The last day

Time flies and the last day of the Swedish Japanese Youth Science Program started of at the high school Klara Norra Gymnasium. Here the Japanese and Swedish students got to listen to the last year students of the school present their project work. Also, some of the Japanese students presented their research works that they are doing in Japan.

After the presentations the students got to eat lunch together at a restaurant nearby that the Swedish students usually go to for lunch to see and compare the differences between the countries.
When lunch was finished the students got to join a psychology class at the school and then got the afternoon off to explore Stockholm town with their host students.

Since this was the last evening that the Swedish and Japanese students had together for this program the project managers prepared a great final dinner for the participants.
The dinner was held at the Royal Academy of Sciences club house, where the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Economics are decided.
We shared a great Nordic Buffé with everything from salmon to veal to elk and all the students got to show some wonderful performances including dancing, singing and sharing traditions.
At the dinner diplomas were given to all the participants, great speeches were held of many involved and everyone was greatly thanked for coming together and making this project come true.

When the dinner came to an end the hosts had to say goodbye to their Japanese guests. Tears were shed and contacts established to keep in contact for years to come.
The Japanese guests travelled to a hotel at Arlanda since their plane parted early in the morning on Saturday. Here we could summarize the week and also enjoy a snowball fight before it was time for bed.

We said our farewells in the morning and made our promises to meet in the future, already in august when it is time for the Swedish students to be guests in Japan and participate in the exchange program, something that I think all of us that has been a part of this project are greatly looking forward to.

Until then we will keep contact and reflect upon all the great things we have learnt, all the science and also all the cultural differences and all the great people we have met.

[APRILSKÄMT] Diana Diez tar över som generealsekreterare!

DISCLAIMER: NEDAN ÄR ETT APRILSKÄMT. INGEN GENERALSEKRETERARE ÄR TILLSATT. VI HAR FÅTT IN OTROLIGT MÅNGA FANTASTISKA ANSÖKNINGAR FRÅN OTROLIGT KOMPETENTA MÄNNISKOR. SJÄLVKLART KOMMER VI MEDDELA ALLA SOM INTE ERBJUDS TJÄNSTEN, INNAN DENNA OFFENTLIGGÖRS.
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Det är med stor glädje förbundsstyrelsen kan meddela att beslut tagits om anställning av ny generalsekreterare. Diana Diez, nuvarande förbundsordförande, har varit ansvarig för rekryteringsprocessen och säger som följer:
- Efter att ha tittat på den kompetensprofil som jag tagit fram för tjänsten och ha tittat på de andra ansökningar som kommit in, har jag kommit fram till att den som är bäst lämpad för tjänsten helt enkelt är jag! Förvisso har sista ansökningsdatum inte passerats, men jag har insett att ingen kan trumfa mig. Jag har under dagen tagit ett ordförandebeslut på detta och tillträder direkt efter påsk. Parallellt kommer jag sitta kvar både som förbundsordförande och arbetsledare av generalsekreteraren.

Styrelsen och personalen är mycket glada för detta besked och önskar Diana stort lycka till i det nu utökade engagemanget!

A day in the styrelse-life

I början på mars hade förbundsstyrelsen arbetshelg på kansliet i Stockholm. Under helgens kodnamn AH-15-1 (vad kan det stå för, måntro?) bjöds det både på intensiva diskussioner och födelsedagsfirande. 

Framförallt arbetade vi med övergången till en ny generalsekreterare (GS), då Daniel Madhani i mars lämnar oss efter en föredömlig insats. GS har det operativa ansvaret för verksamheten, och spelar därmed en nyckelroll genom att dagligen befinna sig i händelsernas epicentrum. Styrelsens rekryteringsgrupp bollade frågor med övriga ledamöter, och för att färdigställa en passande kravprofil använde vi oss bland annat av metoden scenario building. Vi målade upp visioner för förbundets framtid, vi tog reda på vem som skulle kunna föra oss dit, och vi försökte reda ut var vi hittar denna person.

