Skytte Donation History
In 1622, Johan Skytte donated land and property to establish a professorship in Eloquentia et Politices (Latin for eloquence and politics) at Uppsala University. At the time, Europe was engulfed in war, with Sweden emerging as one of the major powers on the continent. Recognizing this, Johan Skytte understood that Sweden required a new class of well-educated civil servants and diplomats. These individuals needed training in the art of political negotiation and eloquence to solidify Sweden's newfound position on Europe's political map. The Skytte chair would provide this training in perpetuity.
1622: Johan Skytte donated land and property to establish a professorship in politics and eloquence at Uppsala University.
1979: The eleventh patron of the Johan Skytte donation, Nils-Axel Mörner, establishes the Skytte Foundation to manage the donation.
1994: The Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science in founded by the Skytte Foundation and funded directly by the donation.
2022: The 400 anniversary of the donation and the Johan Skytte chair is celebrated.
2024: The Johan Skytte Prize celebrates its 30th jubilee.
Skytte Prize Laureates
Prize Committee
The prize committee selects the prize laureates based on nominations from the political science community.
Li Bennich-Björkman
Johan Skytte Professor in Political Science and Eloquence at Uppsala University and chair of the committee
Lise Rakner
Professor, University of Bergen
Jan Teorell
Lars Johan Hierta Professor of Political Science, Stockholm University
