It’s a cold Sunday afternoon and the ground is covered in a thin layer of snow. Anders Wittrup and fellow researcher Vinay Swaminathan are meeting with two of their children in the Stadsparken playground. While the children play together, their fathers discuss their latest published article.
“This is the only open relationship I have. Anders and I cheat on each other all the time, both inside and outside the centre. We find partners everywhere,” says Vinay Swaminathan.
It clicked over a dinner
He is a cancer researcher and one of those recruited from the US to the centre four years ago. He was paired with Anders Wittrup and already at the recruitment dinner they clicked. Since then, they have continued to discuss research, both in the office and after work, and often spend time socialising with each other’s families.
Nine of the ten preclinical researchers recruited to WCMM come from countries other than Sweden. They are all young, ambitious and at roughly the same stage in life. Together with their families, they have chosen to move to a new country and be paired with established Swedish researchers for cross-border collaboration. Academia can be a tough place to be and 95% of research attempts fail, says Vinay Swaminathan. A success story is someone succeeding 5% of the time. It’s about perseverance and patience. And not being alone.
Share their ups and downs
“For us, the centre is not only an academic platform, but also a career and social hub. The centre has become like family where we share our ups and downs with each other. You never feel alone, there is always someone who has been through the same thing. Instead of competing, we inspire and push each other forwards,” says Vinay Swaminathan.
He moved to Sweden with his family four years ago and has only been pleasantly surprised by Swedes, who he feels do not live up to the negative stereotypes of being reserved and cold. He has learned to love semlor buns, herring and liquorice, but sometimes finds Sweden’s long decision-making processes irritating.
Encourages collaboration
After a research post in the US, Anders Wittrup also knows what it is like to be new to a country and how much it means to be able to create a social network outside work. So, he was quick to invite Vinay Swaminathan and his family over for dinner the day after they arrived in Sweden. That evening has been followed by countless dinners and family gatherings.
“It has turned out better than I could have ever imagined. The centre has provided us with a large network and the environment encourages collaboration. That’s why we don’t just stick to our “pairs” in research. I think the fact that we spend time together outside of work contributes to the constant emergence of ideas about collaboration between people and disciplines, which is the modern way of conducting research these days,” concludes Anders Wittrup.
