John Alexander Ph.D.

Director

I teach the course on Swedish Film and Television Culture

Australian born, living in Sweden with a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies and a career in journalism, publishing, media, education and management training in Australia, UK and Sweden respectively. University lecturer in film, television and media studies, Australian studies, Swedish studies, literature, storytelling and intercultural communication.

Author and speaker with frequent TV and radio appearances in Sweden, but also in Finland, Estonia, Japan, UK and Australia with topics – presented in English or Swedish - such as storytelling, Swedish culture and management, and intercultural communication.

There is one common factor in my various careers; namely, storytelling. From journalism to publishing to film and television, the story is the essence of communication, and it can just as effectively be applied to other areas as well. Stories can help us define corporate values, to communicate values, and play an essential part in shaping cultural and national identities.

Books published include: The Films of David Lynch, Screen Play: Audiovisual Narrative and Viewer Interaction (PhD thesis, Stockholm University), All in the Script: Dramatic Structure in Narrative Film, How Swedes Manage, Consensus: The Hidden Codes of Swedish Leadership, Lagom Sisu Manana: A Globalisation Survival Kit, and ten more. Forthcoming in 2012 is a cultural study of Swedish cinema and television, Images of Sweden.

www.johnalexander.se
www.lagomsisu.com
john@johnalexander.se

Carina Kamb Deiaco

Head of Adminstration

I have been with the program since 1989, except for the five years I lived in Luxembourg.  I was initially our Housing Coordinator responsible for finding our host families.  I then became Program Coordinator organizing most Program functions and activities.  I was also responsible for finding our apartments.   I am now Head of Administration.  In this role, I am responsible for all Program administrative and organizational work except for the academic side of the Program.

I really enjoy my job, especially working with our students.  Every student has his or her own little quirk.  Is fun meeting so many different personalities.  And, of course, I find it very rewarding helping our students adjust to a new culture and the Swedish way of doing things.

In terms of interests and hobbies, I enjoy family activities, traveling, yoga, and wine.  I also am good at sports, especially throwing the ax!!  You must join us for our Gotland trip to see for yourself!

Jonas Brodin

I teach the following courses:  The Theory and History of Radical Politics;  Health Care in Sweden and the U.S.;  Comparative Study of Swedish Politics:  History and Contemporary Issues;  and Crime and Punishment in Sweden and the U.S.

Education:

B.A., Political Science, University of Hawaii, 1997

Ph.D., Political Science, University of Maryland, 2004

Current Research Interests:

I study how the built environment molds relations of power. This happens in many different ways: in how the space itself is configured—for example, with walls that separate one group from another—as well as in how the space is monitored or how resources or people are distributed within the space. My current project uses the specific case of roads to look at the relationship between built space and power.

Hobbies:

I enjoy hiking and camping, and generally spending time in the great outdoors. And since I feel more at home in water than on land, I also try to spend as much time as I can in water—primarily swimming, but also kayaking, fishing, and doing other watersports.

Personal Trivia:

I once got second place in a completely rigged sports/trivia/beauty pageant competition for a variety show on British television.

Anna Cavallin

I teach the course on Women, Swedish Society, and Culture.

Education:

BA: Major in Comparative Literature, November 1997, Stockholm University

MA: Comparative Literature and French Literature and Language, May 1999, Stockholm University

I am working on finishing my PhD thesis on August Strindberg’s two short stories collections, ”Getting Married” I-II. Keywords: Modernity, consumption, power in/over the household, masculinities, gender structures, 19th century, desire for material goods.

Current Research Interests:

Gender Studies; Cultural Studies;

Comparative Literature; 19th Century European Literature; August Strindberg (Swedish author 1849-1912), Fashion studies.

Hobbies:

Literature, art exhibitions, cinema, theatre plays, music (going to concerts and listening to), long walks, swimming, cycling,
spending time with my family (husband and three daughters aged 7, 11 and 14) and friends in our two summerhouses; one on Öland (second biggest island on the Swedish east coast), the other just outside Gävle (north of Stockholm), on a tiny island in the lake Storsjön, Gästrikland. This year, I have also discovered the fun of downhill skiing in the winter, and snorkeling in the Mediterranean Sea.

Personal Trivia:

Owner of three cats, three generations: granny, mother and daughter. Excellent in making cookies and cakes, especially the Swedish specialty of kanelbullar (i e: cinnamon buns – but not the sticky ones!). Can also drive small motorboat if needed in
the Storsjön-lake!

Björn Edlund

I teach the course on Positive Psychology.

