20th anniversary of the Lighting Design and Technology programme

There were many hugs, conversations and reunions when 100 former lighting design students at JTH met at the Lighting Design and Technology programme's 20th anniversary on 9 June.

"Amazing to see so many people care about the education after 20 years," says Johan Röklander, Laboratory Technologist on the programme.

In addition to the 100 students from the Lighting Design and Technology programme's 20 years at JTH, 30 current students and about ten teachers also participated. "We meet former students all the time on study visits, study trips and fairs and we usually say that we must have a reunion. Now that it has been 20 years since the programme started, we thought it was a good opportunity to get together. The purpose is just to meet and have fun, without an agenda," says Johanna Glans, programme manager for the Lighting Design and Technology programme at JTH.

In addition to mingling and dinner, a number of lectures were on the schedule. One of the lecturers was the now retired lighting design teacher Lasse Vegehall.

"Everybody loves Lasse"

"All students love Lasse, his voice and storytelling technique, so he was certainly a draw for many," says Johanna Glans.

She says that the theme for the anniversary was sustainability because that is what everything revolves around in the lighting industry today. She thought it was great fun to meet her former students and recognized almost all of them. Carl Martinsson, who graduated from the Lighting Design programme 2007, thought that the 20th anniversary offered a wonderful nostalgia trip.

"It's a lot of fun, but you're terrified of not recognizing people, so it's good that we have name tags," he says, laughing.

'The Lighting University' has done me good"

Carl Martinsson emphasizes that the Lighting University" (Ljushögskolan), as the programme is called by many, has done him good. He got a job after his internship and today works as a lighting designer at Sweco Architects in Gothenburg.

"Being a lighting designer is a very creative profession. You get to create things, it's technical and a bit geeky, so it suits me well."

"Like a trade fair in mini format"

Johan Röklander described the 20th anniversary as a trade fair in mini format, which he would like to see continued in the future. Not every year, but now and then. He says that many alumni usually mention some lessons or labs that all lighting design students does at JTH.

"Almost everyone goes back to the first time they discovered certain phenomena in light and lighting design and it's fun to hear," he says.

Read more about the Lighting Design and Technology programme at JTH here Opens in new window. (in Swedish only).