Swedish Ambassador to Deliver 2019 McSwain-Walker Lecture
The Reves Center for International Studies has announced that Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S., will deliver the 2019 McSwain-Walker Lecture. Her talk, Sweden, the EU and the United States, will be held Thursday, October 3, at 4:00pm in Tucker Hall 127A, 350 James Blair Drive. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Her Excellency Karin Olofsdotter took up her post as Ambassador of Sweden to the United States on September 1, 2017.
Ambassador Olofsdotter has long been a strong advocate for Swedish trade and diplomatic relations with the United States. Trade and economic growth remain top priorities for the Ambassador, along with defense cooperation, public diplomacy, and strong collaboration with the international community.
H.E. Olofsdotter brings extensive experience in trade promotion to her current post. Prior to assuming the role as Ambassador, she served as Director-General for Trade at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Olofsdotter has also held the position of Deputy Director-General and Head of the Department for Promotion of Sweden, Trade and CSR.
Ambassador Olofsdotter is also an accomplished diplomat. Her career in the Foreign Service started in 1994 with her first posting to the Embassy of Sweden in Moscow. In the years following, she worked in security policy and defense issues as well as in numerous leadership posts within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, including serving as Chief of Staff for several of its Ministers.
H.E. Olofsdotter has served as part of the Swedish delegation to NATO as well as at the Swedish EU Representation in Brussels, working with European security policy and defense issues.
H.E. Olofsdotter has a strong affection for the United States, having lived, studied, and worked in different parts of the country: first as a high school exchange student, later, while at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and again during her different diplomatic postings to the country.
Ambassador Olofsdotter has a B.A. in psychology, economics and Russian. She studied at UCLA Anderson School of Management and speaks Russian, French and English. She is married and has a son and a daughter.
The annual McSwain-Walker lecture brings renowned scholars, artists, analysts and other notable public figures to William & Mary to speak on topics related to how other countries and cultures interact with the United States, and how the United States interacts with them.
The Reves Center for International Studies is the home of the office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Global Education Office, and the Office of International Students, Scholars, and Programs at William & Mary. Established in 1989 with a gift from Wendy Reves in memory of her husband Emery, author of The Anatomy of Peace, the Reves Center supports and promotes the internationalization of learning, teaching, research and community involvement at the university.
