence on international arenas," says Gordon.

Depth and diversity

Frances Westley, chair of the SRC board since 2009 and world-renowned professor of social innovation at the University of Waterloo in Canada, believes promotion of SRC staff rather than an external recruitment demonstrates the depth and diversity of SRC staff’s scientific and leadership excellence.

“The SRC blends innovative thinking with a solid scientific organisation,” she says.

“Both Line Gordon and Victor Galaz have been a fundamental part of the SRC’s remarkable development over the past decade. The decision to appoint them as SRC’s new directors feels like a natural transition where a generation of new researchers forms the leadership.”

The SRC leadership group also consist of Olof Olsson, managing director and Henrik Österblom, deputy science director and Dr. Lisen Schultz.

Swedish announcement

Ny ledning på Stockholm Resilience Centre

Line Gordon tar över föreståndarskapet för Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) från 1 augusti 2018. SRC:s grundare och vetenskaplige ledare Carl Folke kommer att ta över som ordförande för SRC:s styrelse 1 januari 2019. Victor Galaz blir ny ställföreträdande föreståndare.

Utnämningarna gjordes av rektorn vid Stockholms universitet, och rekryteringsprocessen leddes av SRC:s internationella styrelse.

Line Gordon, docent i Systemekologi, är en internationellt erkänd forskare inom bland annat hållbar livsmedelsproduktion och vattenresurshushållning, har varit forskare på SRC sedan starten 2007. Sedan 2015 har hon varit centrets ställföreträdande föreståndare.

Ledningsgruppen består även av Olof Olsson, biträdande föreståndare, Henrik Österblom, vice forskningschef och Dr. Lisen Schultz.

"SRC är en fantastisk organisation som forskar kring världens stora hållbarhetsutmaningar", säger hon. ”Vårt mål är att både producera forskning av högsta kvalitet och bidra till verklig förändring. Arbetet bygger på vår förmåga att skapa en exceptionellt kreativ, förtroendefull och stimulerande forskningsmiljö i internationell världsklass”, säger Line Gordon.

Victor Galaz är docent i statsvetenskap med fokus på bland annat globala risker, nya teknologier och finansiella system. Han har som ledare bidragit till att utveckla SRC:s nuvarande forskningsorganisation och samarbetskultur.

Carl Folke kommer, förutom att vara styrelseordförande, även att arbeta nära den nya ledningen och leda utvecklingen av SRC:s framtida forskningsstrategi, med särskild tonvikt på finansiering och internationell närvaro på forsknings- och policyarenor.

"Carl Folke är en av världens mest briljanta forskare när det gäller att förstå kopplingen mellan människor och planeten. Vi är otroligt glada över att även i fortsättningen kunna bygga på hans erfarenhet och visdom när vi fortsätter att stärka SRC internationellt, säger Gordon.

Published: 2018-06-08

Latest news