New Horizons Magazine from Uppsala University 2:2 2011
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NEW HORIZONS MAGAZINE FROM UPPSALA UNIVERSITY 2:2 2011 THEME: A NEW WORLD Revolution via Twitter 4 Tracking volcanic eruptions 15 Student contact in many parts of the world 24 “A patent is just a start” 28 Full blast with the Wijkman Brass 34 1 NH 2.2.11_english.indd 1 2011-12-15 11.43 New Horizons 2/2011 THEME: A NEW WORLD 4 Dramatic start sparked will to struggle 6 Revolution in the age of social media 8 Law – about life and death 10 Water supply – from theory to reality UPDATE 12 Vice-Chancellor with focus on quality 13 Good grades for research 14 International experts evaluate teaching RESEARCH 15 In Iceland you can drill deep for heat 18 Unique initiative to stop abuse 20 Interested in people 22 Quasicrystals can become batteries in Uppsala EDUCATION 24 More foreign student can be reached via Google 26 Engineering and team spirit lead to world final 27 IT gaining ground in teaching INNOVATION 28 Albert Mihranyan: “A patent is just a start” 29 Resourceful students saw chance COLLABORATION 30 Record audience when researchers met children and youth 32 Efficient meetings about companies’ questions 33 Time to talk ethics CULTURE 34 Full blast with the Wijkman Brass 35 Opera director receives honorary doctorate ALUMN 36 She keeps an eye on state finances 38 Patrick Grimlund: “I wanted in-depth knowledge” 39 OVERHEARD 40 THE LAST WORD 2 NEW HORIZONS 2:2 NH 2.2.11_english.indd 2 2011-12-15 11.43 Uppsala University DECEMBER 2011 New Horizons is Uppsala University’s magazine about research and education. It is issued twice a year, in English and in Swedish, Nya horisonter. The magazine can be ordered free of charge or be downloaded as a PDF at the address www.uu.se/informational-material Address: Division of Communication and External Affairs A world Uppsala University P.O. Box 256 in flux SE-751 05 Uppsala Editor: Annica Hulth [email protected] Editorial board: Magnus Alsne, Anders Berndt, Helena Edström, Mia Hellström, Linda Koffmar, Rickard Källgren, Anna Malmberg, Gunilla Sthyr, Anneli Waara. Executive editor: Urban Lindberg Layout: Södra tornet kommunikation T and Torbjörn Gozzi D STE English translation: DS MacQueen & Associates LLC R E Printing: Tabergs Tryckeri LL WA Front cover: Thousands of Bahrainians wave their red L and white flags together with flags from other Arab countries. Photo: Hasan Jamali, Scanpix PHOTO: MIKAE PHOTO: PERNILLA BJÖRK WE’RE LIVING IN CHANGING TIMES. Knowledge of basic sciences like mathe- In Northern Africa and the Middle East, matics, chemistry, and physics are key when Director of Communication several heads of state have had to relinquish a country is being developed. A project in their power in the last year as a result of Senegal has to do with water supplies. Read popular uprisings. Protests have spread from more on page 10. country to country, and the whole world is New Horizons opens the door to Upp- watching with interest – including political sala University to provide a picture of what scientists and peace and conflict researchers is going on here. A record number of stu- at Uppsala University. dents were admitted in autumn 2011. Ex- The Arab Spring is also of interest to citing collaborations were launched, such as media scholars, as new social media have U-Fold, a concerted effort to curb addiction played a key role. Tools like Twitter and to drugs and pharmaceuticals, in collabora- blogs have made it easier to avoid censor- tion with researchers, police, and authori- ship and reach others with information. ties. Some research takes place outside the Our choice of paper helps us realize our vision Hats off to technology – but without the borders of Uppsala: we followed a sidetrack of a better world. Using this paper reduces our commitment of a group of people, no to Iceland, where field work is underway climate impact by more than 35%. The paper is change would have been possible. To ad- regarding how best to extract heat from the produced in Sweden and the amount of water vance democracy takes time. earth. consumed in its production is uniquely low. The raw materials come from ‘‘FSC Forests.” Uppsala University is deeply committed Winds of change are also affecting the to global development. One example is the University. In December Anders Hallberg is International Science Programme, which retiring after some six years as Vice-Chan- for 50 years has helped research groups in cellor. We interview him about his time at developing countries bolster their research. the helm. n UPPSALA UNIVERSITY IS deeply COMMITTED TO global DEVELOPMENT. 