Dessutom höll ers undertecknad ett pass om Analytical Hierarchy Process – en matematisk metod som hjälper beslutsfattare ta mer välgrundade beslut – och Ordförande Diana föreläste om juridik och arbetsrätt inom ideell sektor – för vilka rättigheter och skyldigheter har vi egentligen som medlemmar och ledamöter i Förbundet? Vad måste vi göra? Vad får vi absolut inte göra? Sedan fortsatte vi det tidigare påbörjade arbetet med att ta fram mål för våra verksamheter. I detta arbete använder vi oss av SMART-kriterierna – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound – för att kunna formulera mål som för hela Förbundet i samma – och rätt – riktning. Under lunch och middag diskuterades bemannad rymdfärd och träningsvärk. På kvällen var det frågesport med tema vetenskap. 

Slutligen hade Diana lyckats fylla år sen senaste styrelsehelgen, och belönades med chokladtårta från Vetekatten och specialbeställt pussel. Det var en liten present på en liten helg, i en lite större styrelse i ett större förbund, i ett större land på en större planet i ett större solsystem i en större galax och så vidare – en pusselbit i taget, från vetgirigheten till vetenskapen, med aldrig sinande fascination.

Vi ses om en månad.

Jacob Lagerros, styrelseledamot

Time for school

After spending their first night at the Swedish host students home, the Japanese students followed them to their school Klara Norra Gymnasium. Here teacher Carolin Lysell and Project Managers Caroline and Marcus had prepared a laboration for them about sustainable development. The students were divided in to groups with both guest, host and other students from the school to create a life cycle assessment of a product. They got the instructions to pick an object of their like and then on a poster present its "life". All transportations and steps around the production was taken into consideration and later the groups got to present to each other and discuss their findings, differences between objects and also potential differences between Sweden and Japan.

The laboration was made to make the students aware of products and their impact on the environment to create a more sustainable future with for example recycling.

After the laboration the Japanese students got to follow a different class from Klara Norra Gymnasium whose special subjects are in information and society. These Swedish students took the Japanese guests on a tour in Stockholm City, talking about its history, significance and the cultural aspects of today.

The tour started at "Kaknästornet", the famous telecast tower in Stockholm, were everyone could enjoy lunch with a fantastic view over the town.

Kaknästornet ("Kaknäs" tower)

View of Stockholm City from lunch at Kaknästornet

At the top of Kaknästornet

City tour of Stockholm by Swedish high school students

Outside of The Royal Palace

When the tour was over the Swedish host students took the Japanese students to some relaxing evening activities and the night was spent at the host families.

Science, science, science!

Wednesday morning the Swedish and Japanese students met up at Klara Norra Gymnasium were a typical Swedish breakfast was served for the participants to enjoy. The discussions were of traditions and so a lot about food and different meals in the two countries.
After breakfast David Andersson of The Federation of Young Scientists held an inspiring and exciting science show at the school with everything from electricity to liquid nitrogen.



David Andersson and his science show for the Swedish and Japanese students



For lunch the Swedish hosts took the Japanese guests out to eat at Restaurant Smultron (meaning raspberry) to further show the Swedish lunching traditions.
When lunch was finished everyone headed of to Karolinska Institutet to take part of an exhibition about Cancer held by the first year medical students. The participants got to learn many different aspects of the disease, the prevalence, the types, the symptoms and the treatments and all in a very creative way. At the exhibition we were all greeted by Professors Matti Nikkola and Carolina Hagberg who presented the school and also showed us around.



After the exhibition the students were invited to Professor Christian Brobergers laboratory where he held a presentation and lecture of his research in neuroscience. This was a very exciting part and meny questions were asked so we continued to the café of the school and also had a swedish fika with the Professor to learn more.

Matti Nikkola at Karolinska Institutet

Time passed by quickly and when fika was over the Japanese students got to follow their Swedish host students home to spend the night at their home. The students took their guests on some various activities and they all got to experience Swedish culture very up close.

Nobel day

The second day of the Swedish Japanese Youth Science Program (SJYSP) week started off at the Nobel Museum where the students from the two countries got to meet each other for the first time.
We started of with a presentation of the life and work of Alfred Nobel and continued with a workshop  about research and creativity.

