Vice-Chancellors through the years
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn 2017–

Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn is Luleå University of Technology's Vice-Chancellor since December 1, 2017. She is Professor of Digital Services and Systems and was Pro Vice-Chancellor for six years before she got her current assignment.
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn came to Luleå University of Technology already in 1989 to study the Bachelor Programme in Systems Sciences. After graduation, she stayed on as a teacher and later as a doctoral student and researcher. In 2002 she defended her thesis, in 2008 she became Associate professor and Head of subject for Digital Services and Systems and the following year she was appointed professor of the subject.
As a researcher, she was a driving force in the development of the field now known as 'Living Lab', which has had a major impact both nationally and internationally. She was among the first academics internationally to study "crowdsourcing" as a phenomenon, the impact of these digital platforms on organisations' competence supply, and the lack of competence supply as a central piece of the puzzle in existing business models. Through her scientific skills, she has also come to collaborate with a large number of international researchers and companies.
In her new role as Vice-Chancellor, Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn began work on the University's new strategy and vision. Highly ambitious goals and six concrete main strategies serve as a guiding principle for all of the University's activities. The development of three future areas with underlying centres, all focused on innovative education and groundbreaking research results, has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry.
Strengthening the University's basic research, ensuring attractive and equal education and future skills development are issues she has worked with for a long time and is passionate about. Today, she also leads the University's initiatives in the green transition.
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn is Chairman and Board member of several regional and research-oriented boards. She has been a member of Division XI of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) since 2020 and is, among other things, Chair of Tekniksprånget. She has been a member of Kungliga Skytteanska samfundet since 2013. In February 2020, she was appointed member of one of the government's strategic collaboration programs in skills supply and lifelong learning.
Johan Sterte 2009-2017

Luleå University of Technology's fifth Vice-Chancellor, Johan Sterte, graduated in 1987 with a PhD in Chemical technology. Five years later he was appointed Associate Professor at Chalmers and in 2009 he was elected Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University of Technology.
Johan Sterte had a long experience from Luleå University of Technology, where he was recruited as a Professor and Head of subject in 1994. He took an interest in University issues and was appointed as an operational representative on the University board and as Pro Vice-Chancellor in Luleå for two years before being appointed Vice-Chancellor of Växjö University (now Linnaeus University) in 2003.
Johan Sterne's first task was to complete the assignment given to his predecessor, namely to create an organisational change and develop a new strategy for the University. The goal was to reduce the number of departments from 13 to six in order to create better conditions for developing the University's education, research, and collaboration.
The Parliament's decision in the 2009 Research Bill to financially invest in research was a good fit because it created stronger incentives for external funding and for scientific publication. The recruitment process for professors and chairs was changed in order to attract successful researchers from all over the world. Johan Sterte saw an early opportunity to take advantage of the economic crisis in Europe, which also affected European universities.
Johan Sterte's success factors were the focus on international recruitment, persistent marketing campaigns and the strong cooperation with the business community, which led to a stronger position in the international research arena.
After eight years as Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University of Technology, Johan Sterte was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Karlstad University in 2017 and then appointed Governor of Västmanland County in 2022. Johan Sterte has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) since 2001 and a member of Kungliga Skytteanska samfundet since 2014.
Pia Sandvik 2005-2009

Pia Sandvik graduated as a civil engineer with a PhD in 1997. In 2002, she was appointed Associate Professor of Quality Technology and Management at Luleå University of Technology, and after three years as Vice-Chancellor at Mid Sweden University in Östersund, she was appointed Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology in 2005.
Luleå's fourth Vice-Chancellor, Pia Sandvik, had a clear mission from the then Chairman of the University Board, Anders Sundström. The University needed to achieve a better balance, both financially and organisationally. At that time, the University had many programs and courses but not enough students.
The importance of a systematic quality system was evident. The government's decision to evaluate all courses in the higher education sector had led to a number of universities having their degree rights withdrawn, with major consequences for both the students who had applied for these courses and for the needs of industry and society for a well-educated workforce.
Pia Sandvik succeeded in her mission. Research was focused on five areas, the resource allocation system and educational offerings were changed and a new professional course evaluation system was introduced. Marketing was further sharpened and departments and units were brought together under one hat. As a result, under the leadership of Pia Sandvik and with the strong support of the Board of Governors, the University was able to achieve a balanced operation in a short time, in line with its mission.
Pia Sandvik worked as Vice-Chancellor for three years and was succeeded by Johan Sterte in 2009. In the same year, she was appointed County Councillor at the County Administrative Board in Jämtland. A year and a half later, in October 2010, Pia Sandvik took over as CEO of Länsförsäkringar in Jämtland. Before becoming CEO of the RISE AB Group in 2016, she had been Chairman of the Board of RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.
Ingegerd Palmér 1994-2005

