Alumna of the Year: Anne Haglund-Morrissey from the European Commission
Anne Haglund-Morrissey, deputy head of unit at the European Commission, has been named Alumna of the Year by Linnaeus University. With a background in European studies and political science, she works on shaping the EU’s research policy.
Anne graduated from the European administration programme at the former Växjö University in 1997 and went on to complete a master’s degree in political science. After several years as a lecturer and researcher at the university, she moved to Brussels in 2008 to work at the European Commission. She is now deputy head of unit for Democracy, Equality and Culture at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.
“I have an incredibly exciting job that directly connects to my earlier studies at Linnaeus University. At the European Commission in Brussels, I help shape EU policy on research and innovation. Among other things, my unit is responsible for ensuring that the EU’s research policy and programmes contribute to strengthening democracy in Europe, improving our preparedness to address the growing democratic challenges we see both within the EU, in its neighbourhood and globally, and for promoting more active citizenship in Europe,” says Haglund-Morrissey, adding:
“It is incredibly rewarding to work with colleagues from all corners of Europe and to be part of the EU’s policymaking process.”
Inspiring EU careers
The Alumna (or Alumnus) of the Year award is presented to a former student of Linnaeus University who has made outstanding achievements in their career or distinguished themselves in a way that the university wishes to recognise.
In its statement, Linnaeus University commends Haglund-Morrissey for inspiring others to pursue careers within the EU:
“During her many years in Brussels, Haglund-Morrissey has annually welcomed political science students during their study visits to the city and spoken about the important work of the European Commission. Swedes are currently seriously underrepresented within EU institutions, and through the inspiration of Haglund-Morrissey and other Swedes working in Brussels, we hope that more Linnaeus University students will be encouraged to apply for work within the EU after completing their studies.”
“As a student, I was drawn to Växjö by the opportunity to combine European studies with political science and to study and do an internship abroad. This gave me a solid foundation for my subsequent academic career and my work with policy development at the European Commission,” Haglund-Morrissey concludes.