"If Sweden is to keep its position at the cutting edge of international medical science, we must inspire young people’s interest in research," says KI president Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson. "So we’re now going to be focusing on children and young adults. The future of science in Sweden is in their hands."
"Kamratposten’s readers are an inquisitive and very creative breed, something they have in common with KI’s scientists and doctoral students," says Ola Lindholm, editor-in-chief of Kamratposten. "So it’s really great to be able to bring these two groups together."
KI’s cooperation with Kamratposten (KP) means that each month throughout 2010, prospective young scientists will be able to chat about medical issues with one of the university’s researchers or doctoral students on the KP website. The researchers and doctoral students will also be keeping a blog of their day-to-day work as scientists.
"This chance that our members are being given to be inspired by postgraduates from one of the world’s leading medical universities is wonderful, and will certainly pay off in the future," says Mr Lindholm. "From KP’s perspective, this project is also a unique opportunity for us to expand our website and magazine. KP has a long-standing tradition of being educational, and this will enhance this tradition."
There will also be the Junior Medicine Prize, where the young scientists, led by KI’s researchers and doctoral students, will ‚research‘ the answers to increasingly difficult questions to win the title of researcher of the month. At the end of the year, all monthly winners will be invited to Stockholm with their parents to receive the Junior Medicine Prize and to take a tour of Karolinska Institutet and Kamratposten.
"The greatest challenge will be answering their questions," says Asmundur Oddsson, the first doctoral student in the KP chat room. "Children often ask more difficult questions than adult scientists. We’ll be learning just as much as them!"
Download media images and video: http://ki.se/pressroom
For further information, contact:
Asmundur Oddsson, doctoral student
Tel: +46 (0)76-846 86 46
Email: asmundur.oddsson@ki.se
Ola Lindholm, editor-in-chief of Kamratposten
Tel: +46 (0)8-736 53 00
Email: ola.lindholm@kp.bonnier.se
KI President via press officer Sabina Bossi
Tel: +46 (0)8-524 860 66 or +46 (0)70-614 60 66
Email: sabina.bossi@ki.se
Find out more about the 2010 jubilee year at www.ki.se/200
Karolinska Institutet is one of the leading medical universities in Europe. Through research and education, Karolinska Institutet contributes to improving human health. Each year, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. For more information, visit ki.se.
(idw, 01/2010)