Here at KTH, there is a rich stream of data flowing through a great many exciting fields of research. This volume of data – from carefully compiled figures and statistical analyses, to texts with interviews or survey responses, photographs, drawings, video clips and software code – is at the very heart of our research.
Since research data is the basis on which research results are founded, it needs to be able to be reviewed and reused. By sharing and reusing the results, we build a stronger foundation for future findings. But of course this requires a structured, meticulous approach to managing research data, and this is not always simple. Research is a dynamic world, and researchers move between institutions and projects, which can mean that valuable data gets lost when a person leaves or a project comes to an end.
This is why the KTH Library, the IT department, the Research Support Office (RSO) and the PDC Center for High Performance Computing are joining forces to create services that make it easier for researchers to work more smartly with research data. It relates to the entire process, from project start-up and active research, to project close and publication. We advise on regulations and recommend data depositories for sharing project data during ongoing research, and also promote discussion on how we can store data and make it available once the project comes to an end.
By collaborating across multiple departments with different areas of expertise, we can establish a support structure that no department could have built up individually. Read more on the Research data page, or contact researchdata@kth.se to find out more.
Katarina Jonsson Berglund, Head of Education Office.
You might think that KTH closes down for the summer, but certain departments remain extremely busy throughout. The Education Office is one of them, with selection and admission for our major autumn term intake in July and August.
There is a far-reaching collaboration between Sweden’s universities and higher education institutions and the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) in assessment of grades and other qualifications.
This is a good example of what I like to call ‘together work’: we deal with the task efficiently, alongside all admissions staff in Sweden, and draw benefit from the collective overall expertise, wherever in the country we live and work.
This was an important part of our risk management during the pandemic: when Stockholm was under severe pressure from the coronavirus, colleagues from across Sweden got in touch to help out. This was certainly reassuring at the time, but it is also something we carry with us into our new support services organisation. How can we work more together, while still retaining our local connection to students and faculty?
Another good example of together work at KTH is when we welcome our new students in the autumn. On Monday, the 14th of August, over 3,500 students were taken in at Borggården by university admin staff, in collaboration with THS – the student union at KTH, and the chapters. Together we perform a huge task in an efficient manner, under pleasant collaborative conditions. The following weekend, we welcomed our international students. And in the autumn, we are taking new steps for further positive together work!
I hope that, like me, you are enjoying the students’ arrival on campus. We’re up and running again!
In May, the University Alliance Stockholm Trio – comprising KTH, Karolinska Institute (KI) and Stockholm University (SU) – was four years old. The Steering Committee of presidents and university directors met on 7 June at SU, and one of the points on the agenda was the agreement reached by the presidents on a joint master’s programme in biostatistics and computer science.
Three Presidents at KI, SU and KTH signing an agreement on a joint master,s programme.
Last week, the heads of the three universities’ support services also met up at KI to discuss shared development issues. There’s a lot to be gained by supporting the collective scientific strengths of the trio and striving for joint efficiencies in support services. It is clear that by introducing a shared master’s programme, we have remedied quite a few administrative obstacles and challenges, and that in itself is worth celebrating. If we’ve done it once, we can do it again.
Development is under way at the three trio universities, and indeed at virtually all Swedish universities, so it is a real benefit to be able to discuss joint issue with colleagues in different contexts. Many people are curious about what we do at KTH, and I am proud to doff my summer hat and thank everyone at the University Administration for their efforts and commitment.
One success factor is the fact that we can work in a structured, systematic way with our prioritised development activities. As part of our efforts to build the necessary organisational capability, we have produced project manager training, specially designed to drive the operational development of the University Administration. All course participants have a real-life development assignment to work on during the training, and on completion everyone is invited to join a network of project managers who can carry on supporting each other. A new round of training is now open for applications. More information can be found at Basic practical project management (In Swedish).
Åsa Ankarcrona, Head of Communications. (Photo: Theresia Köhlin)
What’s a good, clear way we can keep you updated about developments at the University Administration? By creating this new blog – Happening within the University Administration. The blog is aimed at those of you who want to find out more about our administration and how it is being developed.
The managers who are part of the University Director’s management council will create new blog posts every fortnight. The blog can be found here on the intranet start page and you can also subscribe to receive an e-mail notification when a new post is published.
Communication is essential to successful change and development. This is why internal communication and management communication in particular are two areas we will prioritize within communication. This will also enable us to focus on what makes life easier for teachers and researchers in their assignments, such as:
the right event support when requested
the development of news and press efforts, primarily linked to the dissemination of research to KTH’s target groups
the streamlining of work on newsletters
By ensuring that all communication staff at KTH are involved and participate in the development work, we have the right conditions in place to take KTH’s communication to the next level. We are meeting at the Kista campus in September to work on this further.
We would also like to join forces with HR and IT, for example, so that together we can lay the foundation to ensure everything is clear and it is easy to do the right thing.
If you have any thoughts, views or other input – please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Åsa Ankarcrona, Head of Communications, osajoh@kth.se
Author
