Professor Birgitta Meurling is awarded the medal ‘For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm’

An employee who has demonstrated diligence and integrity as a civil servant for at least 30 years may be awarded the the distinction ‘For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm’, known as the Nor. On 8 May, Professor of Ethnology Birgitta Meurling received the Nor Medal from Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt at a ceremony in the University Main Building.
-I received a research grant at the Department of Ethnology as early as 1986, and since then I have remained at the same department the whole time, which merged with Cultural Anthropology in 1996. There are certainly both pros and cons to staying in the same workplace, but given the state of the sector, it is a privilege to have held a post for so long. Britt-Inger Johansson from the Department of Art History also received the medal. We have been friends since the doctoral council in the 1980s, so it was nice to do this together, says Birgitta.

The ceremony was led by Academic Curator Per Ström in Room X of the University Main Building.

- We were given the choice of a medal, a piece of art glass or a wristwatch. I thought it was nice to choose the medal, which can be worn with formal attire, as we in the academic world have plenty of occasions to wear it. Afterwards, there was a reception with canapés in the Chancellor’s office. I was very surprised and delighted when our Head of Department, Mats Hyvönen, presented me with the lovely bouquet of flowers. It was also a nice surprise that we all received tickets to the Allmänna Sången spring concert in the University Hall. My husband and I went there on Saturday.

We congratulate Birgitta to this award. Well done!