Education:

BA at the dept. of psychology, Stockholm University 1969.

Master of Science in psychology, Stockholm University 1973.

I have since then been employed as assistant professor in social psychology at the psychology department, Stockholm University. I have also had posts as first research engineer at "arbetslivsinstitutet", the institute for work-related research, also in Stockholm. I have spent some time at the State University of California in Fresno in 1996 as a guest researcher and lecture. Over the years, I have also taken courses in economics at the Stockholm school of economics. I have been studying foreign languages at Uppsala University where I majored in Russian. I have been active part time as psychotherapist in my own private practice.

Current Research Interests:

My research interests are currently concentrated around social psychology, group psychology and more specifically questions dealing with cults and other more extreme small groups. I have also done some work on gender issues particularly within families. I´m also very interested in the intersection between psychology and economics and political science. Humanistic and
positive psychology have been the last additions to my list of research and educational interests. Evolutionary biology and psychology are but a few of the foundations on which I have built my work activities.

Hobbies:

My private hobbies include studying foreign languages which I started already at school so I try to keep up with my English, German, French and Russian. I´m a semi active scuba diver and used to fly my own airplane (unfortunately my license isn´t valid any longer). I love to travel and have been to most of the European countries and have been to Asia and Africa a few times. I hope to travel more during the years to come. A trip around the US together with my family is a top priority. Moreover, I just love working out and I have spinning and body pump as two of my favorites. I am also very fond of hiking in the Swedish and Norwegian mountain areas. Reading fiction of all kinds and watching movies are other favorites during leisure hours.

Personal Trivia:

One of the most spectacular events of my life was when I participated in what was called "The international air cadet exchange". I went to a reception in The White House in Washington in 1962. I had there a small chat with President Kennedy. A once in a lifetime memory of the President who was considered to be and very rightly so the guard of the Western world!!!

Peder Fallenius

I teach the course on History of Modern Scandinavian Art and Architecture.

Education:

I am a Ph D in art history and presented my thesis May 24 2003 at Department of Art History at University of Uppsala.

Current Research Interests:

20th century architecture has been my main research interest ever since I wrote my thesis and it still is.

Hobbies:

I have a great passion for music resulting in an ever expanding record collection and a longing to revisit the jazz clubs of Downtown Manhattan.

Pehr-Johan Norbäck 

I teach the course on Europe and the World Economy.

Education:

Graduated in 1998 with the thesis, Multinational Firms, Technology and Location at the Department of Economics at Stockholm University. I joined the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (Instituted för Näringslivsforskning, IfN) and was appointed docent in 2004.

Current Research Interests:

I have done extensive research on foreign direct investments and multinational firms. In recent years, my research has also been directed towards how new innovations emerge from the interaction of entrepreneurs, venture capital, and incumbent firms, and how private equity firms affect industrial restructuring.  

Hobbies:

I like to do sports like soccer and badminton. I am - at least, according to myself - a very good guitar player.

Eva Löfstedt Panova

I teach the following courses on the program:  Swedish Language 1 and Swedish Language 2

Teacher training in Stockholm, 1 year   (1996):  Leadership for Educators

The Royal Society of Arts, 1 year (1968):  English for Foreigners- intermediate

Pitman Examinations Institute, 1 year (1968):  English for Overseas candidates-advanced

Alliance Francaise, 1 year (1971):   Diplome de Langue francaise

Alliance Francaise, 1 year (1971):   Diplome de Langue francaise(parlé)

Withalaskolan, Vetlanda, Sweden Compulsory Education,10 year (1967):  inkl.English and French

Further education, 1 year (1970):  English and French

Work Experience:

Tjaereborg Travels:  Travel guide (1974-1976)

Studiefrämjandet, Sundbyberg:  Teacher of Swedish for immigrants (1985-1999)

Livstycket, Stockholm:  Teacher of Swedish for immigrants (1999-2002)

Stockholm University

“Swedish program” :  Teacher of Swedish for American students (2000-  )

Södertälje Komvux:  Teacher of Swedish for foreign students (2003- 2003)

KTH Södertälje :  Teacher of Swedish for foreign students (2003-2003)

KTH Stockholm:  Teacher of Swedish for foreign students  (2003-  )

KTH Stockholm:  Teacher of Swedish for foreign employers at KTH  (2008-  )

Hobbies:

My interests are reading, music, travelling, and much that makes life wonderful !!

Personal Trivia:

Married to a former air acrobat is a little bit unusual and I like to think that I am a language acrobat !!!

