On 9 June 2025, the SweDev Steering Committee met in a hybrid format, online and in-person in Uppsala, to discuss the future direction of the network. New Executive Committee members were also elected.
Skytteanum, Department of Government at Uppsala University, where the meeting was held. Photo:
Mikael Wallerstedt /Uppsala University.
On 9 June 2025, the SweDev Steering Committee met in a hybrid format, online and in-person in Uppsala, to discuss the future direction of the network. Those attending on-site were invited to a lunch gathering, providing an opportunity to connect more personally. With institutional representatives coming from every corner of Sweden, from Lund and Gothenburg, to Stockholm and Umeå, this was a chance to strengthen our ties.
Key topics of discussion included the vital advocacy efforts carried out to date and the need to maintain this momentum, particularly in response to recent funding cuts in development research. SweDev’s voice is increasingly recognized by key stakeholders, and discussions are underway to further support development researchers in Sweden, and strengthen interactions both within the research community and between researchers and policymakers.
From left to right: Janet Vähämäki (SEI), Linda Engström (SLU), Magdalena Eriksson (Wexsus), Jonas Ewald (Linneaus university), Johan Brosché (Uppsala university), and Henning Melber (Nordic Africa Institute)
The meeting also marked a moment of transition within the executive committee. SweDev extends warm thanks and appreciation to the outgoing members for their invaluable contributions over the years: Janet Vähämäki (SEI), former Director of SweDev; Bengt Ove Turesson (ISP, Uppsala University); and Veronica Brodén Gyberg (CSPR, Linköping University). At the same time, we are pleased to warmly welcome three new members to the executive committee:
Linda Engström
Linda Engström is a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), within the Division of Rural Development. Her work focuses on Swedish and global development policy and its practical impacts on rural communities in East Africa. With a background as a policy advisor, she explores how development policies affect land use, access, and justice, particularly in the context of neoliberal and market-based interventions. Her research addresses who gains or loses from aid projects and what occurs when such initiatives are scaled back or discontinued.
Magdalena Eriksson
Magdalena Eriksson, PhD and Docent, is Coordinator for International Collaboration at Wexsus – West Sweden Nexus for Sustainable Development. She has extensive experience in academic and institutional development across several African countries, including Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, Cameroon, and Tanzania, through her leadership roles at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). Her background spans biophysical chemistry research, lecturing in medical biochemistry and biophysics, and research management. Magdalena also holds an MSc in journalism and is active in science communication and local governance in Ghana.
Anna Mia Ekström
Anna Mia Ekström is a Clinical Professor in Global Infectious Disease Epidemiology and leads the Global and Sexual Health (GloSH) research group at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet. Her research focuses on HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), emerging infections, and health system responses in Europe, Africa, and Asia. With a strong interest in implementation science and health equity, she explores issues such as vaccine access, gender-based violence, and the impact of social norms on youth health and women’s empowerment. She previously chaired the Scientific Advisory Board of Sida.