50 years of Management at Chalmers

"This seminar takes a long-term perspective in celebrating past achievements, while addressing emerging future developments. It brings together Chalmers alumni, students and faculties to increase our understanding of how we can manage a sustainable future in a better way," explains Professor Mats Lundqvist, F91, who coordinated the seminar as Vice Head of the Department of Technology Management and Economics. Mats has also been involved in starting Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship in 1997 and worked as its director. He wants to put more focus on the management topic, both in research and education at Chalmers.

A leading figure at Chalmers on these issues was Professor Holger Bohlin, who was born a hundred years ago in 1921. He came from the Stockholm School of Economics and in 1969 was appointed Professor of the Department of Industrial Management at Chalmers. In September 1983, Holger gave the welcome speech to the first 30 students on the new Industrial Engineering and Management program: "We will create a symbiosis between technical science and economic know-how, so that you as human beings, will be able to take wise decisions on behalf of the company you are working for". In other words, a management-program. 

Among the speakers at the seminar on 19 November there were five renowned managers with extensive experience around managing more sustainable futures. Together with management scholars, they gave their perspectives on the topic.