The Department of Mathematics at Stockholm University has received a donation of SEK 100 million. The interest on the donation will be used to fund scholarships for young researchers.
Sverker Lerheden, an entrepreneur with a background in the property sector, has decided to donate SEK 100 million to the Department of Mathematics at Stockholm University to establish the Sverker Lerheden Scholarship Fund. The purpose of the fund is to promote research in the fields of mathematics, mathematical statistics and computational mathematics.
The intention is for the fund to award SEK 3 million annually to finance young researchers at the Department of Mathematics, where Sverker enjoyed a successful period at the start of his university studies. Head of department Joanna Tyrcha explains that the fund will be used for postdoctoral scholarships. A board has been appointed with the main task of awarding the scholarships.
"This donation creates exciting and interesting opportunities for young mathematicians to conduct research at a high level at the Department of Mathematics, as well as strengthening the research environment at the department. We are extremely grateful for the donation and the opportunity it presents. This will be highly significant for the subject of mathematics at Stockholm University,” says Tyrcha.
New opportunities for young mathematicians
According to President Astrid Söderbergh Widding, the donation is of the utmost importance to the subject of mathematics at Stockholm University.
“It is most gratifying that Sverker Lerheden has chosen to highlight and reinforce the outstanding research and education environment provided by the Department of Mathematics in this manner.”
“The donation will offer new opportunities for young, gifted mathematicians to work at the department, thereby further strengthening the development of the university’s robust research environment in general,” says Henrik Cederquist, deputy vice president for science at Stockholm University.
Total donation of SEK 300 million
Stockholm University is not alone in receiving a major donation. Together with his wife Birgitta Sintring, Sverker Lerheden has donated a further SEK 200 million to fund research at the Department of Ecology and Genetics at Uppsala University and at the Royal College of Music and Royal Institute of Art.
The president, vice-chancellors and other representatives of the four higher education institutions attended a lunch in Uppsala on 26 April at which Sverker Lerheden and Birgitta Sintring presented the extremely generous donations.
Read more on Uppsala University web Major donation for research on ecology and genetics
This article was first published on 27 April by Stockholm University.
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