In the HR Excellence in Research Award Action Plan 2020–2022 project, the chairs of the academic appointments boards expressed a need to meet across faculty boundaries to share experiences and ideas on how the recruitment process can be developed. In the subsequent action plan, 2023–2025, a pilot project was launched with a forum for chairs of academic appointments boards. The forum has been chaired by Pro Vice-Chancellor Per Mickwitz, with the support of the HR Division.
The pilot yielded good results and became an important platform for current issues, knowledge exchange and opportunities to invite experts. Among other things, the forum led to the reintroduction of annual themed meetings for all academic appointments boards, a valued forum for delving deeper into recruitment issues, sharing experiences and discussing how processes can be streamlined without compromising on quality.
After the project was completed, it was concluded that there is a need for a structured, cross-faculty forum. The demand for fast, quality-assured and transparent recruitment is increasing, as is the importance of ensuring good response to and a positive experience for all applicants.
The group’s remit
- Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and further development of academic appointment processes.
- Contribute to potential collaborations and exchanges between academic appointments boards at different faculties.
- Clarify how academic appointment processes can contribute to achieving the goals set out in the faculties' and the University's regulatory and policy documents.
Composition of the reference group
The reference group was established on 1 January 2026 following a decision by the Vice-Chancellor, with a presentation by an HR specialist and after consultation with representatives from Lund University Student Union Association.
The group consists of a chair with a university-wide management assignment, one member from each faculty (two if the faculty has two academic appointments boards) and an adjunct expert from the HR Division.
The Vice-Chancellor has appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor Per Mickwitz as chair until the end of 2026. The terms of office of faculty members correspond to their assignments as chairs of the respective academic appointments boards.
The first meeting was held on 13 February, where the upcoming excellence initiative for early-career researchers and the introduction of a new qualification area for recruitment were discussed – the latter with the aim of maintaining and strengthening collegial involvement. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in May.