A new year gives us the pleasure of welcoming new students to Umeå University. In one year, we normally welcome around 14,000 new students to start their studies here. A majority of those start in the autumn semester, but many of them also join us for the first time in the spring semester. I hope that everyone who starts studying with us will find their way into studies and will enjoy their time here.
Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor.
Photo: Mattias Pettersson
As 2024 starts, severe armed conflicts are sadly still raging in several places around the world and the geopolitical situation is tense. I sincerely hope that this year will bring a ceasefire to these conflicts.
What else could we possibly expect from the year ahead? In politics, a number of inquiries have been launched that may affect universities. If the Swedish Government chooses to implement the outcome of the inquiries, that is. One inquiry that has already been completed is the so-called Fofin investigation into a new structure for funding research and innovation (see Swedish Government Official Reports 2023:59). This investigation is currently open for comments and Umeå University is finalising our statement to be submitted at the end of January.
University Director Hans Wiklund has led an inquiry into coordinating work to ensure more places for clinical training for nursing programmes, and its final report is due in February. Further inquiries are also looking into teacher and pre-school teacher educations, and the social work programme. These will be reported later this year.
Two issues that were frequently discussed in the media last year also resulted in additional inquiries. The requirement for some research to undergo ethical review and how to revise the requirement to report for prosecution as far as ethical review supervision goes are now being investigated. The results of that work will be reported after the summer. How universities can increase their security competency was investigated last autumn and the results will be presented to the Government shortly. This investigation will also form basis for what competencies university board members need to have when it comes to security, and will form part of the process of appointing new board members for the shortened terms of office that run out at the end of September this year.
Towards the end of the year, we can expect the Government to hand over the research and innovation bill to the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). Umeå University submitted a comprehensive comment to the Government's proposal, and we are anxious to learn what form research policy will take and what priorities will be made for the upcoming five-year period.
Currently, our colleagues are working intensively to complete a joint application to the European University Initiative (EUI) to form a university alliance. This is our third attempt to apply with the AcrossEU consortium and, this time, only new alliances are eligible to apply. We are sincerely hoping that the University, at the start of July, will be able to celebrate the achievement of entering into a European University Initiative alliance together with our colleagues around Europe. Let's hope the third time is the charm!
Last year's process of producing prioritised research areas resulted in three interdisciplinary research fields at Umeå University. In early February, these three fields will be presented including their future aspirations. This takes place in conjunction with this year's Kunskapsnoden event. It will be really exciting to see these areas take shape in the years to come.
In 2024, the University will launch a new work environment and equal opportunities organisation. Karin Röding, who investigated the University's handling of misconduct, suggested in her report that work environment and equal opportunities should be handled within one joint organisational structure. In 2023, Ulrika Haake further looked into how this could be organised. We have now decided on a joint organisation that will ensure that the work environment and equal opportunities of both students and employees will be taken into account. This also means that we have ticked off the last proposal that Karin Röding presented in her report.
To conclude this blog post, I would like to pay attention to the fact that yet another of last year's laureates who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics will pay us a visit soon. On 15 February, Professor Anne L'Huillier from Lund University will visit Umeå University and you are all welcome to Aula Nordica to listen to her lecture.
2024 indeed looks like an exciting year with lots to look forward to.