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The Jan Söderberg Family Prize in Economics and Management

A prize worth SEK 1 million for outstanding and ground-breaking research, and a full day dedicated to popular science and interdisciplinary lectures in economics and management – this was the result of a generous donation from the Jan and Åsa Söderberg family to the Lund University School of Economics and Management.

The Jan Söderberg Family Prize in Economics and Management was awarded to three laureates on three different occasions between 2019 and 2022. The solemn prize ceremony was held in Lund and digitally, in junction with the then annually recurring popular science day ”Lund Economics and Management Day”.

About the Prize

The recipient of the prize was selected through international competition and proposed in a nomination process at the Lund University School of Economics and Management. The recipient was then appointed by a committee.

The Prize was awarded to a prominent researcher under the age of 50. The person has made a significant contribution to research in the field of economics and management. The work has innovated research and practice in the field.

The prize money was SEK 1 million. Most of it, 80 per cent, was intended to support the recipient’s research, primarily to enable the recipient to employ and engage younger researchers. The remainder of the money, 20 per cent, was for the recipient to use as (s)he pleased.

The Economics and Management Day

In conjunction with the Prize ceremony, we welcomed all who were interested to a day featuring inspiring talks at the Lund University School of Economics and Management. The Economics and Management Day was held in 2019, 2021 and 2022. 

In 2021 the Day was exclusively online and in 2022 it was held as a hybrid event. This makes it possible for us to access the content of these days afterwards. Note that most of the presentations are held in Swedish.

2022: ”Business av usual – or is it?” – Youtube.com

2021: ”Leadership of tomorrow” – Youtube.com

Prize recipients

Strategy professor Linus Dahlander (ESMT Berlin) is the third recipient of the Jan Söderberg Family Prize in Economics and Management. He seeks answers to questions such as: What success factors are the basis for optimal teamwork? What is it that makes a creative idea a real success for a company? And how can businesses work on open innovation with others to create value?

He visited Lund on 11 May 2022 to receive the prize, give a talk and participate in the Economics and Management Day.

Linus Dahlander's prize lecture: ”The future of open innovation” on Youtube

Professor Nathan Nunn is the second recipient of The Jan Söderberg Family Prize in Economics and Management. He asks questions such as: Why are societies and cultures different? Why are some more economically successful than others?

In his research, Nunn examines the effects that historical events and factors have on subsequent societal outcomes. The quantitative analysis includes the use of historical data, often from archival sources, or anthropological fieldwork, which are then linked to later outcomes.

The prize was awarded during a digital ceremony by the School of Economics and Management on 24 March 2021.

Nathan Nunn's prize lecture: ”Looking back and moving forward: The importance of history for economic development” on Youtube

Economics professor Marianne Bertrand (University of Chicago Booth School of Business) is the very first recipient of The Jan Söderberg Family Prize in Economics and Management. She addresses some of the most important and controversial issues of today, such as inequality, discrimination and sexism. Her research has an outstanding breadth and exemplifies the potential inherent in contemporary methods in social science.

The prize was awarded during a ceremony at the School of Economics and Management on 12 March 2019.

Marianne Bertrand's prize lecture: "Gender Inequality in the 21st Century" on Youtube

A man in his 60s holds his arm around a woman, his wife. She looks at him and smiles. Photo.
Jan and Åsa Söderberg. Photo: Håkan Röjder

About the donation

In 2018, the Jan and Åsa Söderberg family donated SEK 3 million to the Lund University School of Economics and Management, with SEK 1 million to be distributed each year. The purpose of the donation is the inauguration of a new prize in Economics and Management and to hold popular science lectures in economics and management in connection with the award ceremony.

“We have supported the School of Economics and Management in different ways for several years. We hope that the prize and the associated events will engage the entire school, its researchers and students, as well as the public. Through this, we want to help raise the profile of the School of Economics and Management in Sweden and hopefully internationally,” said Jan Söderberg when the Prize was announced in late June 2018.

The Lund University School of Economics and Management views the donation as a great opportunity to increase the School’s visibility regionally, nationally and internationally. The School is a leading force in the international research community within the field of Economics and Management and through the award it will attract attention in broad circles within and outside its own field of research. At the same time, it enables the School to be recognised and noted in ways that otherwise would not be possible.