Smart Colleagues; Ideas and Fun

It is good to be back from vacation and to see that life at PRIO is swirling into its normal semester rhytm. Having started in a new job, I was less ready for a long detached break this summer than I normally am, being eager to get going. My holiday reading was varied, ranging from a pile of manuscripts (for the next issue of Comparative Social Research, which I am editing); the book S. by Slavenka Drakulic (on rape in the Bosnian wars, I will need to follow up with Inger on this); and the non-fiction book 'How to Lead Colleagues that are Smarter than Yourself' (in Danish: Sådan leder du medarbejdere, der er klogere en dig selv). The reading of the book does not indicate a sudden realization of something I was unaware of, it was purchased soon after I was offered the job as Director. And, like then, this is a challenge I am very much looking forward to.

In just a couple of weeks, we are off to Hankö, to discuss PRIO’s next strategy. Today, the Strategy Committee has met to start finetuning the program. We are looking forward to two very good days in Hankø. The ambition is not only to foster brilliant new ideas for what PRIO should do and how it should do it, equally important we shall have fun while doing it! So far, 52 people have confirmed their participation, including a good delegation from the Cyprus Centre. With so many smart colleagues, playful innovation should come about easily. I am looking forward to it!