Category: Uncategorized (Page 4 of 34)

On Friday we learned that the recommendation on distance education at higher education institutions will be withdrawn from 15 June. We commented briefly on this announcement in the blog the same day. We will soon issue a new decision about the summer and autumn based on the new information.

Last week involved many important discussions and meetings, as usual. On Tuesday, the last Vice-Chancellor’s seminar of the semester focused on the teacher education programme. Educating teachers is an important and serious responsibility. The politicians take an enormous interest in this; few programmes have been analysed, evaluated and revamped as many times over the years as this particular one. The upper secondary school teacher education programme is particularly complex, with many specialisations, and the way in which it is organised varies from one higher education institution to another. The latest inquiry has now delivered its report to the Ministry, but has yet to produce final proposals and a referral for comment. One of the members of the inquiry, Anders J. Persson, participated in the seminar and stated that in their report, they have emphasised continuing to build on ongoing measures to augment the supply of teachers and to enhance quality, such as practice-based research, bridge programmes and pilot schools, rather than proposing far-reaching reforms.

This spring, the Swedish Higher Education Authority has criticised three programmes in Uppsala that have been audited: the upper secondary school teacher education programmes in Swedish, social studies and mathematics. The main point of criticism was the integration of subject didactics in subject studies. The approach adopted by the Faculty of Educational Sciences to addressing the issue is that the responsibility for didactics should rest where it can best be tackled, sometimes locally at the subject department and sometimes centrally at the Department of Education. Not the easiest way to go, since different solutions can make it difficult to achieve equal quality, but a good thing if the goal is the best possible subject-based teaching and learning.

Many different parts of the University are involved in upper secondary school teacher education. It is a matter for the entire University and needs to be tackled together. The aim of the seminar was to start an important internal discussion on how to provide the best education for the students. Uppsala University is a large, decentralised higher education institution, which makes the challenge all the greater. Engagement and cooperation are needed at every level to create the best whole, while maintaining a level of coordination and control that ensures education of a uniform quality.

We had a good discussion during the seminar about how we can develop cooperation and make the most of relevant experience across the entire breadth of our University. Last but not least: listen to the students. Alina Lantto Qvarfort, chair of the education section of the Uppsala Student Union, expressed a wish for a common foundation to guarantee equal quality and more focus on the professional role of the teacher throughout the programme. Sincere thanks to the seven panellists for their introductory remarks in the Humanities Theatre and to the nearly 100 participants via Zoom.

Last week we also met Uppsala University’s representatives in the Young Academy of Sweden. The new chair of the Academy is Sanna Koskiniemi, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology. Congratulations! Our University has many outstanding young researchers. This is an important group for us in the University Management to meet. They have important experiences, strong opinions and great commitment.

The Zoom coffee break on Friday afternoon gave heads of department an opportunity to meet the new chair of the University Board, Anne Ramberg. She is known for her deep commitment to human rights issues and defence of the rule of law. The independence of universities from the state and other strong interests was one area that she emphasised as important to uphold, another was external collaboration. A university should have an open attitude and be an active player with strong integrity in the community.

At a press conference at 13:00 today, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Minister for Education Anna Ekström and Minister for Higher Education and Research Matilda Ernkrans announced that the Public Health Agency of Sweden recommendation on distance education will be withdrawn on 15 June and that upper secondary schools, colleges and universities will then be able to resume more normal activities. However, where higher education is concerned, some components of education may still need to be delivered in a modified form in order to comply with the Public Health Agency’s general recommendations on maintaining distance and avoiding large social gatherings.

This means that students and university teachers can prepare for a transition to more on-campus education. Yet it will not be entirely business as usual this autumn. The Public Health Agency’s general guidelines and recommendations remain in effect, and consequently higher education institutions have a responsibility to modify their teaching and reduce the spread of infection. The students also bear a great personal responsibility.

Today’s announcement is in line with what we were expecting and gives us both greater flexibility for the summer and clearer – if not unequivocal – planning conditions for the autumn semester.

Generally speaking, following this announcement we should stop taking about distance education – except in cases where we formally classify courses as pure distance learning courses. What we will be conducting in the autumn, as a rule, is on-campus teaching with more or less extensive elements of digital modes of instruction. Certain types of courses and components that have a limited number of participants and where it is possible to maintain reasonable physical distancing, can be conducted roughly as usual. Others may need to be modified or carried out in digital form. Teachers and students in at-risk groups may also need special consideration. This also applies to international students who may have difficulty getting here for the start of the semester.

