Uppsala University wants increased compensation for education
The University Board of Uppsala University has adopted the Annual Report 2024 and decided on the 2026–2028 budget submission to the Swedish government. Photo: Emma Wallskog
Uppsala University’s Annual Report shows that the University is continuing to grow. In the budget submission for the next three-year period, the University highlights what is required for its development to continue in a positive direction, including increased compensation for all education.
In the budget submission to the Government for the next three-year period, 2026–2028, Uppsala University highlights a number of issues. These include the need for higher levels of compensation for education. Funding for higher education has been eroded for a long time and it is a challenge to provide high quality education. For example, the new medical programme involves significantly higher costs than before. Compensation for some programmes has been increased, but an across-the-board increase in compensation for all programmes is needed to maintain quality.
The freestanding courses, which are essential parts of a broad university and play a major role for example in international exchanges and lifelong learning, also need to be safeguarded. Uppsala University requests a larger permanent funding agreement target.
Higher direct government funding for more excellent research
Uppsala University is in favour of many of the government’s proposals in the research and innovation policy bill. However, the bill perpetuates the great imbalance between direct government funding and external grants, with an increasingly large share going to external grants. Sweden needs a reorientation allocating a greater proportion of research funding directly to universities as unrestricted appropriations. This will provide better conditions for strategic innovation and for conducting excellent research.
Strengthening academic freedom
Furthermore, the work begun to strengthen academic freedom needs to continue, for example by reducing bureaucratisation, and by predicating future policy reforms on higher education institutions’ needs for self-determination and a long-term approach, so as to be able to take comprehensive responsibility for their operations.
For excellent research to continue, the direct government funding for research and doctoral education needs to be increased while being kept free from co-financing requirements. Sweden’s involvement in work at the EU level needs to be strengthened so that priority is given to research of the highest quality, including in the ERC in the current framework programme, Horizon Europe.
In addition, Uppsala University is of the view that the profit requirement for Akademiska Hus needs review. The University feels that the profit requirement should be reduced, and an upper limit placed on it.
Anders Berndt