3 NH 2.2.11_english.indd 3 2011-12-15 11.43 THEME: A NEW WORLD Dramatic start sparked will to struggle A Tunisian vegetable vendor immolates himself in protest against the country’s government. The event launches an uprising that brings down the president, who flees the country. Less than a year later the uprising has spread to several countries in the region and many heads of state have had to step down. Social media are seen as having played a key role in these developments. TEXT: ANNETTE Ulvenholm WALLQVIST PHOTO: HASSENE DRIDI, SCANPIX Demonstration in Tunis in November. How protests spread from December 2010 to November 2011: emonstrations and demands for Tunisia – 17 December 2010 Tunisia After a suicide peaceful spread protests the country. across Egypt – 25 January 2011 all over the country. Protests – JanuaryJordan D economic and political reforms. – 22 January Yemen of demands resignation Populace president. Saudi Arabia – February The kingeconomic benefits and promises new jobs to quiet protests. – 12 February Algeria Security demonstrate in Algiers. Hundreds In April up demonstrations. the forces break reforms. promises president Bahrain – 14 February via Facebook spread Protests and Twitter. 4 NEW HORIZONS 2:2 NH 2.2.11_english.indd 4 2011-12-15 11.43 THEME: A NEW WORLD THERE ARE many reasons why people are revolting in countries on the Arabian Penin- sula and in North Africa. But it’s clear that social media have been key tools in their struggle for freedom, according to Samuel Taub, a research assistant at the Depart- ment of Peace and Conflict Research. Samuel Taub is busy these days. He’s working to keep tabs on what conflicts there are in North Africa and on the Arabi- an Peninsula.. Both Tunisian president Zine El Abedine Ben Ali and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak have resigned following violent protests. Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi has been killed, and in several countries on the Arabian Peninsula violent Demonstrations in Tunis under the election campaign in October. protests are underway. which spark hope among people in several dangerous to the government, says Samuel – Ultimately these protests are about the other countries, including Libya and Egypt. Taub. conditions under which people live in the – People’s successes in Tunisia were Now there will be a time of uncertainty region. But the spark that set off the Arab unexpected and showed that it is possible in the countries that have rid themselves of Spring was the Tunisian vegetable vendor to rebel against this type of oppressor. It their despotic leaders. It can be a complex who immolated himself, says Samuel Taub. awoke a will to struggle in many people. process to switch to functioning democra- Information spread rapidly via social me- cies in a short period of time. Triggering factor dia, as they represent a media flow that the – We have every reason to be optimis- On the other hand, it’s impossible to deter- powers that be have a hard time control- tic about the future. At the same time it’s mine whether it was the event in itself or ling, says Samuel Taub. not enough to get rid of key individuals and how the subsequent protests were met by believe everything will be fine. The road to the Tunisian regime that was the triggering Not a Twitter revolution democracy is not easy, and we need to real- factor for the revolts, which are referred to At the same time he objects to these de- ize it may take time, says Samuel Taub. n as the Arab Spring. velopments being called a Twitter revolu- When Tunisians began to gather in mas- tion. It’s not that simple, as he sees it. The – People’s sive protests, the country’s leaders chose to foundation and what these countries have successes in react to the uprising in the usual way. With in common is undemocratic government, Tunisia were violence. widespread unemployment, and corrup- unexpected – But that was one time too many. Peo- tion in combination with a lack of hope for and showed that it is ple were so desperate that they refused to the future among young people. possible to be suppressed, and the president was forced – Young people are a large group in these rebel. to step down, says Samuel Taub. countries, and many of them have lost their With the aid of social media, the word faith in the future. Add to this the fact that SAMUEL TAUB spread rapidly about the successful protests, they want a change, and they are suddenly ibyan L ibya’s former leader Qaddafi is caught andibya’s demand political reforms and democracy. demand political reforms and democracy. The kingreforms. promises – 16 March Syria when security forces spread Protests on demonstrators. open fire Egypt – 20 July Military that they council declares plan Iran – 14 February and other cities fill with in Tehran Streets Government demonstrators. quashes protests. – 15 February Libya ofHundreds all people protest the country. around – 20 February Morocco Thousands of people gather in cities and elections for new leadership in Egypt.