Professorship at Lund University, Sweden

[CWL]

In this week's newsletter (http://www.randi.org/jr/091203.html) Randi reports that Lund University will be appointing northern Europe's first "professor of parapsychology, hypnology and clairvoyance".

This is not entirely correct (not surprisingly, the named source - Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet (http://www.aftonbladet.se) - is after all a tabloid).

The position (which reportedly has been privately funded) is announced here (http://personalserver.pers.lu.se/document/2505.pdf). It is a professorship in Psychology, involving studies in parapsychology and hypnology. High scientific credentials are required.

I have had some contact with an official of Swedish skeptical society Vetenskap och Folkbildning (http://www.folkvett.nu), which monitors the development surrounding the new professorship, and I have been advised that amongst others, Dr. Richard Wiseman (http://www.psy.herts.ac.uk/pwru/RWHomepage.html) has applied to the position.

I think it would be a very interesting development if a skeptic was appointed. Judging by the specification given in the University's announcement I believe that will undoubtedly be the case.

[CWL]

Mr. Jesper Jerkert of the Swedish skeptical society Vetenskap och Folkbildning ("VoF") - of which I am a proud member by the way - has published a list of some of the applicants to the professorship on their website:

http://www.physto.se/~vetfolk/aktuellt.html

There are thirty applicants in total, whereof fifteen have (or claim to have) a doctor's degree (which is a requirement). These are:

Richard Wiseman, well known skeptic and professor at University of Hertfordshire, UK.
Deborah Delanoy, former president of the Parapsychological Association and professor at University of Northampton, UK.
Etzel Cardeña, professor at University of Texas–Pan American, USA.
Carl Johan Calleman, Falun, Sweden, biologist, has written several books on the Maya calendar during the past years.
Joop Houtkooper, department of clinical and physiological psychology, University of Giessen, has experience of studies within parapsychology.
Christer Johansson, Malmö, Sweden, VoF has not been able to obtain any information regarding this applicant.
Sakari Kallio, researcher on hypnosis at the University College of Skövde, Sweden.
Heaven Lord, USA, probably a joke.
Robert Pallbo, Copenhagen, Denmark, researcher on cognition.
Adrian Parker, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has done research within parapsychology since the 70's.
Gunnar Rosén, who runs his own hypnosis clinic in Risskov, Denmark.
Sverker Sikström, Lund, Sweden, researcher on cognition.
Harald Walach, Basel, mostly known for research on homeopathy.
Uwe Wolfradt, Halle, Sweden, personality psychologist, author of articles on déjà vu, out-of-body experiences and suggestion.
Andreas Önnerfors, Lund, Sweden, who apparently wrote his doctoral thesis in 2003 on the subject of "Swedish Pomerania - Cultural Meetings and Identification 1720-1815".

[xouper]

CWL: There are thirty applicants in total, whereof fifteen have (or claim to have) a doctor's degree (which is a requirement). These are:

Carl Johan Calleman, Falun, Sweden, biologist, has written several books on the Maya calendar during the past years.Have you read his latest book on the Mayan Calendar? I think it's safe to say they should skip this applicant.

[CWL]

Originally posted by xouper
Have you read his latest book on the Mayan Calendar? I think it's safe to say they should skip this applicant.

Nope. Pray do elaborate.