An Inclusive University for a Diverse Society

SSE strives to be a creative and stimulating place for working and studying where people with different backgrounds and experiences are given the same rights and opportunities regardless of their gender, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, social background, disability, sexual orientation, age, or religion or other beliefs. All organizations say that about themselves, but at SSE we really mean it and we actively work to make sure that those beautiful words are backed up by concrete actions. 

Meet Karol Vieker, SSE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager

"I am passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights! I have dedicated my working life to making the world a better place by striving to create open and inclusive workplaces where everyone is welcome regardless of who they are or where they come from. My best friend is the Swedish Discrimination Act and of course my favorite quote is from article 1 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about how you may fit in at SSE."

SSE’s overarching educational aims take as their point of departure that a successful decision maker of the future will approach the world with curiosity and confidence and who, as the philosopher Ingemar Hedenius said: “is free and alive in relation to the unknown”. That decision maker may well be outperformed cognitively by artificial intelligence, robots or machines. But the core competence of humans is to be human, and SSE’s educational aims takes this ad notam. A successful decision maker in the future will maximize the potential of being human. Hence, SSE has formulated its overarching educational aims through the acronym FREE. It stands for:

FACT AND SCIENCE BASED MINDSET

We are fundamentally a scientific institution, and facts are the basis for all critical and analytical thinking. An SSE graduate will make decisions based on facts and have the ability to differentiate between types of knowledge. This ability becomes particularly important in a world of alternative facts, "fake news" and filter bubbles.

REFLECTIVE AND SELF AWARE

The future will require more reflection and self-knowledge. SSE-trained individuals will be able to contemplate what role they play in the world, understand the impact they have on others, evaluate their personal preferences, and be aware of how their choices are determined.

EMPATHETIC AND CULTURALLY LITERATE

Empathy and cultural sensitivity are so far, something that artificial intelligence cannot accomplish. We are convinced that an empathetic person becomes a better leader and decision maker; thus we hope our students will be able to consider the perspective of others fully. Cultural literacy is also critical. To interact with someone from another background, expertise, or profession than one's own is a prerequisite for the future.

ENTREPRENEURIAL AND RESPONSIBLE

Students graduated from SSE will have an entrepreneurial and creative approach to the world. They will strive to create change in a responsible manner. They should not accept the status quo but seek improvement for society and the world at large.

As an alumnus from SSE, I received my M.Sc. in 1991 and an LL.M. degree from Stockholm University in 1998. From 1987 to 1998 I worked with the family business in the fashion industry and was, inter alia, responsible for overseas sales in the UK and production first in the former USSR and later in East European countries for a number of years. I returned to the SSE in 1998 and received my LL.D. in 2003, defending a thesis on pricing strategies and competition law, reflecting my dual background in law and economics. Later, I became associate professor with the faculty in 2005 and full professor in 2010.

My research and practice is primarily within antitrust and competition law, contract law, EU-law, company and market law and international trade law. Also, a special interest in my research is devoted to regulated markets and law related issues of market regulations. So, why does a lawyer and economist want to join the SSE? Well, there are very few places like the SSE that offer the same possibilities of combining economic and legal sciences. Also, the SSE provides an excellent research and teaching environment for faculty members. The school adheres to very high standards of academic rigour, reflecting its ambitions to position itself amongst the top tier of business school. The resulting meritocracy is without doubt demanding, yet both rewarding and inclusive and fostering a good atmosphere between everyone working here.

I moved to Stockholm School of Economics because its department of economics provided me an exciting environment for working in game theory and microeconomic theory. Although – or perhaps because – it is a small school, it has a very lively culture with plenty of opportunities for interacting across departmental boundaries. And with its large international network, there is a steady stream of interesting visiting researchers. I am particularly happy about SSE’s support for pedagogical initiatives: we have both the modern technological infrastructure and helpful staff to take courses to a high level.

 What attracted me to SSE was its standing and its growing reputation for being a top international School. I was also especially attracted by its size, history, status and ability to collaborate and work in partnership with business, other academic institutions and its communities. Before joining SSE, my various visits showed me a friendly body of people who were also very welcoming and really looking to push the boundaries to raise the reputation and standing of the School. I also found a team who were dedicated to further enhancing the student’s experience through education. What struck me too was that this was an institution that was dedicated to working for the good of Sweden, pushing ideas out but also bringing fresh ideas in. This impression has continued and I am really enjoying my time with SSE. It feels new and fresh, dynamic and energetic, dedicated to working hard to achieve excellence in all it does but willing and able to bring its people with it and in a variety of ways. For me, this makes SSE a good place to be.

I joined SSE just a few days after finishing my doctoral studies and I have been here since late 2016. One of the main things which made me apply to SSE was the strong emphasis on teaching and the prospects for me to develop as a teacher. I have always been passionate about pedagogy and, at least within my field, SSE has a long reputation of having devoted teachers and strong pedagogical methods.

