Anders Hagfeldt appointed President of ENLIGHT
"For Uppsala University, this underlines a significant and important responsibility to contribute actively to the strengthening of an already strong alliance”, says Anders Hagfeldt. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt, Uppsala University.
The Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University, Professor Anders Hagfeldt, has been appointed President of the ENLIGHT European University alliance, effective 1 January 2026. The appointment is for one year, with the possibility of a one-year extension.
The decision was taken by the ENLIGHT Governing Board, with unanimous support from all ten partner universities. As ENLIGHT enters its next phase of development, the creation of the President role marks an important step in strengthening the alliance’s shared leadership and strategic coherence.
“I am thrilled and proud to share that the ENLIGHT Governing Board has formally appointed an official ENLIGHT President to take up this new role, this new mantle, and this exciting new era for our alliance,” said Leah Vandeveer, Secretary General of ENLIGHT, in her closing address at the ENLIGHT General Meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, in December 2025.
Anders Hagfeldt aims to foster focused dialogue on priorities across the alliance and to strengthen the collective ability of ENLIGHT universities to translate joint initiatives into tangible outcomes. He also emphasises the responsibility shared by all partner institutions to lead collectively and by example.
“It is an honour to take on the role of President of ENLIGHT at a time when democracy is under pressure and when education issues are intensely discussed in the EU. We are an alliance of ten universities jointly pursuing the goal of creating the best possible conditions for increased internationalisation of education. For Uppsala University, this underlines a significant and important responsibility to contribute actively to the strengthening of an already strong alliance”, says Anders Hagfeldt.
Johan Ahlenius