Top researcher 'too old' to work in Sweden
Published: 22 Sep 09 11:18 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/22220/20090922/
Award-winning professor Jan Åke Gustafsson of the world-renowned Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm is set to quit Sweden due to rules that force him to retire at 67.
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On Monday he was awarded the 2009 Fernströms Great Nordic Prize, a one million kronor ($146,000) award, for ground-breaking research in the area of nuclear receptors, research that stands to benefit millions of patients afflicted by a variety of diseases ranging from depression to prostate cancer.
Next summer, however, Gustafsson turns 67, an age at which Swedish law dictates that researchers must begin to cut back on their hours.
"I can't believe it," he told the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper.
"It feels as though I still have much more to give."
Since January of this year, Gustafsson has devoted much of his time to establishing a new, $30 million researcher centre in the United States at the University of Houston in Texas.
And he doesn't expect his advancing age to be an issue for his colleagues in the United States.
"During the whole decision making process in Houston, not a single person has asked how old I am," he told SvD.
"It's irrelevant there. The only thing that counts is competence."
In the years to come, Gustafsson hopes to establish a scientific bridge between Karolinska Institutet and the University of Houston, but will remain in the United States to avoid being "pushed to the side", a fate which awaits many Emeritus professors in Sweden after reaching a certain age.
"When I got the offer from Houston, it seemed like an offer I couldn't refuse. I would love to continue my research as long as I can, and to help ensure that the knowledge we attain is put to good use," he told the newspaper.
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As long as you are productive, I don't see a problem but many older researchers are not, and having an age cap at least forces them out, while older, productive researchers will always find a way to keep their science as a priority.
Midiocrity at work seems to be the norm in most jobs in Sweden. "Good enough for a goverment job" is the attitude. When you are good at what you do they get rid of you.
Then I learned the truth. Retirement was created to FORCE older people from the workforce so younger workers could get a chance for employment!
Once again I think this LOCAL NEWS article is a little short on information.
I am confused by what retirement actually means here because this article says "67, an age at which Swedish law dictates that researchers must begin to cut back on their hours."
What does "cut back" actually mean?
Does it mean he will ONLY be paid for a certain amount of HOURS WORKED per week? For example, does it mean he can continue to work his normal 75 hours each week but he will only be paid for 30 of those hours? Or does it mean that after 30 hours, the authorities will kick him out of the building?
I do not see what the problem is with his "forced retirement". People like him will continue to work until they are either mentally or physically are dead! It sounds like retirement will NOT FORCE him NOT TO WORK anymore, it just means he will not get paid for the extra work he is doing.
NEED MORE INFO!
Seem to remember they were highly critical of SNUS as causing an increase in mouth and pancreatic cancers. That type of irresponsible pseudo-scientific (Gov opinion only) flap could destroy a good source of government revenues.
That'll get'em fired for sure!!!
As for those like Mister E who are posting that older people should have forced retirement, you're living proof of the old expression "youth is wasted on the young.' Men like this have forgotten more than you will ever know and as long as they have their brain power we need them more than you.
Sounds like a classic case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.
There's a good reason why the term "respect your elders" exists. They are the ones with the knowledge. If we refuse to benefit from that then we are hopelessly ignorant, and deserve to remain that way.
He is a brilliant researcher.
If he can still bring in massive research grants and perform good research, he should be allowed to work.