Stephan Larsen

I teach the following courses on the Program:  Scandinavian Literature and Modern Swedish Literature

Education:

I attained a PhD degree at Stockholm University in 1983. The title of my doctoral dissertation is: A Writer and His Gods: A Study of the Importance of Yoruba Myths and Religious Ideas to the Writing of Wole Soyinka.

Current Research Interests:

My current research interests are post-colonial literature in general and African in particular.

Hobbies:

My hobbies are: all kinds of literature; music (preferably, but not exclusively, classical); and movies. From 1973 to 1980, I was a member of the Stockholm University Singers (Stockholms studentsångare), an academic men´s choir based in Stockholm. I still like to sing, and have been known occasionally to burst into song even in class, but unfortunately, time does not permit me to sing under more properly organized forms any more. I am also a longtime member of the editorial board of the magazine Karavan (Caravan), which specializes in literature from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and to which I regularly contribute book reviews and articles.

Anne Richter

I teach the course on Positive Psychology.

Education:

2002-2007 Undergraduate and graduate studies at the JLU Giessen, Germany

     Major: Psychology Minor: Medicine

2005 Exchange semester at the UWS Superior, Wisconsin

     Major: Psychology Minor: Business

2006 Exchange semester at the SU Sweden

     Major: Psychology

     2009 Summer School at the Quantitative Psychology Program at Kansas University (May) Inter-university Connection for
     Political and Social Research Summer Training Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research,
     University of Michigan. (July)

2007 -2011 Ph.D. at SU Sweden 

     Preliminary dissertation date 2nd of December 2011

Current Research Interests:

• Job Insecurity
• Work-Family conflict
• Positive Psychology
• Organizational changes
• The new world of working
• Gender
• Individual health and well-being
• Organizational performance
• Methods, particularly SEM

Hobbies:
travelling, baking from cupcakes to tårta

Personal Trivia:
expert in office supplies--> expert knowledge in post-its and pens :)

Christopher (Kit) Hill

I teach the course on Sustainable Development:  Global to Local

Education:
2011      MSc. Sustainable Enterprising from The Stockholm Resilience Centre (Stockholm University)
2008      Environmental law (U.S.) certificate University of Washington
2005      B.A. major in Psychology & minor in Theater, Performance and Dance from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN
2005      Certified Health Specialist through A.C.E. & N.S.C.A.
Studied Abroad
2003      University College Cork, Ireland
1998      Youths for Understanding (YFU) in Bygstad, Norway

Work Experience & Teaching Method:
Recently, I have been working as a freelance writer for the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics. I continue to research and write articles about sustainable development, power relations, urban growth, food production and food security. I also collaborate with the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Food Group.

Before moving to Sweden, I was running my own health and fitness business in Seattle, WA as a ‘sustainable lifestyles’ coach. I worked as a consultant and practitioner for local businesses, NGOs and individuals.

In my practice, the conjunction 'sustainable lifestyles' was (and continues to be) more of a philosophy of mindfulness and praxis, a reflexive method in which to learn and engage, rather than a rigid step-by-step guideline. This philosophy continues to tie into my heuristic method of teaching regarding issues and topics on sustainability. That is, different people learn differently. My aim is to respect, acknowledge and explore different platforms in which to nurture individual understanding.

Research:
My current academic interests are based on transdisciplinary research platforms that span within and beyond academia. I'm interested in hands-on ethnographic methods of research and teaching, exposing the often-contradicting multiplicities of meaning(s) and perspective(s) (across multiple scales of space and time) through deeper historical understandings of relationships and connections. I strive to do this with the help of a few theories: Dialectical Materialism, Historical Ecology, Actor-Network Theory, Complexity Thinking, Resilience Thinking, Political Ecology, World-Ecology and Ethnomethodology. Contextually, I have focused on issues surrounding the dynamic social-ecological relationships of food, health, cities and power.

Hobbies:
Food (in all its glory) - eating, cooking, growing, hanging out with farmers, hunting (particularly mushrooms and blueberries), making sauerkraut etc. When I'm not thinking of food I'm: backpacking, hiking, camping, rock climbing, biking, dancing, gym training, reading, writing, singing, playing guitar and hanging out with my wife.

Personal Trivia: 
1) I grew up in Seattle with three adopted sisters from Korea, Ethiopia and a sister in law from Japan. 2) I met my Swedish wife/partner via couchsurfing.com ("she surfed my couch and then my heart") 3) All my life I've been singing: boys choirs, A capella groups, multiple 'indie' bands and even studied in Ireland to learn how to sing Sean Nos