Meet CCHS researcher Annelie Sjölander-Lindqvist
Annelie Sjölander-Lindqvist is based at the Department of Global Studies at the University of Gothenburg and teaches, among other things, about sustainable development, human dimensions of wildlife management and management of natural resources. Annelie Sjölander-Lindqvist is the new Deputy Director of the Centre for Critical Heritage Studies at the University of Gothenburg from 2024.
Annelie, please tell us a little about your involvement in the Centre for Critical Heritage Studies.
"I have always followed what has happened within CCHS with great interest, even though I have not been directly involved in the centre's work. Now I am the new Deputy Director for the centre from January 2024."
Which research themes are your focus?
"For many years, I have studied environmental conflicts and governance issues, and have particularly studied conflicts around large carnivores in Sweden and how future wildlife management can and should look to ensure sustainable development, in all its dimensions. I also spend a lot of my research time on issues related to gastronomy and the importance of food science for rural development. I also think that questions about how local food systems can be developed to support sustainable development are both interesting and important. I am also researching the implementation of ecosystem services as planning instruments and environmental communication."
How do you see your new role as Deputy Director for the centre?
"As the new Deputy Director of CCHS, I hope to contribute to its further development and continued important role for issues related to research on critical heritage studies. I also hope to be able to contribute to CCHS's nice external work by sharing other contact points, as well as that I want to contribute to the centre's communication work in matters relating to cultural heritage. Into my new role, I bring with me my long experience in research on environmental conflicts, management and governance of common resources and gastronomy - all research areas that connect to cultural heritage. Some of these fields I think we can work on within the centre to further strengthen its work."
What research are you currently conducting?
"I have several ongoing projects, some which I lead myself and some that I participate in. The latest project is about collaborative processes in Swedish hydropower, another project builds on my research on predator conflicts. A third is about wolf hybrids and how, within different cultural contexts, we draw boundaries between nature and culture by looking at how people perceive what are wild and domesticated animals. The project on collaboration processes and hydropower aims to produce a legitimate model for collaboration between various interested interests. I also participate in a project around local food systems and creative cultural entrepreneurship. Another project is about how we can support the development of just tourism in areas with mass tourism."
"There are so many things that are interesting! For me, it is both an Achilles' heel and genuinely stimulating. I am curious and enjoy collaborating with other disciplines but also transdisciplinary. Collaborating with others and coming up with new projects is among the best I know - I am convinced that my new role within CCHS will lead to new ideas and productive collaborations. I'm looking forward to it!"
Interview by: Jenny Högström Berntson