The decision sets out the parameters for this autumn’s education. We will now immediately initiate a process aimed at issuing a decision in good time before 15 June on how the new directives are to be interpreted and complied with at Uppsala University, during the summer and ahead of the autumn semester.

We are getting a lot of signals that students and teachers would like to know what will happen in the autumn: should we prepare to return to on-campus education or continue with distance education?

We are not going to take a decision on this now. The reason is that we do not want to force all programmes and courses to be deivered remotely this autumn before we know it is absolutely essential. In the current situation our hands are tied by the recommendation of the government and the Public Health Agency of Sweden imposing distance education. Our hope is that the restrictions will ease up so that we can at least have a partial return to on-campus education in the autumn. This is in line with the signals we are receiving from others who are more knowledgeable about these matters than we are. We therefore ask you to be patient a little longer and plan for alternative scenarios.

It would be particularly desirable to be able to welcome our new students – our freshers – to campus in the autumn. The introduction to university studies is important, and is best experienced on campus if possible. Even if things work out as we hope, we are fairly sure that it will not be business as usual. We will still have to observe rules of hygiene and maintain distance, and certain restrictions are likely to persist. Consequently, even if on-campus teaching is possible in the autumn, this will require responsible management and careful consideration. This means that the online types of instruction we have developed will certainly need to be used to some extent.

Our advice at present is to plan for a scenario in which students and teachers can meet in various ways, but not gather too closely or in large groups – in other words, a modified form of on-campus teaching. One request on our part is to give priority to first-year students, so that they can get to know our study environment, our buildings and facilities, teachers, each other and our city. We will ask students’ unions and student nations to make special welcoming efforts this autumn. We know that a good start is vital for the whole student career.

Courses or teaching components that for one reason or another are best continued remotely will naturally be allowed to do so this autumn, even if the restrictions have been relaxed. As we have said before, no matter when the government and the Public Health Agency cancel their decisions and recommendations imposing remote teaching and assessment, the Vice-Chancellor will not issue a decision ordering everyone to return to campus immediately. The return to campus-based teaching will happen in the way and at the pace judged best at local level.

Some have already made strategic decisions that their international Master’s programmes, to begin with, will be delivered both on campus and remotely this autumn, to enable international students to join in on campus later in the programme. We think this is excellent, as it is impossible to predict what the possibilities of travelling will look like in different countries in a few months.

As regards those who have received approval for exchange studies in the autumn, Uppsala University has urged them all also to apply for courses/programmes at home so as to have a good alternative in case it should be impossible to go through with the exchange as planned or in case they themselves feel that they do not want to travel. Normally it is not possible to keep both the option of studies at home and the option of an approved exchange open, but we have allowed an exceptional solution because of the situation. Whether or not it turns out to be possible to go ahead with exchange studies depends not just on what the Swedish authorities say but also on the host institution and the regulations in that country. Uppsala University will not take a general decision to cancel all exchange studies (or the possibility of coming here as an incoming student) unless the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs recommend/advise against travel.

To sum up, we are prepared to wait for at least another month or two before taking more definitive decisions about the autumn and are closely monitoring the course of the pandemic and the recommendations of the Public Health Agency so as to be able to issue clearer information as soon as possible. We know the uncertainty is problematic, but we are doing this with the best interests of the students in mind and in the hope that we will be able, at least in part, to conduct on-campus education this autumn.

Today I, as Vice-Chancellor, decided that teaching and assessment will be conducted remotely this summer, until 30 August 2020.

At the same time, I also decided to allow disciplinary domain/faculty boards to grant certain exemptions for specific elements in exceptional circumstances. The term ‘specific elements’ means, for example, mandatory and practical tasks that cannot be carried out remotely but demand physical presence in the University’s premises or elsewhere (e.g. field trips). Exemptions may be granted on condition that measures are taken to ensure the campus-based activity can be conducted in a way that limits the risk of infection. Decisions on exemptions may be delegated to vice-rectors/deans. The students must be consulted before taking a decision.

Today’s decision also permits exemptions from the remote assessment requirement for individual students receiving special educational support, as long as it is possible to comply with the recommendations of the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the examiner considers it feasible. Our focus is on ensuring the best interests of our students, within the framework of government guidelines and Public Health Agency of Sweden recommendations.

With regard to travel and meetings, no business travel abroad will be allowed as long as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs continues to advise against travel, which is currently until 15 July. International conferences and visits are cancelled during the corresponding period. National conferences and other gatherings should preferably be held by electronic means.

At all face-to-face meetings, physical distancing must be practised and remote participation must be facilitated. My own rule of thumb would be a third of the usual number allowed in a venue.