Ingegerd Palmér has a PhD in Mathematics from Stockholm University. She later became a lecturer in Mathematics at the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, and in 1994 she was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University of Technology.
Ingegerd Palmér led the transition from Luleå University to Luleå University of Technology in 1997, a name change that confirmed the university status of the University from the start. In the same year, the Faculty of Philosophy was formed and the only Master's degree programme in Space engineering in Sweden started. A secondary school teacher training program was also established at the University that year.
There were many changes during Ingegerd Palmér's time as Vice-Chancellor. In 1998, the Luleå Growth Academy started with 30 million in start-up capital from the government and in 1999 Ingegerd Palmér inaugurated the University's new concert hall. The School of Nursing in Boden was incorporated into the University in 1999 and in 2005 the decision was made to move to the University campus in Luleå. It was a decision that attracted a lot of attention and was preceded by heated discussions and debates, but it benefited both students and staff and, above all, allowed health science research to grow. The relocation of the School of Health Science brought the number of students to over 10,000.
Ingegerd Palmér was the Vice-Chancellor who realised the importance of investing in branding and hired the University's first marketing manager. The investment paid off and student recruitment figures increased significantly. Multidisciplinary research environments, leadership training for the University's Heads of department and managers, and a women's graduate school are other areas that Ingegerd Palmér invested in during her time as Vice-Chancellor.
Ingegerd Palmér worked as Vice-Chancellor for 11 years and in 2005 she was succeeded by Pia Sandvik Wiklund. Shortly after leaving Luleå University of Technology, she was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Mälardalen University. Ingegerd Palmér is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA, and has been involved in innovation issues in the Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova, and the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions, SUHF.
Ingegerd Palmér defended her PhD in 1974 at Stockholm University with the thesis The global homological dimension of some ring extensions. She was employed as a research assistant at Stockholm University, and later became a lecturer in Mathematics at the Royal Institute of Technology. She worked as Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology between 1994 and 2005 and after that as Vice-Chancellor at Mälardalen University 2005–2011.
Torbjörn Hedberg 1979-1993

Torbjörn Hedberg has a PhD in Mathematics from Uppsala University and was one of the first four teachers at Luleå University of Technology. In 1977, he was elected Vice-Chancellor and in 1979 Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University – a post he held for 14 years.
Torbjörn Hedberg, together with his colleague Bengt Klefsjö, initiated many new elements in teaching, including preparatory courses in Mathematics, the introduction of calculator boxes and developed their own teaching materials with new pedagogical approaches. It was here, among the first employed teachers, that the idea of classroom teaching emerged. Something that Luleå University, later Luleå University of Technology, has become known for. You could say that the University's characteristic entrepreneurial spirit was born during these early years.
Later, during Torbjörn Hedberg's time as Vice-Chancellor, the technical base year was started for the first time in Sweden, a preparatory education so that those who do not have the right prior knowledge can still study further in technology. An education that later spread to many of Sweden's higher education institutions and which still exists.
Torbjörn Hedberg worked as Vice-Chancellor until 1994 when he was succeeded by Ingegerd Palmér. Between 1994–1996 he was Director and Associate Professor at the Ecole européenne d´ingénieurs en génie des matériaux in Nancy, France. He was also President of the Société Européenne pour la Formation des Ingénieurs in 1999–2001. At the turn of 2005–2006 he left Luleå University of Technology after 33 years of service, of which 14 years as Vice-Chancellor.
Torbjörn Hedberg received his PhD in 1971 and became Associate professor at Umeå University the following year. After a few years as a teacher at Luleå University, he was awarded the title of Professor in 1986 and was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences the following year.
Lars Nordström 1977-1979

Lars Nordström, a Civil engineer and Professor from Chalmers, was the first Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University of Technology. Nordström was involved in the Norrlandsberedningen and NoTH (Organisation Committee for Higher Technical Education and Research in Upper Norrland) and was a driving force in the construction of Luleå University. In 1973, as NoTH's vice chairman, he received the Vice-Chancellor's authority to work for the University and in 1977 he was formally appointed Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University.
The development is rapid during this period and student numbers and research areas grow, new premises and lab equipment are added. Nordström is one of those who laid the foundation for the innovative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit that is still the strong characteristic of Luleå University of Technology. Classroom teaching, close cooperation with industry and society, the renewal of the civil engineering programme are some examples of this. Major events during this time are the higher education reform in 1977 and the incorporation of teacher training and music teacher training into the University.
In 1979, Nordström became Director of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, handing over to the next Vice-Chancellor, Torbjörn Hedberg, who had been acting as Pro Vice-Chancellor until then and who was one of the first teachers employed at the University. Lars Nordström died in July 2000.
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Page author: Maria Åberg-Andersson