When Lena Maria Nilsson opened a letter from the French embassy, she thought it was a Christmas greeting.
But it turned out to be a message that she had been knighted.
- I guess it's not something I dreamed of becoming.
I have no horse, no sword, and to be honest I did not really understand what that meant, she says to Kulturnyheterna.
Napoleon's order
Lena Maria Nilsson has previously collaborated with the French Embassy's research attachés, who are very interested in Arctic research, which is Lena Maria Nilsson's research area.
The award means that the French state appreciates the work she has done to highlight and promote collaborations between Sweden and French-speaking communities in Arctic research.
- It was Napoleon who founded odern, and I can imagine that at that time they wanted to challenge society and show that you can be a knight in a different way, not just with swords and horses, she says.
Sami knight
There are no clear obligations associated with the appointment, but Lena Maria Nilsson believes that she feels encouraged to develop relations with French-speaking research environments.
In addition, she is probably the first knight of her kind - a Sami knight.
- There is a network for knights in Sweden, but I have not contacted them yet.
We are not that many Sami in the academy, so I may be the first Sami knight, she says.
See more in the video.