DEAN ELECTION. Student throughput, combination positions, and student influence were among the topics discussed during the Q&A session with Jenny Nyström, proposed as the next dean for Sahlgrenska Academy.
The session began with Per Lindahl, chair of the faculty-wide Drafting Committee, providing an overview of the committee’s process since the beginning of the year when they were tasked with selecting one or more dean candidates for the upcoming advisory election. Interviews with around 20 interested parties and other stakeholders formed the basis for the profile that the Drafting Committee developed.
Two main themes emerged during the process, explained Per Lindahl.
“Firstly, the economy, which may significantly deteriorate in the coming term. This demands a solid understanding of the university’s administrative model and extensive experience in academic leadership. Secondly, there was a call for leadership capable of uniting the faculty’s various factions”, said Per Lindahl.
The Drafting Committee unanimously believes that Jenny Nyström has the best qualifications to unite and lead the academy.
Looking forward to dialogue
Jenny Nyström then presented her vision for Sahlgrenska Academy, describing it as an outstanding and complete environment for high-quality education and research in medicine, health, and dentistry. It should be an inclusive environment, characterized by openness, critical thinking, and ethical conduct. While she does not advocate major changes in how the faculty is organized, she aims to improve collaboration within the faculty.
“We should have responsible leadership and strong internal teamwork. Sahlgrenska Academy is our faculty, and it will never be better than what we all contribute. Sahlgrenska Academy should be a faculty where everyone wants to work and study”, said Jenny Nyström during her presentation.
If elected dean, she wants to shape the faculty’s future through discussions with prefects and other leaders in the academy, expressing eagerness for such dialogue.
In her presentation, she highlighted the importance of safeguarding academic freedom, strategically establishing clear career paths when recruiting new staff, and developing campus and study environments.
Jenny Nyström emphasized that Sahlgrenska Academy’s researchers are successful in seeking external funding. By increasing focus on EU grants, there’s an opportunity to enhance our share there as well:
“It’s also important that we are visible in the national dialogue, as it can contribute to infrastructure investments reaching Gothenburg. Both the university and Sahlgrenska Academy must advocate for increased core funding so our research doesn’t lose international competitiveness.”
Sahlgrenska Life
Audience members followed the hearing both in person at the Wallenberg Conference Center and digitally via streaming. Questions were posed both in the room and through the chat. Here are summaries of a few of these questions.
Jovanna Dahlgren, head of the Institute of Clinical Sciences, asked about Jenny Nyström’s stance on Sahlgrenska Life.
“It’s my belief that, together with the University of Gothenburg, we should fulfill the agreement we made after turning down Virtartes’ lease offer, with Västfastigheter taking over the project. We’ve invested a lot of time and money, and for me, it’s clear that we should complete the investigation. That said, we need to see what the new proposal looks like to ensure it aligns with our core activities in research and education”, replied Jenny Nyström.
Small institutes
Peter Lingström, head of the Institute of Odontology, highlighted the differing conditions for various institutions, where smaller ones may struggle in competition. He asked how Jenny Nyström plans to support all institutions in strengthening their research. Jenny Nyström agreed that conditions vary for different institutions, expressing hope for increased synergies and collaborations between various units that benefit all.
“The power must come from within. We need to make more effort to find paths and synergies and work in a way that includes and allows all parts of the faculty to develop.”
Combined positions in a changing healthcare landscape
Karin Ahlberg, head of the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, asked about integrated services. How should we work for integrated services as healthcare shifts from acute to primary care? Jenny Nyström expressed that she sees integrated services as bridges between academia and healthcare, crucial for collaboration and clinical relevance:
“I hope that, together with healthcare, we can continue to develop and expand our shared combined positions. Healthcare has high requirements to adapt activities to available resources, and we need to share an understanding of how crucial these combined positions are. We see an exciting development as we establish collaboration agreements with the City of Gothenburg, which I would like to contribute to as part of the further development of person-centered care”, said Jenny Nyström.
Student throughput
Agneta Ekman, university lecturer in the Section of Pharmacology, highlighted the issues of throughput for programs at Sahlgrenska Academy. How does Jenny Nyström think we should work to help more students complete the entire program? It’s an incredibly important and difficult question, said Jenny Nyström, offering a detailed and thoughtful response:
“This year, it seems we’re reaching a critical point for degrees that we couldn’t deliver. When our educational production doesn’t go as planned, we may have to pay back money, which could mean losing the foundation for positions. We see that many students struggle because, in some cases, they lack the prerequisites they should have on paper. Our answer cannot be to lower our standards, as we educate for professions that involve responsibility for others. Instead, we can support students and help them. For instance, junior researchers needing qualifications in education could teach students better study techniques early in the program. Perhaps we also need to introduce preparatory courses and knowledge tests to reach more students.”
Student influence
Oscar Bresin, medical student and chairman of the student union SAKS, asked Jenny Nyström to describe her view on student influence at the faculty.
“We do our best to have good student influence, but it’s a challenge for students to allocate the necessary time. There are many meetings in various committees and councils where we want to give students influence, but it’s difficult to find enough engaged students. Here we’ve seen a change in the last 25 years, where many students today need to work alongside their studies to afford living in our city. I also think we need to examine our own spread of information so that important decisions and other information reach student organizations as it should”, said Jenny Nyström.
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
PHOTO: JOHAN WINGBORG
