Honorary Doctors
Honorary Doctors
2024
Ingvar Carlsson, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in the area of Library and Information Science
Ingvar Carlsson has been one of Sweden’s most influential politicians over 40 years as a cabinet minister, party leader, and Prime Minister. During his time as Minister of Education, he was something of a patron saint of the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, as he was instrumental in moving librarian training from Stockholm to Borås. With a twinkle in their eye, the librarian students named their union magazine “I Carlssons klister” (in English “In Carlsson’s Glue”). In his latest book “I sällskap med döden” (in English “In the Company of Death”), Ingvar Carlsson describes how the library was where he discovered culture. In his book, he expresses how democracy is under threat and how people can unite around human rights. Questions about media and information literacy, disinformation, how information is created and affects us are issues that are highly relevant for today’s librarians, as well as for the research environment of the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, and society at large.
Staffan Hillberg, Honorary Doctor in the area of
Resource Recovery
Staffan Hillberg is a successful entrepreneur with significant experience in building and developing companies. Thanks to Staffan Hillberg’s deep understanding of ongoing research in Resource Recovery, coupled with his technical expertise and entrepreneurial skill as an investor, the Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery has gained valuable international connections, enabling them to transition from theory to successful practice. One example is the development of Millow AB, which Staffan Hillberg co-founded and where he is currently Chair of the board. The company produces plant-based foods using filamentous fungi in a process that produces very low carbon dioxide emissions as well as having low water and energy consumption in comparison to similar products. It builds on the research of the Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery and has won the Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge 2023 in Switzerland.
Xianyi Zeng, Honorary Doctor in the area of Textiles
and Fashion
Xianyi Zeng is a well-renowned full professor at the ENSAIT Textile Engineer School at the University of Lille and Director of the GEMTEX National Laboratory. He has the French National Knight’s title in the Order of the Academic Palms and was holder of the Innovation R&D Award from the National France-China Committee in 2021. His main research interests include artificial intelligence applied to textiles, fashion and textile digitalisation, sensory analysis, intelligent wearable systems, computerized garment design and customised production management. Xianyi Zeng has been an important and highly valued partner of the Swedish School of Textiles. He initiated and coordinated the highly successful European research school SMDTEX, Sustainable Management and Design in Textiles (2013–2020), which was financed by the EU through the Erasmus Mundus programme. A significant part of the 15 doctoral students who obtained their doctoral degrees in Textile Technology and Textile Management, are now employed at the University of Borås and other universities. In addition, a large number of scientific papers were produced through these collaborations. Through Xianyi Zeng’s involvement, the entire environment and its internationalisation were strengthened in the field of Textiles and Fashion at the Swedish School of Textiles.
2023
Anne Ludvigson, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Textiles and Fashion
Anne Ludvigson has been Chair of the Board of TEKO, the Swedish trade and employers’ association for companies working in the textile and fashion industry, since 2013. She has made significant efforts to modernise and invest in research infrastructure, for the Swedish School of Textiles in general and the Textile Material Technology research group in particular. She has supported cutting-edge research and innovation as well as education at all levels. Through the family business, AB Ludvig Svensson, Anne Ludvigson has for a long time been an important and valued partner to the University of Borås. She has participated in several projects linked to the textile industry's need for change such as ArcInTexETN.
Read more about Anne Ludvigson
Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts in Textiles and Fashion
Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė is a textile artist, professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts and Chair of the Lithuanian Artists' Association (LAA). Since the network ArcInTex was initiated by the University of Borås in 2012, Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė has had a very important role for the university's internationalisation within the textile artistic field, not least in the borderland between art and design. The university places great value on her participation in developing and deepening this internationalisation in education as well as research. Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė participated in the project application for ArcInTexETN and during the project 2015–2018 was responsible for the participation of the Vilnius Academy of Arts.
Read more about Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė
2022
Kathleen Galvin, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in the Human Perspective in Care
Kathleen Galvin, Professor of Nursing Practice at the University of Brighton, was a Visiting Professor at the University of Borås during the years 2013–2020. She contributed to strengthening Caring Science research, the doctoral education programme, the international network, and collaboration among researchers. One collaboration continues: as Project Leader for EU project INNOVATEDIGNITY, Kathleen Galvin has involved the University of Borås and a large number of researchers and doctoral students in international exchanges and collaboration for a future sustainable and he dignified care of older people.
2021
Andreas Gundberg, Honorary Doctor of Technology in Resource Recovery
Andreas Gundberg has played a crucial role in the development of new fungus-based processes for better utilisation of residual material in industry. In his previous role as Project and Innovation Manager at Lantmännen Agroetanol, he has collaborated with the research environment Resource Recovery since the beginning of the 2010s. Andreas Gundberg's contributions are emphasised as one of the contributing factors to the fact that research on fungi has gone from involving a single doctoral student with a focus on ethanol production to its current status, in which research on fungi is one of the most important specialisations in Resource Recovery.
Fredrik Johansson, Honorary Doctor
of Technology in Resource Recovery
Fredrik Johansson is Business Developer at FOV Fabrics, which manufactures various advanced textiles including textile bioreactors, to use in converting organic waste into biogas. He has participated in several of the university's projects and has significantly contributed to the development of new production systems for biogas through unique designs and internationalisation of the knowledge about biogas production that has been developed at the University of Borås.
2020
Romulo Enmark, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science
Romulo Enmark was head of the Swedish School of Library and Information Science from 1993 to 1997. Thereafter, he was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Borås. After his years at the University of Borås, he continued his academic career as Vice-Chancellor at Halmstad University and the Swedish Defence University.
During his time as Head of the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, Romulo Enmark’s crucial efforts developed an educational environment that had long been a vocational training environment into the strong and internationally distinguished academic education and training research environment it is today.
Through his dynamic leadership, professorships were created, an internationally leading research centre in cultural policy research was founded, and a doctoral education programme in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg was founded.
2017
Clare Johnston, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts in Textiles and Fashion
Clare Johnston has worked for many years as a textile designer and is a professor emeritus and senior research fellow at the Royal College of Art in London as well as guest professor at the University of Borås. She is also active within the network ArcInTex, initiated by the University of Borås, where she is important to the development of the university's international presence in the textile design field.