Dag Larsson is new chair of Alumni Association Farmis

Why do you shoulder the assignment as Alumni Chair?
A university's alumni activities provide important links between the academy and its surroundings, thus, adding important value: First, the majority of all members are former students who want to know what is going on at their Alma Mater and the scientific development that is taking place. Second, most of us apply the foundation that our studies gave us in our daily work. For me there is also the social dimension: It is simply great fun to meet students, former course mates and researchers in all stages of life. Thus, it is natural for me to contribute to the work it takes for us all to be able to meet.

What do you hope to add to the Association?
Sometimes I imagine that I have a reasonably good overview - but every time I start having such thoughts, I realize how multifaceted and interesting reality actually is. This fundamental curiosity has been, and continues to be, important to me in my profession. Hopefully, this is a quality that will come in handy in an Alumni Association, and especially when combined with the joy of being able to get together.

So what is on top of a new Alumni chair’s agenda?
Our Alumni Association has a good basis of activities, not least via the assessments of best degree project and best essay in the Master and Bachelor of Science Programmes in Pharmacy. The full agenda is something that the board will develop together, and here we have still to form a plan. With that said, some possible threads could be the continued development of our inspirational lectures, collaboration with other organizations and arrangement of debates covering current issues.

What potential do you see for the Association in the long term?
It might be a bit early to answer this question, but wouldn't it be natural for all alumni to join an Alumni association? We are already quite a few, but can become significantly more. Personally, I think it would be fantastic if we manage to develop this. Why not look at other successful alumni associations and learn from how they do it!

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Gunilla Lundström