MDU’s new Board

The Government has decided on a new Board for MDU. Former Vice President Eva Durhán, Head of Department at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket), will take over as Chair on 1 May.

“I am pleased that the government has finally decided on the composition of our new Board. I am delighted that MDU will once again have such skilled and committed Board members. They will have an important role during the coming mandate period where we will revamp MDU as a well-organised, progressive and collaborative University that strives for a sustainable future,” says Martin Hellström, Vice-Chancellor at MDU.

According to Minister for Education Mats Persson, members of the boards of higher education institutions have an important role:
“They must be experienced and responsible people with good judgment and who can contribute to the operations and development of higher education institutions. I wish them the best of luck with their mission,” he says.

“It is both exciting and challenging to take over the position as Chair of MDU's Board. It won’t be easy to take on the role after Pär Eriksson who has done a fantastic job,” says Eva Durhán, who has been a member of the University Board for six years and is now entering her seventh year.

“For me, it is extremely important to continue on the path mapped out by Martin Hellström, Vice-Chancellor, with a clear focus not only on a national level but also to develop partnerships on an international arena.”

For the next term of office, the Board has five new members: Anna Dubois, Professor of Industrial Marketing and Purchasing at Chalmers University of Technology, Samuel Engblom, Doctor of Laws, former State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Head of Social Policy at TCO, John Rune Nielsen, CEO of the Climate and Environmental Institute NILU, Monika Samuelsson, Consultant and former Director of Health and Medical Care at Region Sörmland, and Emma Verner, Vice President at Volvo Construction Equipment.

Those persons leaving their positions on the Board ahead of the new term of office are: Pär Eriksson, Chair, former Head of local government of Eskilstuna, Carina Malmgren, Strategist at Region Östergötland, Torbjörn Digernes, Professor and former Vice-Chancellor of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Ulf Nilsson, Dean of Linköping University.

The University’s external Board members 2023–2024

• Eva Durhán, Head of the Analysis Division at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) (Chair)
• Mikael Dahlgren, Director of Research, ABB Sweden (Board member)
• Anna Dubois, Professor of Industrial marketing and Purchasing, Chalmers University of Technology (new member)
• Samuel Engblom, Doctor of Laws, former Secretary of State, the Ministry of Education and Manager of Social Policy at TCO, (new member)
• Gunvor Kronman, CEO of Hanaholmen Finland (Board member)

• John Rune Nielsen, CEO at the Climate and Environmental Institute NILU (new member)
• Monika Samuelsson, consultant, former Director of Health and Medical Care at Region Sörmland (new member)
• Emma Verner, Vice-President at Volvo Construction Equipment (new member)

The University Board’s external members are appointed by the Government, and the period of office runs from 1 May 2023 to 30 September 2024. In a press release, the Government states that the members have been appointed for a shorter than usual period in light of the current security and political situation and the importance of such skills on the Board.

More information and contact details

Eva Durhán, Head of the Analysis department at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) and Chair of MDU’s University Board from 1 May. Telephone: 073-357 70 50