From the President...
Dear fellow alumni/ae, and current students,
Though our time at Harvard may have just ended or seem like a lifetime ago, I think we can all agree that our time spent there made an indelible mark on us and shaped our sense of the world and its possibilities.
I encountered such an unexpected mix of students from all corners of the world, studying every conceivable subject, including ones I had never imagined being part of academic studies. What they all shared was a passion for, and dedication to, their topic. This challenged me and broadened my own academic perspectives, and even my outlook on life. Many of us have experienced our reunions as tremendously energizing events. They are extraordinary opportunities to come together, share our commonalities and remind us of the level of engagement that characterizes so much of our alumni community. The value of an alumni network is to keep us connected to our alma mater while also promoting its values here in Sweden. On Dexter Gate, entering Harvard Yard stands the inscription: “Enter to grow in wisdom. Depart to Serve Better Thy Country and Thy Kind.” In this day and age, “thy kind” is broad, and as alumni living in a global community, this takes on a far greater meaning to us all. My hope for our club is to provide that reunion experience in our lives here in Sweden: to bring together alumni to socialize, enjoy intellectual stimulation, and hopefully find ways to transform the communities in which we live.
Through the Harvard Club of Sweden Book Prize for talented students attending Swedish secondary schools, interviewing Harvard College applicants, and participating in college fairs, the Club works to encourage more youths in Sweden to attend Harvard. Through organizing talks by Harvard faculty visiting Sweden, cooperating with other American college clubs, arranging events with the American Chamber of Commerce, the club is, in fact, putting more Harvard into Sweden. Last, but certainly not least, the club hosts several social events including the festive Annual Dinner, Global Networking Night, watching the Harvard-Yale football game and afterwork happy hours.
If what you are most passionate about does not appear in our list of events, my hope is that you will get involved and put your stamp on the club. The Harvard Club of Sweden is its members and its success stems from all of you!
If you are reading this and have never attended an event, please don’t hesitate to join us. Joining our Harvard Club of Sweden Facebook group is a wonderful way to see what we are all about. If you would like to get involved, please feel free to get in touch with me or any of our board members.
I hope to see you soon at upcoming HCS events!
Mats Segerström
Harvard College '80
president@harvardclub.se