As we conclude our series on the school’s reform agenda, Read more in KTH’s Business Plan (in Swedish), I want to focus on two critical areas: improving our work and study environments, and promoting sustainable faculty renewal. We have already made significant progress in recruiting top-tier faculty members, thanks to our increasingly high reputation. Now is the time to work towards even more sustainable and stable working conditions and work environment, while continuing our commitment to diversity and gender balance.

Our next steps involve making better use of our available resources, which might include optimizing our faculty size and introducing renewed faculty support mechanisms. This process will be carefully analyzed and planned throughout the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025. We will work closely with the departments and the faculty board to ensure that every decision is informed, collaborative, and in the best interest of our school community.

So, what is our strategy? At its core, our strategy is about providing a stable and reassuring workload and work conditions for our faculty. We believe that by doing so, we enable our faculty to plan their long-term research and teaching development effectively. This stability is essential for fostering an environment where academic excellence can thrive.

Currently, a considerable number of our faculty members hold prestigious grants, such as Wallenberg Fellowships, Scholars and ERC grants, which allow them the freedom to pursue ambitious research projects and develop their academic careers. While this is a fantastic achievement, I believe that stable and supportive work conditions should be the norm for all faculty members, not just those with additional grant funding. Every faculty member recruited through our highly competitive international process expects to work in an environment that supports their long-term goals and aspirations. Having access to prestigious grants should provide additional funding for expanding one’s research group and cover research initiatives.

As we move forward, each department will work on a strategic recruiting plan during the fall to better plan and prioritize resources for the coming years. This strategic approach will enable us to align our recruitment efforts with our long-term goals and ensure that we are utilizing our resources effectively.

Additionally, the school is preparing a comprehensive document that will detail the implementation of our action plan for 2024. This document will also illustrate the use of financial resources throughout the year. We aim to provide full transparency and clarity on how we are investing in our faculty, students, and infrastructure to support our strategic goals. This plan will be made available in August.

 

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Below is a section from the Business Plan:

Improved Work Environment and Study Environment – Sustainable Faculty Renewal

The school’s reform agenda for faculty renewal will focus on streamlining employment procedures and recruitment processes to ensure a smoother and more transparent process, while promoting sustainable faculty development through investments in long-term strategies and resources for staff development and career support.

From the spring semester of 2024, each department will have a vice dean responsible for faculty renewal. A new Faculty Renewal Officer (FRO) will begin on July 1, 2024, and will work closely with the four vice deans to develop and implement strategies to improve the work environment and study environment within the school.

The school’s reform agenda will particularly focus on:

  • Employment and Recruitment. The school will streamline its employment procedures and recruitment processes to ensure a smoother and more transparent process.
  • Sustainable Faculty Development. Investments will be made in long-term strategies and resources for staff development and career support, including strengthening the collegial work culture through skills development and common frameworks to improve the work environment.
  • Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities. The school will continue to work towards achieving a balanced faculty by actively promoting diversity and inclusion.