Helen Köpman works at the European Commission’s AI Office in Brussels. For more than 20 years, she has worked with research issues and innovation at EU level, where she has contributed to an increasingly connected and digital Europe. Her current focus is on how AI models can create smart and environmentally sustainable cities. A living planet for coming generations is her driving force.
”Helen Köpman’s career is testament to the wide application of a degree from LiU and gives hope for the future through technical solutions that benefit humanity,” is the jury’s citation for the Alumna of the Year Award 2026.
Jesper Svartz is an alumnus of the Secondary School Teacher Programme in Chemistry/Mathematics and the Doctoral Programme in Medical Cell Biology. Performing demonstrations and drawing parallels with real life, writing on the whiteboard and not allowing students to make notes on their PCs during classes – these are his tips for becoming a good chemistry teacher. His students on the specialised programme at Berzeliusskolan in Linköping have won the Svenska Kemisamfundet Chemistry Olympics six years running.
”Jesper Svartz’s commitment to the chemistry subject and to the development of each student makes for national successes and inspires the next generation of natural scientists and engineers to study further,” reads the jury’s citation for the Alumnus of the Year Award.
Each year, Linköping University names two Alumni of the Year to recognise the contributions and commitment of previous students. (The word “alumni” is Latin and simply means “previous students”.)
