“ The universities are the enemy. We have to attack the universities in this country honestly and aggressively.”
This is a quote from a speech made by the current Vice President of the United States in 2021, which was widely publicized as a declaration of war on higher education and research in general, and on universities’ work for gender equality, and on what was perceived as identity politics and woke ideologies in particular.Today we experience the consequences of this policy statement.

At the same time, this is part of a broader development where truth and lies merge and are interchangeable, and where loose opinions and deliberate misconceptions replaces knowledge based on facts and systematically acquired knowledge.

Politicians and opinion leaders sometimes move surprisingly freely between facts and lies, or between knowledge and loose opinion, weaving in conclusions that suit a particular agenda. In this way, everything from the climate crisis to crime statistics or facts about migration and energy supply can be washed clean of truths and made into parts of a coherent agenda that reflects an increasingly polarized society where conflicts rather than debate and democratic conversations become the driving force for change.

Universities have a very special role in the social climate we have today. Our mission is to stand for facts, to report on the frontier of knowledge, to formulate the research questions that can take society forward, and to communicate freely with the surrounding society about what we know as well as what we do not yet know.

KTH is doing just that. The professors we will welcome to their positions today are living examples of how far research can take us and how amazing results we have delivered and will deliver to society.

The dismantling of the United States as a world-leading research nation is now proceeding rapidly, and after only a few months many American research voices have been silenced. This is happening through the withdrawal of funds, banning of certain keywords, expelling foreign students and faculty, and a concerted war on all knowledge creation that contradicts the administration’s views.

The same tendencies, although less extensive, can be found in some of our European neighboring countries and, to some extent, here in Sweden.

As a university community, there is a risk that we become silent. If you are as quiet as possible, you will attract less criticism than if you stand for values that for one reason or another are perceived as provocative by some group in society. The risk of being silenced applies both to the university as an institution and to the individual researcher or research group.

Therefore. Now more than ever, we need to articulate and hold on to our moral compass. Now more than ever, we need to stand up for the values on which we believe universities as an idea is based.

KTH’s vision is to take the lead for a sustainable society. To this powerful vision, we have formulated bold goals to conduct research and education of the highest quality. But we also have two policy areas that we believe all our activities should be based on, regardless of if it is research or education.

One is that sustainability issues must permeate all activities, and the second is that, the pursuit of gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities must be an ever-present ambition.

These are two areas, two values, two moral compass directions that are increasingly being questioned in a fact-resistant debate.

Normally I would say, ‘we should not talk so much, we should do the work instead’. Today, however, I want to say, ‘we should not just do the work, we must dare to talk about the importance of standing up for what we do’.

Therefore, for all the reasons I have just mentioned, I want to say the following today.

KTH stands for academic freedom and strives for institutional autonomy. Our academic freedom and our principles of openness and transparency are fundamental to knowledge development and democracy. We are bold, creative and responsible, driven to enable a sustainable and equal society.

Our faculty and students will lead the transition towards a sustainable world by constantly incorporating sustainability issues into research and education. We will address the major societal challenges without fear or worries of reprisals. The ambition to create a sustainable society is the biggest challenge for us and it is the major challenge facing society today.

Gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities are important and fundamental values. The different characteristics, backgrounds and cultures of our staff and students are an asset that promotes high quality in our activities. We want to provide equal opportunities to different people. We want to promote diversity on campus, in the classroom, among our students and among our teachers, researchers and staff.

We stand by our values. We recognize the need for sustainability in all education and research. We stand for the importance of gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities.

Let there be no doubt about this. Please quote me!

Excerpt from the speech that Anders Söderholm gave at KTH’s academic ceremony on April 11, 2025.