Today I feel fortunate to have worked with some great pedagogues both in educational courses and in peer-teaching. I feel that I continuously develop my skills in interactions with our students and I also find that we have many benefits from our close collaborations with industry professionals. This provides opportunities to both contextualize and problematize the contents we teach and provide our students with a sense of relevance for advanced and abstract theories.

I also enjoy that SSE is a balanced environment where I can pursue my teaching interests whilst simultaneously working with leading researchers within our field. The SSE accounting department has carefully worked to attract skilled researchers as colleagues, as guests, and through our seminar series, and this makes for a quite exciting research environment today. Importantly, I feel that I am given both the freedom and the support to conduct research I find interesting and rewarding.

From the first day I started studying, I became interested and curious about what it is like to work at a university. What attracted me the most was the international environment where new ideas and dreams are born and expressed. When I had the opportunity to work in such an environment myself, I understood that this was the right place for me.

As a Service Provider at Info Center, I am the first point of contact for a lot of students and visitors. It is such a pleasure to support and guide them through the SSE’s various departments and functions during their student journey. We have recurring contact with everything from prospective students to alumni.

At Info Center we work with all types of questions, from high to low which means that we must be in continuously contact with colleagues in other departments and learn new things every day. I love the feeling of being involved in so many activities at SSE and the feeling of never be completely fully trained.

The best time of the day is the mornings where I get to meet incoming students and staff smiling and walking with coffee in their hands. There is just something in the atmosphere that feels so exciting and uplifting.

I work as an accountant at the Office of Finance & Accounting (OFA). I am responsible for two companies within the SSE family. My work duties include everything from preparing financial statements to handling ledger accounts. Besides that, I am also in charge of student rent and tuition fee controlling. I really appreciate that I am encouraged to contribute with my skills and experience to optimize our work processes constantly.

In our office, all the employees have opportunities to improve their competence through different courses and seminars. We have also flexible working hours which is perfect for me as a parent of small children. It is also enjoyable to work here because we have so many nice and skilled fellow colleagues.

SSE is one of Europe's leading business schools. It is also a small school where community is important. The school has a friendly and open atmosphere and units work closely together. We have many talented researchers and colleagues from all over the world and you always get the latest news and inspiration about economics and finance.

Stockholm School of Economics, SSE, is one of the most famous schools not only in Sweden but in the Nordic countries, Europe and beyond. The school has successful history within disciplines like Economics, Business administration and Finance. Being started by industrial leaders in Sweden for more than a century ago the school followed the new innovative trends in the world and adapted them to Swedish social and business environments and conditions. The school was a nontraditional higher education institution in Sweden from the start.

The dynamic spirit of the school springs from its continuous search for new ideas and business trends in the world. This is reflected on the way the school is functioning. The distance between decision makers and executive staff is short and non-hierarchical. Generally, initiatives to develop and improve processes at the school have bottom-up nature. This approach captures the flow of ideas from all levels and constellations of the working power at the school and melt them into one initiative which every single person at the school is aware of or participated in forming it. This collective spirit of running the school has made the task cohesive, transparent and feasible. The mind set and the morale of working culture at SSE is the biggest achievement a working place can reach to create a healthy and productive setting for employees. This makes me interested in working at SSE. Ideas from employees are taken care of regardless the position, provided it is a holistic idea which takes into the consideration all strategic interests of the school. 

Being a relatively small school, the employees are able to see the result of their ideas and initiatives and they receive the appreciation they deserve. This makes SSE an ideal work place where I thrive.

More than a year and a half ago, I saw that the Stockholm School of Economics was looking for a Digital Program Marketing Specialist within the department of External Relations. Since I have always been very interested in the field of business and economics, specialized in marketing during my Master’s, and enjoy the international, inspiring and vibrant atmosphere of a university, I thought that this position was made for me. It certainly helped that the Stockholm School of Economics was and is perceived as a very good employer with great benefits for its employees and a healthy work-life balance. One of the greatest aspects here is that you get a lot of freedom to realize your own ideas and projects. Be it the Head of the Department, your manager or your colleagues – everyone is very supportive and willing to help you reach your goals.

I really like my department’s breakfast sessions on Fridays where we invite SSE Faculty, the SSE President, professors or colleagues to speak to our department. They share what’s on their minds and present trends in the industry, plans, or discuss what’s going on at and around SSE. This does not only lead to even more inspiration, but also to lots of energy, ideas, and positive vibes in the department.

I like the fact that no two days are the same. The digital marketing world will constantly challenge you to stay up-to-date about the latest trends, innovations and changes in higher education. SSE supports me to join and take part in the most relevant conferences all over the globe, exchange experiences and mingle with managers from other universities in order to bring back new ideas that can be implemented in or added to our student recruitment process. Furthermore, working with and involving our current students in our marketing activities gives me a lot of energy. The students at SSE come from all over the world. Approximately 50% of our students do have an international background which makes SSE not only more diverse, but also a much more enjoyable workplace.