Report on resource crisis in humanities and social sciences education and research
A report by the Dik trade union has compared the distribution of funds between different subjects nationally. The report notes that “the lack of funding is having major consequences for researchers and students, and ultimately for society.”
The trade union Dik has released the report "Att förstå och förklara samhället – en rapport om resurskrisen inom humanistisk och samhällsvetenskaplig forskning” (Understanding and explaining society – a report on the resource crisis in humanities and social sciences research).
The report shows:
- Government research funding is distributed very unevenly across disciplines. The programmes are also receiving fewer resources.
- Too few doctoral students are being trained in the humanities and social sciences to meet the future need for teachers in higher education.
- Senior lecturers in the humanities and social sciences need to devote more of their time to teaching.
- The lack of funding is creating stress and insecure employment conditions for researchers. This affects the work environment and makes it difficult to retain skilled staff.
- Society will suffer because researchers are less able to help understand and address the major challenges of our time, such as war and conflict, xenophobia, climate change, disinformation and the growing threats to democracy.
Anders Berndt