The students got to work together in groups to solve problems and working with group dynamics to find out the cornerstones of a good working group in any expertise - diversity. They also got to think about their own role in the group and how that might affect further group works and research opportunities.

Before the lunch at Bistro Nobel, the Swedish students showed their guests around the museum and they got to explore the Nobel Prizes and all around them but also got to know each other.

The afternoon continued in the essence of Nobel when the students got to visit the City Hall of Stockholm and got a guided tour of the Blue Hall where the Nobel Banquet is held as well as got to see the kitchen and everything "behind the scenes".

After the visit it was time for the Japanese guests to say goodbye to their Swedish hosts and travel by boat to see the beautiful islands such as "Skepparholmen" and "Djurgården" (translated as "sailor holm" and "animal farm") where many museums and the amusement park "Gröna Lund" (green meadow) is located.

We continued to walk in town and visited a traditional old-fashioned café for swedish fika and ate dinner in the north-east part of time at T.G.I Fridays.

After another visit at the supermarket for evening snacks after a long but interesting and exciting day, the students got to try the spaghetti-marshmallow challenge to try out their new knowledge of group work. It was a very appreciated contest with many twists that ended in a presentation of prestanda and demands. In the end everyone got to try out some very typical Swedish candies such as "lösgodis" (lose candy that you pick and mix by yourself), kexchoklad (biscuits layered with chocolate), Ahlgrens bilar (car-shaped soft candy) and milk chocolate.

Around midnight, we suddenly got a report saying that there was an aurora in Stockholm. This is very rare in Stockholm due to all the light from the city. This night, however was extremely rare (this happens about every ten years) and you could see very clearly. The students were really excited about this and we had a spontane lecture in physics explaining the phenomene.

International guests in our new exchange program

The Swedish Japanese Youth Science Program is a recently developed exchange program between Swedish and Japanese students.

The aim is to have a broader cross-cultural understanding of natural sciences, research and the school system. Plans are to have two exchange weeks per year were Japanese students travel to Sweden in the spring and Swedish students travel to Japan in the fall to take part in a science week filled with experiments, lectures, sights and insights.

The project is at its start and at the moment 15 Japanese students (and two teachers) are in Stockholm, Sweden exploring the science and culture of the town.

Tired but excited Japanese students arrive to Stockholm on the late Sunday evening.

Students at the top of The Royal Institute of Technology.

At the first day the students got an introduction by the project managers from The Swedish Federation of Young Scientist (Förbundet Unga Forskare) and Jacob Lagerros, member of the board.







Later they travelled to the Royal Institute of Technology were they ate lunch, saw a great view of Stockholm City and got to experiment on labwork at Vetenskapens Hus (House of Sciences).

Lab work held by Alf Pettersson at "Vetenskapens Hus" (House of Sciences).



Professor Maki of the institute held a presentation of his research work of motion detection, computer vision, perception and robotics. We enjoyed a typical “Swedish fika” (coffe and cake) with the professor and got to get to know each other further and discuss science communication and the differences between studying at a Swedish or Japanese University.

Professor Atsuto Maki at The Royal Institute of Technology.



Christer Fuglesang, professor in astroparticle physics and also the only Swede who has been in space, spoke of his travel and research. We got to learn how experiments can be issued in space and what kinds of tests an astronaut has to go through. Professor Fuglesang also showed how one can live in space, what to do in the freetime and how to eat food and play with the weightlessness.

Lecture by Professor Christer Fuglesang at "Vetenskapens Hus".


We continued the afternoon walking in Stockholm City, seeing “Nordiska Kompaniet”, one of the most exclusive warehouses in Sweden, and also visit the folk friendly “Gallerian” where the students got to shop and see a typical Swedish galleria in the middle of the town.

Dinner was eaten at “Nytorget6” where the traditional Swedish meal “köttbullar” (meatballs) was on the menu.

Now we are back at the hotel in the southern part of Stockholm after visiting a supermarket and buying some evening snacks and comparing food assortments.

Tomorrow waits a new day filled with activities and excursions in the spirit of the Noble Prize.