Karin Markides is Director of the Swedish Scientific Council for Sustainable Development. She was President and CEO of Chalmers University of Technology between 2006 and 2015. She has previously taught and conducted research at Stockholm University, Brigham Young University and Uppsala University. As part of her broad international experience, she held a guest professorship at Stanford University in the US. She tutored more than 30 PhD students and published over 250 scientific articles. As of 1999 and 1992 respectively, she is a member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

Between, April 2004 and August 2006, Karin Markides held the position of Deputy Director General at Vinnova, a state agency that finances research and innovation for sustainable development. She also has been board member of several high tech start-up companies in the US and the Swedish Research Council Committee for Research Infrastructure as well as acted as a board member of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research. During 2007 to 2009 Karin Markides was a member of the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the European Chemical Industry. She was the only representative from the academia.

Since 2009 Karin Markides holds the chair of CESAER – The Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research – a non-profit-making international association of the leading European Universities of Technology, Engineering Colleges and Schools, cooperating on policy issues.