The Axel Johnson Group supports the Stockholm School of Economics’ initiative in in-depth learning

Thanks to a close partnership and a donation of SEK 50 million from the Axel Johnson Group, the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) will be launching the Antonia Ax:son Johnson Tutorial Program, the largest ever initiative in education and personal development in the history of the Stockholm School of Economics. The donation is the only one of its kind in Sweden, where most public and private funding is usually spent on research and not education.

Starting in the autumn of 2018, undergraduate students on the School’s Retail Management program will be given the opportunity to enhance the depth of their learning by meeting a senior researcher on an ongoing basis to discuss current topics and their own development. The program has been inspired by universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and the US liberal arts colleges, and continues SSE’s tradition of high-density learning and close contact between students and faculty. Thanks to the donation, SSE can now advance its teaching a step further, offering students individual training in independent and analytical thinking and improving their communicative capacity.

“This is the largest individual educational initiative in the history of the Stockholm School of Economics. It will further strengthen the Retail Management program, making it a powerful engine for educational development throughout the School,” says Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics.

"The Antonia Ax:son Johnson Tutorial Program is a unique opportunity to combine academic rigor, practical relevance, and personal development", says Sara Rosengren, Professor in Retailing and Head of the school’s Center for Retailing. "This will provide our bachelor students with opportunities to gain a more profound understanding of how academic knowledge can be applied in a changing world." 

“Swedish and international retail companies are a strong force for development in Sweden and around the world. Within retail, we need employees with in-depth academic knowledge, an open understanding of the external community and broad perspectives. For this reason, we seek to expand our partnership with the Center for Retailing with an educational initiative in interactive learning and deeper dialogue between teachers and students. I am pleased to contribute to an important step in the School’s development of future retail employees,” says Antonia Ax:son Johnson.

Today, the Stockholm School of Economics’ undergraduate program in Retail Management is one of the few academic educational programs in the world in which companies, students and faculty are integrated into the educational approach of the program. Academic theories are confronted with companies’ challenges, creating a unique learning environment strongly based in reality.

About the Center for Retailing

The Center for Retailing (CFR) at the Stockholm School of Economics sets out to strengthen the competitiveness of the Swedish retail industry through academic education and research. CFR’s vision is to be a top tier European retail center and to be recognized as a global benchmark for industry collaboration and thought leadership in retailing. This includes acting as a role model when it comes to integrating companies’ challenges into both education and research.

For further information, please contact:

Lars Strannegård, President
Stockholm School of Economics
Phone: +46 708 117573
lars.strannegard@hhs.se

Kerem Yazgan
EVP Communications
Axel Johnson
+46702892999
kerem.yazgan@axeljohnson.se

Sara Rosengren, Professor
Head of the SSE Center for Retailing and holder of the ICA Retailers’ Chair in Business Administration, especially Retailing

+46-8-736 9567
sara.rosengren@hhs.se