Now it is decided: "Our" chemist Anders Hagfeldt will be the new Vice-Chancellor

2020-11-23

Anders Hagfeldt
Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt

The decision regarding the appointment of Vice-Chancellor that we have been waiting for since June, when the recruitment group and the Consistory decided that Prof. Anders Hagfeldt would be appointed Vice-Chancellor, has now been announced: On November 20, the Government decided that Anders Hagfeldt will be the new Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University from 1 January, 2021.

Anders is a professor in Physical Chemistry and has spent most of his life and career in Uppsala at the Department of Chemistry - Ångström (although the organization has changed over time): After Anders graduated in 1983 in Norrköping, he has been faithful to Uppsala University: After studying chemistry and physics here, he received his doctorate in Physical Chemistry, and around 1994 he became an Assistant Professor and started his research group. In 2004 he became Professor of Chemical Physics and Head of the Department of Physical Chemistry, in 2007 Professor of Physical Chemistry, in 2008 Head of the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, to finally be appointed Dean of the Section of Chemistry in 2009. A role he had between 2009 and 2013. It was during his time as Dean as the then five chemistry departments merged and formed the current two: Department of Chemistry - Ångström and Department of Chemistry - BMC.

In 2014, he left Uppsala for a position as a Professor at the Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. Anders' research has always revolved around solar cells, specifically the so-called "Grätzel solar cells", molecular solar cells, and it was to join Prof. Michael Grätzel - the world-leading researcher in the field and the person after whom the solar cells got their name - that he left Uppsala.

Anders has always had a keen interest in the so-called "Third task", i.e. to reach out with research and to arouse an interest in chemistry to the general public. When the UN decided to name the year 2011 "the Year of Chemistry", he took the initiative to high-light this in Uppsala, organizing chemistry-related activities for all ages - from Open House at Ångström and BMC, walks in the city and evening courses, to lectures by Nobel laureates. One of the things that Anders worked especially hard for during the year was the idea of ​​laying the periodic table in the form of tiles on the pedestrian street in Uppsala. The background to the proposal is that Sweden, and specifically Uppland, is one of the places in the world with the most discovered elements: As many as 9 of the approx. 20 elements that have been discovered in Sweden were discovered here! But despite interest from municipal politicians, he unfortunately did not manage to get a go on the project. In the role of Vice-Chancellor, we now hope that Anders gets a new chance to put chemistry in Uppsala on the map - literally. 

Since the position as Vice-Chancellor is an appointment that you have for a limited period, Anders will also hold a position as a professor at the Department of Chemistry - Ångström.

We look forward to seeing him back in Uppsala again and wish him the best of luck in his new role as Vice-Chancellor!

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Last modified: 2023-10-04
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