Uppsala University Future Institutes - UUniFI
Uppsala University Future Institutes (UUniFI) is a research initiative designed to mobilise the University’s breadth to enable world-leading research on complex challenges for society. Through an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach, and research characterised by excellence and originality, the initiative will generate new issues, approaches and collaborations. By doing so, UUniFI will also increase the visibility of the University and strengthen its position.
Initially, UUniFI will comprise six institutes in the areas of migration, precision health, green energy transition, AI and digitalisation, conflicting objectives in societal transformation, and inter- and multidisciplinarity.
Establishment of Uppsala Institute for Sustainable Transformations
The Uppsala Institute for Sustainable Transformations was established on 1 September 2024 as the first institute within UUniFI. The purpose of the institute is to to create an internationally leading, multidisciplinary environment that will develop new methods and knowledge for identifying, analysing, weighing up and managing conflicting objectives. To a great extent, the societal transformations at the heart of the institute are linked to sustainable development.
The institute will also be a physical meeting place for creative and cross-cutting activities within, across and beyond the University. It will be an inclusive space for scholarship, academic discussions and collaboration.
Professor Mats Målqvist is the director of the new institute, which will initially be based at Observatoriet. In autumn 2024, the Vice-Chancellor will adopt instructions for the institute and a governing board will be appointed.
Development of institutes in the fields of migration, precision health and green energy transition
The Vice-Chancellor has instructed the disciplinary domain boards (UFV 2024/981) to appoint working groups to draw up proposals on the development of the institutes for migration, precision health and green energy transition within the framework of the UUniFI initiative.
The boards are to present proposals on:
- the research direction of each institute. Ambitions are very high for the institutes, which will pursue a multi- and interdisciplinary approach that creates conditions for originality and research ‘beyond excellence’.
- an action plan for each institute that includes strategies for developing the proposed research direction, supports the ambitions for the institutes and describes how their activities will enable new ways of working and create new collaborations.
The disciplinary domain boards are due to deliver their final reports to the Vice-Chancellor by 31 January 2025.
Development of institute in the field of AI and digitalisation
In June 2024, a working group consisting of Professor Thomas Schön, Professor Anna-Sara Lind, Professor Anna Foka, Professor Ola Spjuth and Professor Patrick Micke submitted proposals to the Vice-Chancellor on possible directions for the fields of AI and digitalisation.
Work on developing this institute will continue during the autumn.