Jenny Björklund becomes Director of the Centre for Gender Research
Jenny Björklund / M. Wallerstedt; Centrum / J. Quigley Berg
On 1 July 2024, Professor Jenny Björklund took office as the new Director of the Center for Gender Research at Uppsala University, after Helena Wahlström Henriksson held the position for six years. Jenny Björklund, who has a background in literary studies, has been active at the Center since 2004 with various projects centred around family and motherhood in literature.
In her ongoing research, she examines reproductive choices in relation to climate change and environmental issues, together with her colleague Maja Bodin.
Being in an environment where people want to make a difference and are driven by that commitment feels very important and inspiring.
When Jenny Björklund reflects on the Centre as a workplace, she describes it as a vibrant and dynamic environment:
–The Centre for Gender Research is a place full of amazing people. It's a workplace that undergoes constant changes, partly because researchers come and go with various projects, but also because the field itself evolves over time. It is truly a privilege to be part of this environment.
For Jenny Björklund, her years at the Centre have had a profound impact on her own development as a researcher:
–The Centre and the encounters with all the people who have come and gone over the years have shaped me immensely, of course. The Centre ties in very well with Uppsala University’s mission to gain and disseminate knowledge for the benefit of humankind and for a better world, and most of us are probably here for that very reason. Being in an environment where people want to make a difference and are driven by that commitment feels very important and inspiring
As new Director, she sees many exciting challenges, and emphasizes the importance of gender studies in a time when issues of democracy, equality, and justice are becoming increasingly relevant:
–The role as Director obviously involves many new challenges and a lot to learn. It’s exciting in that sense, but it’s also a big responsibility. Perhaps especially in times like these, when democracy is in decline in many parts of the world, and we are seeing how racism, anti-feminism, and economic inequality are on the rise. Our role becomes central as we work with questions of how power is constructed and challenged in various ways. To take the lead for a subject and a place where we work with these issues is a great responsibility, but it also feels very important.
Helena Wahlström Henriksson, who was Director of the Centre from 2018 until last of June 2024, is convinced that Björklund will do an excellent job as the new Director:
–I’m glad I had the chance to be Director at the Centre, and I’m happy that during these years we have collectively expanded the PhD education, in collaboration with our own and other faculties within Uppsala University, developed the undergraduate education, and also extended our funding agreement targets. We maintain a solid presence within Uppsala University as a whole. I am confidently handing over the directorship to Jenny Björklund, who I believe will do a fantastic job in further developing the Centre, says Helena Wahlström Henriksson.
Helena Wahlström Henriksson now returns to full-time research, where she will finish two projects this autumn: Palgrave Handbook of Parenthood in Popular Culture, together with Elizabeth Podnieks at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the project Single Parents in Swedish Media 2010—2020. She is also starting new projects, including a book tentatively titled Familjebilder, and a research project on sons and mothers in literature and film. Helena is also a guest professor at Turku University this academic year.