Jenny Hedlund

International administrative officer
University of Gothenburg, Academy of Music and Drama

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
When I was 18 I moved to Gothenburg to study at Musikhögskolan, which was the name of our institution at that time. I wanted to become a teacher in music and Swedish, and apparently it was not cool enough for me to study up north in Piteå (not too far from my home town Skellefteå) where all my friends studied, so I ended up in Gothenburg. After my studies I found out that I wanted to do something else than to teach children (hm...after 5 years of studies), and started working at Volvo Cars and Volvo IT as a trainer in a purchasing system for several years. During my time there I took a two year part time course/program called "International project coordinator" to widen my perspectives.

I really like living in Gothenburg, well I actually live in Mölndal, with my husband and three kids, but it is quite close to Gothenburg so I can go by bike in 20-25 minutes to work. But I also, once in a while, long for the northern part of Sweden where I have my "roots". I continue my own music performance/practice by singing with a band, more for the fun of it than anything else. My piano playing is put on ice so to say. I play with my kids from time to time, mostly from a lovely old book with great songs for children which I used to sing with my father who played the piano, when I was a child.

WHAT IS YOUR PATH TO THE CURRENT POSITION?
After some years in the private sector I yearned for some connection again with music and performing art, and found a job at the Academy of Music and Drama as a coordinator for one of our music programs, which lead me to my current position as an international coordinator. I wanted to support our institution, students and teachers, to be able to meet, and learn from, other cultures and people from other countries.

WHAT IS YOUR PASSION IN YOUR JOB?
Though this job is full of paper work, it gives me great satisfaction and joy to see our students and teachers' happiness and engagement when having experienced something new, gotten new friends/networks from other countries and with a new "spark" for their artistic path. To get together and learn over borders, from other cultures, as well as work for inclusion, appeals to me very much. And I of course agree with what Leena wrote; "I love the international community of fellow IRC's".