All set for year 2

With many new people coming into leading positions, the beginning of last autumn was devoted to getting to know each other, getting acquainted with the tasks at hand, and coordinating work processes. Besides new Section Deans, new chairs of the Educational Board of Science (NUN), and the Educational Board of Engineering (TUN) were also appointed. Quite a flying start, but still manageable for the Vice-Rector.

“Right from the very start, I have had a lot of support from management, as well as the University Administration and the departments. All of them – new and experienced – have also come in with great energy and new thoughts and ideas and eager to try to make improvements,” says Platzer Björkman.

“I think a feature of this first year has been how well the Faculty Board, Faculty management and the heads of department group have functioned. Everyone has been cooperative, solutions-oriented, creative and shown a positive attitude.”

Impact of external factors

But it has also been a year of world-changing events that have affected the University’s daily operations. According to the Vice-Rector, war, climate change and economic crisis will also leave their mark in future operational planning. The Swedish Government’s autumn budget and research bills will provide important guidelines for this planning.

“We have provided various input because in our view we have a lot to contribute, and in a variety of ways. This year, we have been in close dialogue with ministers, funding bodies, and technology companies, and emphasised how critical it is to curb the erosion of funding for education that is occurring. We have also highlighted what’s needed to conduct research in science and technology that excels on the international stage. Research infrastructures in particular are critical in many areas.”

Multiple major evaluations

At the moment, the Faculty is evaluating the funding allocation model for basic education and in parallel is reviewing the base funding for the Faculty’s research programmes. All while the Faculty has also begun the major project of the Quality and Renewal research evaluation (Q&R24) during the year. At the beginning of October, the Faculty will welcome the members of the external assessment panels. Their task will be to evaluate basic data and the Faculty's self-evaluations, and to assess the quality of current research.

The assessment panels will also interview representatives from the Faculty’s departments and programmes in order to identify opportunities and submit proposals for development that will inform future investment and organisational changes.

How far has the Faculty come in its preparations for the Q&R24 panels’ visit?

“The planning is on track, but in a few cases we will need to replace a panel member who has been forced to pull out at a late stage. It will certainly be an intensive week for the Faculty, and I am very much looking forward to hearing the panels’ views and reflections. We aim to be a top university on the international stage, and feedback from internationally sourced panels to assess our research as a whole provides valuable support for our work internally.”

Valuable contributions to research initiatives

This past year, the Faculty has also had a number of successes to celebrate, including record-high outcomes in the Swedish Research Council’s 2023 major call for proposals, the establishment of four interdisciplinary centres of excellence, and grants to fourteen Wallenberg Scholars, five of whom are newly appointed. The Wallenberg programmes WISE and DDLS have awarded grants and funding for new positions in the Faculty, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research has funded a new centre for strategic metals and minerals at the Faculty, and Vinnova’s positive evaluation of some of the competence centres at the Faculty has resulted in additional five years of funding.

“Along with Chalmers University of Technology and Lund University, we also received new permanent government funding for battery research and more courses dealing with the shift towards electrification, which is a unique initiative.

But it’s too easy to just look at funding, says the Vice-Rector.

“What’s most important is the results and the work underpinning those results – the competence that is being built up. That is our real contribution to the community.”

Faculty attractive to students and collaboration partners

The autumn’s application for admission statistics also show positive figures for the Faculty. The number of first-choice applicants to Teknat overall has increased by 13 per cent compared to the 2023 autumn semester. The Master of Science in Engineering programmes alone have shown an 18 per cent increase. Most popular is the Master’s Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management with 510 applicants, an increase of 26 per cent. Among the Bachelor of Science in Engineering programmes, the Bachelor’s Programme in Nuclear Engineering has increased the most, going from 13 to 34 applicants from 2023.

“It’s great that our programmes are attractive to students, and I also believe that the national discussion about the broad need for STEM skills has had an impact on this year’s application for admission figures,” says Charlotte Platzer Björkman.

The Vice-Rector also highlights the positive effects on the Faculty’s education and research derived from the Faculty’s many strategic partnerships, which have enhanced networks and opportunities for collaboration. During the year, several new partnerships were started, most recently with the steel company Alleima. Together with Chalmers University of Technology and Lund University, the Faculty has also launched an industry council involving four business partners: Volvo Cars, Northvolt, Scania and AB Volvo. This council is linked to the Government’s battery initiative, whose working group is led by Professor Kristina Edström.

New University-wide initiative

Soon a new research initiative will also see the light of day. Uppsala University Future Institutes (UUniFI) is a University-wide initiative by the Vice-Chancellor. It includes the Centre for Sustainable Transformations, which will open in autumn 2024. It will be followed by five institutes, one in the field of the green energy transition and led by the Faculty of Science and Technology.

“The coming year will be an exciting one. Of course there are challenges, but with all of the Faculty’s competent and committed staff and students, I’m feeling confident about our future work together.”

Anneli Björkman