Christian Berger to lead the WASP Graduate School from 2027

Christian Berger has been appointed Co-Director of the WASP Graduate School and will take over as Graduate School Director from January 1, 2027. He succeeds Daniel Axehill, who is moving on to new assignments at Linköping University.

During the transition period, Christian Berger and Daniel Axehill will share the leadership of the graduate school. Christian is a professor of computer science at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, jointly run by Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg.

“I am grateful to have been appointed as new Director of the WASP Graduate School and to have been given the chance to contribute to the WASP community in this managerial role. WASP has grown substantially since its launch a decade ago and has succeeded to establish a growing academic community among PhD students, faculty, and industry, which is well recognized also outside Sweden and Europe. Supporting WASP on its mission is a great chance – especially in the current phase where science and society at large are facing a rapid technological change”, says Christian Berger.

Looking ahead, Berger emphasizes continuity, collaboration and a smooth handover.

“As I am not unknown to WASP and the graduate school in particular, I am looking forward to return in a managerial role to a fantastic group of people and to be part of a team whose work is both important and inspirational at the same time. I am happy to work side-by-side with Daniel until the end of the year and with the great colleagues at the WASP Program Office to allow for a smooth transition. I am already excited to welcome new PhD students and colleagues at the Winter Conference 2027”.

Christian Berger has extensive experience of the graduate school. He has previously served as a representative in the WASP Graduate School Management and also helped establish the graduate school after the launch of WASP, where he has helped develop course curricula and organize several of the graduate school’s study trips.

His first assignment as Director will be to welcome around 100 new doctoral students at the WASP Winter Conference on January 12-14, 2027, in Örebro.

Daniel Axehill on his time as Graduate School Director

Daniel Axehill joined the WASP Graduate School Management as a member in 2018, was appointed Graduate School Co-Director in August 2023, and has served as Graduate School Director since February 2024. He is now taking on new assignments at Linköping University.

For Axehill, the role has been defined not only by the work itself, but by the people and relationships formed along the way. He reflects:

“I have really enjoyed the role, in particular meeting all fantastic people in WASP, including students, management colleagues, and colleagues at the WASP Program Office. So, beyond building a professional network, I have also made many new friends. It’s a large organization, so success is truly a result of teamwork, involving all the people mentioned above, but also the teachers and supervisors. The success of the graduate school is because of all these people and their contributions”.