Vice-Chancellor Ursula Hass
- A Presentation

As Vice-Chancellor of Blekinge Institute of Technology she looks to the future with an inquiring mind and she is constantly in search of new opportunities to develop. For Ursula Hass there is only one direction - forward.

Some years ago Ursula Hass left her position as vice rector with responsibility for external relations at Linköping University and returned to Blekinge. Not to Olofström where she grew up but to Karlskrona, where the position of Vice Chancellor of Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) awaited her. It was to be a stimulating and enjoyable task that offered an outlet for her desire to constantly find new ways and opportunities to develop. Ursula Hass is definitely in her element here.

"It is an incredibly cool environment in which to live and work. There's also an entrepreneurial spirit at the Institute that shapes how we do things. We are academic, focused on action, and we have the courage to think along new lines and break new ground. BTH goes beyond the norm - an underdog that is not afraid to take on the establishment."

For Ursula the choice for a long time was between fashion design and technology. In the end it was technology that was to become her career path. A perpetual desire to search for new solutions to practical problems has been an important inner driving force. With a mother who was a politician and a father who was an engineer, Ursula Hass feels that she had the ideal conditions for seeing a problem as a challenge rather than an obstacle. Over the years this has had a considerable influence on the way she works and acts.

Ursula describes herself as a person who enjoys 'digging where she stands' - she is inquisitive and has a thirst for knowledge. And that is exactly what she did when she decided to take a year out from her engineering studies at Linköping University - where she specialised in applied physics and electrical engineering - to work as a public relations officer for the Student Union. A position that gave her a great deal of useful experience.

"Being active in the Student Union you gain a completely different insight into the way things work. You acquire better knowledge of people and you have the opportunity to be involved in developing the organisation. It is well worth all the time and effort you put in."

She is happy in the academic world and alongside her research she is involved in various projects focusing on leadership, research and collaboration.

Together with her expert co-workers and a board that produces incisive suggestions Ursula Hass has in recent years focused a great deal at BTH on building up networks and intensifying collaboration with different partners - locally, regionally, nationally and globally. With a master's degree and a PhD behind her she is also a member of a number of foundations and advisory boards - SNITTS, Blekinge Research Foundation, Telecom City, NetPort and Vinnova are just some examples.

"Access to world-leading groups such as Volvo and Ericsson has made BTH a global player with the scope to influence the future and the world in which we live in a way that has proved to be unique," she states.

BTH's vision of being a globally attractive knowledge community within applied IT and innovation for sustainable growth is very much to the fore. BTH is currently ranked as the sixth best academic institution in the world in software technology and sustainable development.

"This is incredible. It demonstrates very clearly that we have extremely capable staff and that we work in areas that are of major importance."

Development of the BTH profile areas Applied IT, Sustainable Development and Innovation is continuing and Ursula Hass's vision is that BTH will provide intensity and generate growth both regionally and globally. By being a bold and somewhat unconventional player BTH is challenging the market. "Competition in the university world is driving BTH and other colleges and universities forward," states Ursula Hass.

"Our success in profiling ourselves in Sweden and abroad has been acknowledged in many quarters. Our brand and our blend of course programmes are of considerable value and this is reflected in ranking lists and assessments. There is an enormous market for the knowledge and expertise we offer, which certainly bodes well for the future."