Dean Cecilia Wejryd: “Donations are not a threat to academic freedom.”
As Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Cecilia Wejryd has good insights into many University-wide activities. Among other things, she is currently the representative for her disciplinary domain on the University’s internal steering committee for fundraising – an activity that she thinks adds something new and positive to Uppsala University. Previously, she was sceptical about whether fundraising was really something that a leading university should be doing.
“But I’ve changed my view entirely. Fundraising based on the University’s own faculty priorities is only positive in a system with limited resources. In the Humanities in particular, there is a shortage of research funding and it’s fantastic that a donation can lead to us being able to make a reality of something we have long wanted to do. And good ideas even from outside the University can be interesting to consider,” she says.
Cecilia Wejryd does not feel that there is any risk to research freedom, which is sometimes put forward as an argument against donations in debate on the topic. She can understand the concern that a donor might want to influence where the funds are spent, but that is not her experience. Although a donor may initially have a very specific wish, it is often possible to find a path together that meets their needs and ours. Each decision is preceded by an in-depth faculty discussion.
“I don’t think that donations result in less freedom than central government funding. Quite the reverse: they often mean increased freedom because they provide added resources. However, the University does not accept all donations. The same research ethics rules and considerations always apply, regardless of where the funding comes from.
“Of course, there is still some scepticism among colleagues,” says Cecilia Wejryd, but a discussion of all the angles often leads to a positive outcome.
“Fundraising is one of several forms of funding, and donations are distributed across the University’s entire breadth. The humanities in particular have had a good run in recent times,” she says.