My last input this week as a rookie blogger is more of a reflection on the “job” as GA at the ITM School. What most of you don’t know is that the assignment as GA at ITM should correspond to 40 %, i.e. two work days a week. It is thus not a full time job if anyone thinks so. I am also responsible for a number of PhD students, I teach several courses, handles a couple of international tasks and collaborations, attends board meetings, holds invited talks at conferences and so on, just like any other professor at ITM. Today, for example, I am on the evaluation board of a PhD at the school of Chemical engineering. This means that my calendar is permanently filled, every day, all the time. Sometimes it’s a mess. This will inevitably lead to double or even triple bookings and one has to prioritize one meeting over another, all the time, making some people disappointed or even irritated now and then. A lot of preparations for lectures and meeting have to be done in weekends or evenings. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all supporting people in our organization that make my work life bearable. Without the great staff at our student office with Andreas in the lead it would be impossible and without our assistant GA, Catharina it would also be impossible. I would also like to thank our PA´s for the 5yr programs that takes on a big responsibility to maintain quality and relevance through constant change and development. I guess we all need a break for x-mas and right now I think I need it more than anyone else.
/ Per Lundqvist, GA