Lena Hensvik inaugurated as new Professor
Lena Hensvik will be inaugurated as new Professor at the Department of Economics at the Grand Inauguration on 19 November. Already on 16 November, she will give her Inaugural Lecture Arbetsförmedling i en ny tid – Möjligheter och utmaningar med algoritmbaserad matchning på arbetsmarknaden in Sal IX in Universitetshuset at 13.15. The lecture can be attended in person or via livestream.
Lena Hensvik
Congratulations to the Department of Economics' new Professor! What has your career looked like so far, Lena?
- Thank you so much! I defended my Doctoral Thesis here at the Department in 2011 and then worked as a researcher at the The Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU) here in Uppsala. In January 2020, I took up my position as Professor at the Department.
What has been your research focus?
- My research focus is in Labor Economics. In my research, I have, among other things, investigated the importance of informal networks and contacts for individuals 'employment, wages and firms' productivity. I have also investigated how competition in the labor market affects wages and studied the mechanisms that lead to inequality in the labor market.
What is your experience of a career in academia?
- For me, the academia means a dynamic and exciting work environment. The work is flexible but also places high demands on performance. More seniority implies new responsibilities and new job tasks. This is challenging but also contributes to the feeling of forward movement and development.
What drives you as a researcher?
- A desire to create new knowledge, which is a basic prerequisite for good policy decisions. A strong driving force is also the interaction with Doctoral Students and other researchers, both at my Department and in international contexts.
What are you going to work on in the future?
- My research in the future will mainly be conducted within a project that highlights the matching in the labor market with the help of data from internet-based search activity and vacancies on the Swedish Public Employment Service's job search site Platsbanken. The project is financed by the Swedish Research Council's consolidation grant. The aim of the project is to contribute results that can improve the understanding of the information problems that underlie modern labor market theory.
How does it feel to be a new Professor at the Department?
- Grand, fun and exciting!
Read more about the Inaugural Lectures on 16 November.
Read more about the Inauguration of Professors on 19 November.