Having said this, it is time for us to begin preparations for gradually increasing the staff presence at our workplaces again. Careful readers of the decision that takes effect on 8 June will observe that a word has changed. The decision still directs that anyone with symptoms must stay at home and that individuals in at-risk groups should work from home if possible. The rule for other staff is that they may work from home with the agreement of their manager if the work situation allows it. This should be interpreted to mean that it remains both acceptable and desirable for us to work from home part of the week (which will help reduce crowding at the workplace and on public transport), but there is an increased expectation that, in the absence of any special reasons, employees will be physically present at the workplace for parts of their working time.

Finally, a cliffhanger. We will be back in a separate post in this blog tomorrow with assessments and a decision update ahead of the autumn semester.

Yesterday the government announced a number of measures in areas that are highly relevant to us. This included a welcome announcement that an inquiry is now being appointed to make proposals on the organisation, governance and financing of research infrastructure at national level.

Research infrastructure is a topic that has been raised repeatedly by Uppsala University and other stakeholders – research funding bodies, higher education institutions and companies – in input to the research bill and in public debate. As research has grown more dependent on increasingly expensive and advanced methods and equipment, infrastructure has become a make-or-break issue for Sweden as a research nation. This area is currently underfinanced and requires a comprehensive approach to issues of governance and responsibility. Here the Principals’ Council at the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Universities’ Reference Group for Research Infrastructures at the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions have already done much to coordinate and take responsibility, but to put a new system in place, our politicians need to get involved. In our own input, we proposed the following:

• Draw up an overarching national strategy for research infrastructure, together with an associated funding strategy.

• Create long-term prerequisites for technical environments at the interface between basic research and industry.

• Invest a further SEK 1 billion to meet Sweden’s research infrastructure needs.

• Strengthen the research infrastructure at SciLifeLab.

• Take a special initiative to coordinate the national actors in digital research infrastructure.

We have not yet seen the inquiry’s terms of reference, so we mustn’t get too carried away. The inquiry chair, former Minister for Education and Research Tobias Krantz, should be well acquainted with the views of both higher education institutions and industry on research infrastructure. It is vital that the inquiry strikes the right balance and does not neglect long-term basic research for the sake of short-term benefits. Given his background in the humanities and social sciences, Mr Krantz should be able to take the needs in those fields into account as well. These are sometimes forgotten in discussions of research infrastructure. It is also positive that the inquiry has instructions to propose the organisation of a system and various funding options. We look forward to following the work of the inquiry, whose final report is due on 31 May 2021.

Another measure announced by the government yesterday is that the role of higher education institutions in lifelong learning will be clarified in the Higher Education Act. It is not clear what this means in practice, nor is it obvious that legislation as such is the best means of promoting lifelong learning. It is important to recognise that much is already being done in this area. The higher education institutions offer plenty of opportunities through numerous freestanding courses in every field of knowledge. However, these are not specifically classified as opportunities for continuing professional development and are therefore often forgotten in the debate. Besides the regular range of courses they offer, higher education institutions also conduct a great deal of contract education, i.e. specially designed courses for specific target groups. Having said that, we are naturally happy to welcome more people who need to change their professional focus or supplement their knowledge. Our role in this is self-evident. A rapidly changing labour market means increasing needs for continuing professional development, and the coronavirus pandemic has intensified the need to adapt.

In this connection, the government is also proposing an amendment to “promote academic freedom”. Needless to say, this is a crucial issue. The consultation period for these proposed legislative amendments runs until 1 September, so we will come back to these issues.

We would like to thank all students, staff, alumni, friends and partners for heeding our – and all of Uppsala’s – appeal to act responsibly on 30 April. A few months ago, no one would have believed a Walpurgis Eve in Uppsala could pass almost unnoticed like this. But the fact that we took responsibility together and avoided crowding this holiday was an important action, for the vulnerable, health services staff and society in general. You will all be welcome on 30 April 2021.

Today the decision to conduct education remotely was extended to apply for the rest of the semester, until 7 June. To ensure the best possible decision about arrangements in the summer, we expect to take a fresh decision in the second half of May, and then at some point in the summer we will decide about the start of the autumn semester. Although everyone likes to plan ahead, we think it is wise to avoid committing ourselves in the longer term; the virus situation and infection control measures can change in a few weeks/months.

If, as we all hope, the restrictions are relaxed and education on campus becomes fully or partially possible again, the return to campus will be managed in a sensible and practicable manner, taking local conditions in the University into account. This kind of flexibility will enable us, as a university, to make use of our experiences and lessons learned from this very demanding period. It may help us develop the quality of our educational programmes, for example, by choosing to retain digital elements that have proved preferable, while making the most of the important face-to-face interactions on campus.

