About Hans Bergström

The Swedish editor, political scientist and writer Hans Bergström has for decades been an influential participant in the public arena in Sweden, both in his writings and through his contributions in government, media leadership, academic institutions and private enterprise.

Hans Bergström is a Swedish editor and political scientist. He was born in Norra Ny in Värmland County, close to the Norwegian border, on 13 May 1948, as the son of Nils A. Bergström and Gunnel Bergström. Since 2001, he is married to Barbara Bergström, founder of the International English Schools. The couple resides in the United States since 2003. Hans Bergström has a dual citizenship Swedish/American.

want to contact Hans? email him at bergstrom_hans@hotmail.com.

Hans Bergström graduated from the Torsby Läroverk (upper secondary school) in 1967, winning the national award that year for best student essay in Sweden. He earned his “fil.kand” (Bachelor´s degree) at the University of Karlstad/Göteborg, with a combination of political science, economics, statistics and economic geography.  1987, he presented his doctoral theses in political science at the University of Stockholm: “Rivstart – om övergången från opposition till regering” (“Hitting the ground running – on the transition from opposition to governing”). In 2000, he was appointed “docent” (associate professor) in political science at the University of Göteborg. Dr. Bergström spent the year 2000-2001 as a visiting researcher at Stanford and at Harvard.

During the 1970s, Hans Bergström worked in politics as the personal assistant and speech writer for three liberal party leaders, in parliament and in government. Previously, he had spent years in youth politics, and as vice chairman of the Liberal Youth Movement in Sweden. During the governments of Fälldin I, Ullsten and Fälldin II, Hans Bergström worked in the Labor department, the Prime Minister´s Office and the Foreign Ministry.

In 1980, Hans Bergström left politics to become editor of Nerikes Allehanda in Örebro, the leading regional newspaper (liberal since 1843). In 1987, he was recruited to the editorial board of the leader page of Dagens Nyheter (DN) in Stockholm. There he advanced to political editor and, from 1995, Editor in Chief. After his research year in the US, Dr. Bergström returned to Dagens Nyheter in the spring of 2001, now as sole editor of the newspaper. During his years at DN, Hans Bergström advocated quality journalism. He placed particular emphasis on informing readers about advances in research, like the biomedical revolution. He also played a major role in the debate on education in Sweden, criticizing the dominant “feel good curriculum”, in favor of a stronger focus on knowledge and a school environment of discipline and order. After leaving the position in 2003, to move to the US, Hans Bergström continued as a columnist in DN up till 2012.

During the 1970s, Hans Bergström was a member of the government commission leading up to the first anti-discrimination law in Sweden. He was also a member for the Liberal party on the commission on “löntagarfonder”. 2007-2009, he was appointed a member of the government´s “Globalization commission” and wrote its first report concerning strengthening support for research in Sweden.

Dr. Bergström has also contributed to several independent studies and think tanks. Among them can be mentioned a major project on how to preserve and promote the Swedish medical industry (with the final report “Medicine for Sweden”, 2009). Hans Bergström is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) since 2000 and functioned as deputy chairman of its section for education and research. Every year since 2014, IVA selects a Swedish journalist to be honored with “The Hans Bergström award for scientific journalism”, in partnership with The Hans and Barbara Bergstrom Foundation, the US Foundation established by the Bergström couple.

During 2007-2010, Hans Bergström was a member of the board of the Karolinska Institutet. At about the same time, he also took the initiative to the organization Forska!Sverige (Research!Sweden), modeled after its US sister organization Research!America. The purpose of Forska!Sverige is to advance the conditions for Swedish medical research and innovation.

From 2003, the main focus for Dr. Bergström has been to help develop Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES) into a leading European quality school organization for bilingual learning, together with his wife Barbara Bergström. She founded IES in 1993 after the free school system was introduced in Sweden. In the fall of 2021, IES operates 43 schools in Sweden with over 30 000 students, mainly at the middle school level. In addition, IES also owns and operates seven private schools in Spain with about 5000 students.

Barbara och Hans Bergström. (Foto: Ekerlids förlag.)
Barbara and Hans Bergström. (Photo: Ekerlids förlag.)

 

want to contact Hans? email him at bergstrom_hans@hotmail.com.