Kennedy School establishes Anna Lindh Professorship

The Kennedy School of Government (KSG) recently named a new endowed professorship in global leadership and public policy in memory of Anna Lindh, the late foreign minister of Sweden, who was murdered one year ago. The Anna Lindh Professorship will promote advanced scholarship, teaching, research, and outreach from a leading member of KSG’s faculty.

“I am honored to announce the creation of the Anna Lindh Professorship of Global Leadership and Public Policy, the first endowed faculty position of my deanship,” said KGS Dean David Ellwood. “The Anna Lindh Professorship will not only memorialize her contributions to European politics, international diplomacy, and global human rights advocacy – and that of her country, Sweden – but also highlight the importance of her courageous and straightforward approach to problem solving designed to meet her highest standards,” Ellwood added.

Lindh became president of her Social Democratic youth club at the age of 12, becoming a local councilor at 20. In 1984 she became the first woman president of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League. From 1991 to 1994, Lindh served as deputy mayor of Stockholm, and then as Sweden’s minister for the environment from 1994 to 1998. She was minister of foreign affairs until her tragic death following a knife attack in September 2003. The popular Lindh was generally seen as one of the prime candidates to succeed Göran Persson as chairman of the Social Democratic Party and prime minister of Sweden.