None of us will forget this year, but if we can persevere and then, in the summer, find time for reflection and inspiration, our University can emerge from the crisis with renewed ambition and with wind in our sails.

Yesterday’s meeting of the University Board contained not only, as always, discussions on a number of important issues for the future of the University but also a farewell to several members whose term of office ends on 30 April – including the departing chair, Gudmund Hernes, who has guided the work of the board with a steady hand since 2017. Sincere and heartfelt thanks to them!

Today, at the eleventh hour, the government appointed the eight external members who will serve on the University Board for a three-year period starting on 1 May. We are delighted to welcome our new chair Anne Ramberg and the other new members. They will bring valuable new experience to the board. We look forward with confidence and anticipation to working with them. A partial renewal of the University Board means something of a fresh start and opens the way for innovation, while the remaining members have a very important role in guaranteeing continuity.

The new members of the University Board are:
Anne Ramberg, member and former Secretary General of the Swedish Bar Association, Stockholm, chair
Svante Pääbo, Professor, Max Planck Institute, Leipzig
Linus Tunström, Director, Stockholm
Johan Söderström, Director, ABB, Västerås

Friday began with a specially convened meeting with local, regional and national-level Uppsala politicians. At the previous meeting, a wish was expressed to meet more often, and we were happy to agree to this. It’s good to have the opportunity to report the latest news from the University, whether successes or challenges, and the politicians asked good and relevant questions. They are keen to be involved and willing to lend their support where necessary. For example, we pointed out the importance of a long-term approach to research funding. Initiatives to support coronavirus-related research are extremely timely and welcome, but it’s important not to forget the need for ongoing broad investments to manage future challenges.

In more than one area, more frequent meetings are one obvious consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. It is essential to listen to one another in order to quickly identify appropriate measures. Currently, we have a closer dialogue with the Ministry of Education and Research and the Minister, which is positive and productive. To give one example, medical students’ insurance did not cover COVID-19 but this was quickly remedied, and our impression is that there is a receptiveness to our needs. Those of us in the University Management feel a similar need to put our ear to the ground and listen to what’s going on within our University.

We therefore ended the day with an informal Zoom meeting with heads of department. We have realised that virtual meetings are a model that has probably come to stay and will remain more common than previously. More people can participate and the meetings can be kept short and efficient. Our topic today was international students, an area where there are many questions. It’s good to be made aware of questions, even if we can’t answer them all, and it’s useful to get an up-to-date picture of the situation in the academic departments. We were able to give a reassuring answer on one point. The University stands on a stable financial foundation. Together, we will certainly be able later to deal with any extra costs that may arise this year.

The Spring Budget Bill presented by the Swedish government today proposes an increase of SEK 513 million in direct government funding for universities and other higher education institutions. There is no decision yet on how this money will be divided between HEIs, but this will be announced in the near future. The funding is primarily intended for temporary places on summer courses and foundation (access) years, but will also include permanent places.
The government also proposes to allocate approximately SEK 100 million to a special research initiative linked to the COVID-19 virus. These funds will be distributed by the Swedish Research Council. This is another important investment in which we have good prospects of sharing. Our University has several outstanding research teams in this area.

We have indicated that we will be happy to welcome new students as early as this summer, so we look forward to news about the allocation of places. Opening up future opportunities for more people is a responsibility we are happy to take on at this time of uncertainty in the labour market. For many people, an extra opportunity for education and training can be the way to a new direction in working life.

At this time when travel and physical meetings are impossible and the focus is on the near at hand, it is important still to look beyond the coronavirus and its consequences and remember our partners in other cities and countries. Our exchanges and collaborations are important for the University’s development and need to continue. As far as possible, we will continue with what we are doing, while drawing on our new experiences to find creative and innovative ways to work in the future.

For my part, this is a week full of virtual meetings. Yesterday we ‘met’ the management of Lund University and discussed common issues. This morning, a staff meeting at Campus Gotland. Tomorrow the EUA holds its General Assembly, involving hundreds of participants, and on Friday it will be time for the General Assembly of the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions. That day starts with breakfast with politicians and ends with coffee with the University’s heads of department – in all cases via Zoom or a similar tool.

This week, the regional crisis collaboration group also met. Material collected by the University is benefitting the health services, and for the most part, things are ticking along in our new ‘abnormal normality’. However, we noted that we need to help one another stick to the restrictions that are in effect and not let up when it begins to feel like an everyday situation. When we get to the other side of all this, we will evaluate and learn lessons from what we have done.