NEWS Deputy Vice-Chancellor Thomas Olofsson is new chair of the steering group of the Industrial Doctoral School. His ambition is to continue developing the doctoral school’s unique breadth and its strong collaboration with businesses, organisations and public authorities.
Parts of the Industrial Doctoral School steering group 2026. From the left: Ingrid Undén Lindehell, Amrei Aubrunner, Thomas Olofsson, Åke Brännström, Patrik Rydén, Jonas Nilsson, and Stefan Gelfgren.
ImageSara-Lena BrännströmThomas Olofsson assumed the role of chair of the steering group of the Industrial Doctoral School in connection with taking up his position as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University in July 2025.
“I think it is important that the Industrial Doctoral School continues to be attractive, both for researchers seeking funding for doctoral students and for the businesses, organisations and public authorities that want to collaborate with us. The ambition is a high level of applications, but also a broad distribution across different research areas. We are a comprehensive university, and it is unique to be able to bring together so many research fields within the same doctoral school,” says Thomas Olofsson.
The steering group provides overarching support for the activities of the Industrial Doctoral School and is responsible, among other things, for the admission of research projects. It consists of a chair, five representatives from the university, three external representatives and one doctoral student representative, and meets four times per year.
Thomas Olofsson.
ImageHans KarlssonThomas Olofsson sees collaboration as one of the doctoral school’s greatest strengths.
“An important purpose of research is to contribute knowledge that is relevant and in demand in society. The Industrial Doctoral School is a valuable platform for identifying and developing research questions together with external partners – questions that might otherwise be difficult to pursue,” he says.
As of 1 January 2026, the Industrial Doctoral School will be organisationally affiliated with the Research Support and Collaboration Office. The steering group has also recently welcomed two new members: Stefan Gelfgren, new academic representative from the Faculty of Humanities, and Åke Brännström, Head of the Research Support and Collaboration Office.
“Through this organisational placement, we can create better conditions for collaboration and provide more coherent support for researchers who want to work closely with society and industry,” says Åke Brännström.