Professor Joakim Gullstrand’s research focuses on international economics, with an emphasis on the impact of export and import on individuals, companies and regions. Over these last few years, his interest in leadership has increased, with him serving on the research board of Mistra Biotech, taking part in leadership programmes and especially, being the Head of LUSEM’s Department of Economics.
What got you interested in taking on a role in leadership and management?
“My journey to academic leadership began as the Head of Department, a position that initially presented itself as challenging but swiftly became a source of significant personal and professional growth. This role, along with my tenure at Agrifood Economics Centre (a policy think-tank) and my experience as a faculty member in the Economics department, equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of not only the academic environment but also how academia interacts with broader society, including the corporate sector. This is a connection I see as critical for our School when it comes to making sure that we are relevant in education and research,” says Joakim Gullstrand.
Joakim Gullstrand served as Head of the Department of Economics for four years and in January he started the new chapter as Dean. Together with a new Management team, he took over the torch from Professors Mats Benner and Maria Stanfors who had served as Dean and Deputy Dean for the past three years.
“It has been a busy start, with submitting the EQUIS report and having their peer review visit here last week, while also many staff members working with the launch of our new website, now we go on with the AMBA accreditation process and of course we have our core business of running LUSEM day to day,” Joakim Gullstrand explains.
Lund University School of Economics and Management is accredited by the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). The different institutions together ensure a quality benchmark, control and improvement for the School in terms of, for example: governance, educational programmes, research, internationalisation, and engagement with the world of practice.
What are your first impressions of life as Dean, and could you tell us something about your ideas for LUSEM’s near future?
“Life as a Dean has so far been insightful and highly gratifying. Of course, the learning curve is steep as we (the new leadership team) navigate our academic community’s responsibilities and needs so that we find effective ways to support or faculty and students.
As Dean of the Lund University School of Economics and Management, I am focused on strengthening the ties between our academic community and the corporate world. My goal is to explore our School’s diverse capabilities and to enhance the development of our faculty and students by promoting partnerships with businesses. This approach enriches our educational and research activities and aligns our efforts with the practical needs and challenges of the corporate sector. By doing so, we aim to contribute to the broader dialogue between academia and industry, ensuring that our work remains relevant and impactful in addressing contemporary issues,” says Joakim Gullstrand.
The LUSEM management team
The Dean and Deputy Dean at Lund University School of Economics and Management are chosen collegially by the faculty and staff members of the School, confirmed by the Vice-Chancellor of Lund University. The term of office is three years.
Andreas Inghammar, Deputy Dean and Associate Professor at the Department of Business Law. His main responsibilities are within external relations and collaborations. Having worked and conducted research internationally, as well as co-founding a company, Andreas is at home in many settings and looks forward to meeting as many of our corporate partners as possible.
Ulrika Wennersten, Vice Dean and Associate Professor at the Department of Business Law. Ulrika oversees education at LUSEM and has a keen interest in making life easier for our teachers, while developing our programmes even further. Besides this, she herself teaches as well and when she is not at LUSEM, she can be found at the Faculty of Law.
Jonas Helgertz, Vice Dean and Associate Professor at the Department of Economic History. Jonas oversees research at the faculty. His own research has looked deep into migration and socioeconomic background historically and how these can influence future income, health, status and more.
Håkan Jerker Holm, Vice Dean and Professor at the Department of Economics. Holm’s responsibilities in the management team focus on our doctoral students and research education. He gets to read all dissertations coming out of LUSEM over the next few years, something he says he looks forward to.
Alf Rosenbäck, Head of the Faculty office, manages the administrative staff at LUSEM and is also part of the LUSEM Management team.