Proposal: New organisation for e-infrastructure in higher education
The Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions has published a report proposing that the responsibility for coordinating the digital infrastructure for higher education should be placed with the Swedish Council for Higher Education and the Swedish Research Council. Photo: Getty images.
In a report from June 2024, the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions proposes that the Swedish Council for Higher Education and the Swedish Research Council should be given national coordination responsibility for providing and developing digital services.
In June 2024, the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions published the report “Framtidens e-infrastruktur för högre utbildning” (“Future e-infrastructure for higher education”). The purpose of the report is to highlight the lack of strategic direction and coordination of Sweden’s digital infrastructures for higher education and to propose solutions.
The authors of the report argue that the best solution would be a national coordinating organisation that delivers common services and provides a national platform for e-infrastructure standardisation. However, the authors acknowledge that this solution has a number of consequences that risk delaying necessary reforms.
Main proposal
The main proposal in the report is therefore instead to begin by giving the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) and the Swedish Research Council (VR) national coordination responsibility for providing and developing digital services on behalf of the higher education institutions.
On this proposal, UHR would be given overall responsibility for education-related services. One consequence of the proposal is that Ladok would be transferred to UHR and the Ladok Consortium would close down.
Similarly, VR would receive overall responsibility through Sunet for basic digital infrastructure and research-related services.
Higher education institutions to have decisive influence
An important point of the main proposal is that national coordination must focus on the needs of higher education institutions. To ensure this, a council structure is proposed within UHR and VR, giving the HEIs a decisive influence on which services are provided and developed. In addition, UHR and VR should develop well-defined cooperation to coordinate different initiatives and responsibilities between the two authorities.
The report also suggests that, as a first step, the HEIs should initiate an arena for adopting strategic positions and identifying issues for cooperation and innovation.
Anders Berndt
Facts
What is the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions?
The Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions (SUHF) was established in 1995.
SUHF serves as a joint arena for discussion and action for universities and other higher education institutions with the aim of promoting consultation and collaboration and acting on issues of common interest.
38 universities and other higher education institutions are members of SUHF.
What is Ladok and the Ladok Consortium?
Ladok is a study administration system for documenting student attendance and results. Data from Ladok is sent to the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) and other parties.
The Ladok Consortium consists of 40 higher education institutions and CSN. The consortium partners use, own and develop Ladok.
What is Sunet?
The Swedish University Computer Network (Sunet) was established in the early 1980s and is now part of the Swedish Research Council.
Sunet’s mission is to meet the data communication needs of Swedish higher education institutions and other public organisations related to research or higher education and culture.