Comprehensive review of support for education

Support for education is being reviewed at all organisational levels to identify potential savings and the factors driving costs.

The work, led by Eva Åkesson, will be carried out in consultation with faculty management teams, selected department management teams, administrative units and the student unions. The work also includes comparisons with other higher education institutions.

The work is monitored through regular status updates with the University Management and the faculty management teams.

In December 2026, the investigator will submit an interim report setting out proposals for possible ways of continuing the comprehensive review. The interim report will be discussed within the University Management and the faculty management teams. The Vice-Chancellor will then decide on the direction of the continuing work.

In the continuing work, supporting documentation and specific proposals will be drawn up. The supporting documentation will include:

• Estimated savings 
• Analysis of the proposals’ implications
• Descriptions of how the proposals can be implemented
• Descriptions of how the results can be followed up.

As in the first stage, the work will be carried out in consultation with the organisation and will be coordinated with the University Management and the faculty management teams.

A final report containing a summary of proposals and supporting documentation will be submitted to the Vice-Chancellor by 31 March 2027 at the latest.

The final report will be taken forward through the University’s preparation and decision-making process. This is where it is decided which proposals will proceed to the decision-making and implementation stages.

The results will form the basis for decisions on which changes are to be implemented. The proposals will first and foremost be capable of being implemented within a three-year period, but may also include longer-term measures.

For several years, the costs of support for education have risen faster than revenue, which is affecting the scope for education. The comprehensive review is being carried out to establish a unified, fact-based picture of how resources are currently being used. This is essential for making well-informed decisions for the future.

No. No decisions have yet been taken regarding specific cost-cutting measures, changes to working practices or organisational changes.

The purpose of the comprehensive review is to draw up proposals, estimate potential savings and describe the implications of the proposals. Only then can the proposals be prepared and form the basis for decisions.

At the same time, costs have been rising faster than revenue for several years, which means that changes need to be made to the way resources are used. Decisions on specific changes may be taken in autumn 2027 at the earliest.

The aim is to identify how resources within support for education can be used more effectively and to free up funds for education. Similar financial challenges are also faced by other higher education institutions, which means that this is not unique to Lund University. The focus is on creating long-term, sustainable solutions.

The comprehensive review covers support for first and second-cycle education as well as all organisational levels, such as administration, planning, system support and student services. This concerns education-related overheads. The content of the teaching is not the focus of the analysis.

The work is carried out in stages, involving mapping, analysis and in-depth examination before proposals are drawn up. It begins with a review of the current situation, followed by an in-depth analysis, and concludes with a final report that forms the basis for further preparation and decision-making. Consultation with the organisation is part of every stage.

The assignment involves dialogue with faculties, departments, administrative units and student unions. Experiences from within the organisation are an important part of the analysis and influence which proposals are drawn up. The work therefore relies on the involvement of various parts of the organisation.

At present, this mainly involves providing background and perspectives to the dialogue. The work will involve a mapping process in the autumn of 2026, an in-depth analysis in early 2027 and a final report in March 2027, before any decisions are prepared. Any impact on the organisation and working practices will only be determined once a decision has been taken.

A key principle is that the proposals must not lead to an increased administrative burden for teaching staff. If the investigator identifies ways of reducing the administrative workload for teaching staff, these should be taken into account. Support for education must continue to function effectively and underpin education. How this is ensured is a key part of the analysis and impact assessments.

An interim report will be submitted in December 2026 and a final report by 31 March 2027 at the latest. This will be followed by a preparatory process before any decisions are taken. Decisions may be taken as early as autumn 2027.

Support for education refers to the functions and costs that enable education to take place, such as administration, premises, planning, system support and student services.

It is the support provided in connection with education that is being analysed, not the teaching itself. The assignment covers first and second-cycle education, but not contract education or third-cycle education.

Changes to support for education may also affect the support provided in other areas of the organisation, as costs have risen faster than revenue and the University needs to review how resources are used.

It has not yet been decided in detail who will be involved or in what formats, such as workshops or consultation meetings. The assignment is to be carried out in consultation with the organisation, and the nature of the contacts to be established will be determined as part of the work. The aim is to gain a sufficiently broad and relevant picture of how the support works at present and what changes may be needed.