Uppsala University: Mission, Goals and Strategies

“Uppsala University: Mission, Goals and Strategies is intended to enhance the University’s status as a globally leading higher education institution, its position in society and to continually renew itself so as to meet present and future challenges.”

“A lot of work has gone into the new document and many people need to be thanked for their efforts! The Mission, Goals and Strategies document describes the University’s direction and ambitions in both the short and long term. The document will now be made more concrete at various levels, which will require participation and creativity on the part of both students and staff. Together we can achieve the goals and contribute to a better world,” notes Vice-Chancellor Eva Åkesson.

The new document focuses more on the goals – that is, what the University wants to achieve and why – and less on strategies for how to achieve the goals. This is a conscious choice, as the strategies largely belong at local level – the disciplinary domains, faculties and departments.

“The University must encourage and support staff and students to enable them to develop their fields, methods and organisations freely, boldly and with integrity.”

The University Board has decided on the new Mission, Goals and Strategies for Uppsala University while, as a result, repealing the programmes for external collaboration, Uppsala University – Campus Gotland 2017–2012, internationalisation, sustainable development, quality and equal opportunities. The current action plans will also be replaced by specific development mandates.

The process in brief

The process of revising the Mission, Goals and Strategies document began with a decision by the University Board in April 2018. This was followed by a working group drawing up a proposal under the management of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Anders Malmberg. The proposal was sent out for an internal consultation in late June 2019 to the disciplinary domain boards, students’ unions, University Administration, University Library, Uppsala University Innovation and the Equal Opportunities Advisory Board.

The viewpoints submitted were processed and discussed at the University Board’s meeting of 14 November, after which a number of changes were implemented. Specifically, the University Board had to take a position on the section on the core values of the public sector (page 6 of the document), whether we should place ourselves at the same level of quality as the best universities in comparable countries such as the Netherlands, Scotland, Germany or our Nordic neighbours (page 7) and whether there should be a specific development goal for Campus Gotland (page 10).

On 12 December 2019, the University Board finally decided on a new and revised Mission, Goals and Strategies for Uppsala University. The new document will entail a necessary revision of all underlying goals and strategies documents.

The document Uppsala University: Mission, Goals and Strategies.

Download the PowerPoint presentation for Mission, Goals and Strategies or order a printed short version of the document

Gunilla Sthyr