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IAS celebrates 10 years

09 December 2024

Victor Berlin

It all started with taking risks. Now, ten years have passed since the Institute for analytical sociology (IAS) was founded."It feels like we have achieved a lot," comments Maria Brandén, senior associate professor.

Peter Hedstr枚m and Maria Brand茅n sits next to each other in a staircase. Photographer: Victor Berlin

The year is 2011. Researcher Peter Hedstr枚m has just finished his position as a professor at the University of Oxford and is about to become CEO of the Institute for Futures Studies in Stockholm, a role that will last for six years. During this time, he will have both the time and resources to build a new research initiative. It sounds very promising鈥攁t first.

"The more time I spent on it, the more I thought, 'If I'm going to spend this much time building a institute, I want it to at least have a chance to survive,'" recalls Peter Hedstr枚m, founder of IAS.

"Then I started looking around."

He was advised by the Director General of the Swedish Research Council to contact Helen Dannetun at Link枚ping University. This would later lead to the formation of the IAS. By 2014 it was up and running.

"When the opportunity arose to build up a research environment that was centred around my own research interests, it was almost irresistible," says Peter Hedstr枚m.

Around 25 people are having coffee and mingles.
The 10th anniversary was celebrated at the Museum of Work with lectures, coffee, mingling, quiz and photography.

Thursday, 28 november, 2024. Professors, doctoral students, and employees from IAS gather on the sixth floor of the Museum of Work. Ten years have passed. The day will be celebrated with lectures from those who have been involved in IAS's history in various ways, along with coffee, mingling, photography, and ending with socialising鈥攁nd a Christmas dinner. Peter Hedstr枚m feels extremely satisfied that the institute is now celebrating its tenth anniversary.

"Of course, there was a lot of uncertainty about whether it would succeed. To build a completely new, very internationally oriented activity in Norrk枚ping鈥攁 place most people outside Sweden have never heard of鈥攚as a risk鈥�, he says.

What are you most proud of over these ten years?

"That the institute has grown so strong in terms of research. Several have now been promoted to professors and there are a large number of international collaborations. I am also very proud of our doctoral education," says Peter Hedstr枚m.

He highlights that one of the reasons why IAS succeeded was that they managed to recruit a group of very strong doctoral students in the beginning.

Slide show

Around 30 people sit in rows behind desks, like in a classroom. Photographer: Victor Berlin

Anniversary celebration - a short walk from Campus Norrköping

The participants gathered in the "Alva Room" on the sixth floor of the Museum of Work. Maria Brand茅n, senior associate professor, is optimistic about IAS's future. "I think we have a very good chance of continuing to do well," she says.

Sarah Valdez is standing next to a standing table at the front of the room, talking. Photographer: Victor Berlin

"It could have run out"

Sarah Valdez, associate professor, thinks it feels great to celebrate 10 years. "We weren’t sure. We knew we had enough grantmoney at the beginning to last ten to fifteen years, but it could have run out. So we had to do things like formalise the institute. It´s really great to see that we were able to do it. It truly feels like a celebration", she says.

Selcan Mutgan is standing next to a standing table at the front of the room, talking. Photographer: Victor Berlin

"I´m really proud"

Selcan Mutgan, postdoc, opened the day's program. "I麓m one of the few among us here who has been at IAS since day one. Back then when I joined IAS as a masters graduate I had no idea that IAS would become a huge part of my life. I also didn鈥檛 know that it would be a kind of pinnacle of my academic career either. I麓m really happy that it was and I麓m really proud to be a member of this community."

IAS - past to the present

More employees and a new focus

Over the past decade, the institute has grown. From the beginning it was largely financed by Peter Hedström's external research funds. Today, it has the equivalent of 28 full-time positions, and IAS receives researchfunding from several sources. Maria Brandén has been involved since the start. For the past four years, she has also been the director and head of division, after taking over from Peter Hedström in the autumn of 2020. According to her, the institute is in many ways the same as it was in the beginning, still driven by more or less the same thinking. At the same time, it has expanded to also include Computational Social Science – a newer focus than they had initially.

Between the lectures, during a coffeebreak and mingle, we sit down for a while outside the meeting room.

How does it feel to celebrate 10 years?

"I think it feels really significant and that we have accomplished a lot in a very short time. I am also happy that we have managed to maintain a good start-up spirit. There is still very good cohesion and a strong drive within the group. People cooperate with each other and care about IAS, not just themselves," says Maria Brandén.

What do you think about the future?

"I think we have a very good chance of continuing to do well."

She mentions that they have become even better at collaborating in different research constellations, they receive significant funding from research funders and they are attracting more and more international visitors.

"We also have a new Centre of Excellence in Computional Social Science that will enable very exciting research, international guest researchers and research collaborations. I believe that will be important for the future," says Maria Brandén.

More about our organisation

Illustration of people surrounded by data

The Institute for Analytical Sociology (IAS)

IAS conduct cutting-edge research on important social, political and cultural matters. The research is sociological - in its original and broadly conceived meaning.
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The Swedish Excellence Centre for Computational Social Science

This is a research hub and training centre at the forefront of Computational Social Science, a rapidly growing field that leverages computational tools to advance our understanding of human behavior and the complex social dynamics it can bring about.

Contact us

Photo of Maria Brand茅n

Maria Brandén

Professor, Head of Division
Photo of Peter Hedstr枚m

Peter Hedström

Professor
Photo of Selcan Mutgan

Selcan Mutgan

Assistant Professor

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