January 07, 2022
Swedish ambassador to U.S. is the first Paul Simon Institute guest for 2022
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute begins its 2022 event schedule on Thursday, Jan. 13, with a virtual conversation with Karin Olofsdotter, Sweden’s ambassador to the United States.
Ambassador Olofsdotter will join John Shaw, institute director, at 9 a.m. Jan. 13 for a conversation via Zoom. They will discuss Sweden-U.S. relations, how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact global trade, and Olofsdotter’s career in government service.
The event is free and open to the public; registration is required to gain access to the Zoom webinar. Visit paulsimoninstitute.org/events to register.
Olofsdotter began her diplomatic career in 1994 when she entered the Swedish foreign service. Her first posting was in Sweden’s embassy in Moscow. She later was part of the Swedish delegation to NATO and served in her country’s mission to the European Union. She was chief of staff to three Swedish foreign ministers and served as second-in-command at the Swedish embassy in the U.S. for nearly three years.
She became the Swedish ambassador to the U.S. in 2017 after a three-year stint as her country’s ambassador to Hungary. She also served in Sweden’s government as director-general for trade.
“Ambassador Olofsdotter is an energetic, creative and constructive diplomat who skillfully represents Sweden in the United States,” Shaw said. “We are eager to learn about her work telling the story of Sweden in America and her assessment of the United States.”
This event is part of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s Understanding Our New World virtual conversation series with government and private sector leaders, policy experts, political analysts, authors and journalists.
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for the ambassador on their registration form or email questions to paulsimoninstitue@siu.edu.