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Have your say on the process for selecting the University’s profile areas

Yellow flowers.

You now can have your say on how Lund University approached the development of the profile areas over the course of 2021-2022.

Together with the Research Board, I have created a survey so that we can systematically collect feedback and opinions for the future. The survey is designed to give everyone who participated in the process, as well as those who did not choose or see an opportunity to participate, an opportunity to provide feedback.

Whether you are part of one of the five approved profile areas, participated in an expression of interest that did not result in a profile area, or if you felt left out and did not participate at all, I hope you will answer the survey. I also hope that the deans and other decision-makers involved in the process will respond. If you take the time to answer the survey, we can learn together and make the process better next time.

In the proposed bill Research, Freedom, Future – Knowledge and Innovation for Sweden (prop. 2020/21:60) published on 20 December 2020, the Government stated that it intended to allocate at least SEK 500 million to profile areas that “shall be strategic research initiatives of high quality defined by the higher education institutions themselves”. Over the course of 2021, the University management repeatedly discussed the profile areas. In the end, we decided on a model of collecting expressions of interest that were then assessed by the deans together with external experts.

Digital information sessions on the profile areas were organised in November and December 2021 and information was continuously published on the “Identifying Profile Areas at Lund University” blog. In March 2022, 24 expressions of interest were received. Eleven profile areas were selected for an interview by a panel. On 23 June 2022, the Vice-Chancellor announced the five profile areas selected for the period 2022-2030.

The decision also included a mandate for me to further develop the University’s process of identifying, developing, and selecting profile areas, in close collaboration with the faculties. The aim is to initiate a new process to identify the next group of profile areas in 2023. We hope as many people as possible will submit their views via the survey to make the upcoming process as effective as possible.

/ Per Mickwitz

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This text is a part of LU News 16 - 2022.