On 15 October, a delegation travelled from Umeå University to Brussels to take part in meetings and discussions on highly topical issues regarding the EU. The idea behind the trip is for the Umeå delegation to get a more in-depth understanding of EU processes, and the importance of University applications for European research funding in the future.
During their stay, meetings will take place not least with North Sweden, which is the Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties direct link to the EU, and the European University Association (EUA), which is an interest organisation for the European universities.
"Researchers at Umeå University are currently not applying enough to grants from the EU, and we want to figure out why. This in order to give researchers better opportunities for applying in the future," says Agneta Hånell Planboeck, EU expert at the External Relations Office at Umeå University.
Agneta Hånell Plamboeck points out that Umeå University has the ambition to become one of Sweden's leading universities and strengthen its international position. But if this ambition is to be realised, the underlying criteria first need to be revised and Umeå University must increase its applications for European research funding, as well as improve the standard of these applications.
Agneta Hånell Plamboeck has been a driving force in the process of planning the Brussels trip, which according to her was a rather tricky task:
"To enable a trip of this kind, the dates needed to suit everyone's busy schedules, which was easier said than done, but we made it," she says.
The programme of the trip also included a visit to the European Parliament.
The Umeå University delegation consists of:
- Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor
- Katrine Riklund, Pro-Vice-Chancellor
- Heidi Hansson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of education
- Dieter Müller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of research
- Caroline Sjöberg, University Director
- Per Ragnarsson, Deputy University Director
- Marie Bixo, pro dean of the Faculty of Medicine
- Åsa Karlsson Sjögren, dean of the Faculty of Arts
- Ruth Mannelqvist, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences
- Mikael Elofsson, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology
- Agneta H. Plamboeck, EU expert at the External Relations Office
Text: Markus Välimaa, Translation: Anna Lawrence