“The vital role of the University in society has become strikingly obvious during the pandemic this spring and we are well equipped to continue to take great responsibility. The plan is rooted in the University’s new Mission, Goals and Strategies document and is designed to support further positive development. Good planning conditions will enable the University to continue to advance the frontiers of knowledge, find solutions to known and as yet unknown societal challenges and provide skills for the world of work,” says Vice-Chancellor Eva Åkesson.

The operational plan for next year that was adopted at today’s meeting of the University Board builds on the University’s new Mission, Goals and Strategies statement. Sustainable development, external collaboration and equal opportunities are important prerequisites for achieving the goals and the plan formulates instructions for the University in these areas and in the core activities of research and education.

The University aspires to set an example and take a leading role in sustainable development by translating research and education into new knowledge, better technology, improvements in the organisation of society and changed patterns of behaviour. The existence of equal opportunities must be unquestioned throughout the University. The plan stipulates increased action to promote new interdisciplinary research and education initiatives, the continued elaboration of interfaces for collaboration on sustainable development, and the further development of external collaboration as an integral part of research and education.
 

Research and education are the University’s core activities. The plan takes account of the development goals prioritised in the Mission, Goals and Strategies and formulates instructions designed to support efforts to achieve them. The disciplinary domains, faculties and departments are to prioritise their range of courses and programmes, with the goal of creating attractive first-choice options for students. New combinations of subjects will increase, as will strong international Master’s programmes with research links.

To further strengthen research, measures will be taken to enhance the ability to attract excellence funding from national and international sources. More high-profile, thematically oriented research environments will be developed. The faculties and departments are also instructed to have well-prepared proactive procedures to promote good research practice and ethics, and to offer secure storage for accessible research data.

The operational plan sets out the funding available to the disciplinary domains to share between their departments, bearing in mind the goal of further positive development. The coronavirus pandemic has required adjustments and led to additional costs in some areas, but the University stands on a solid footing and will be able to manage this within the budgeted framework.

 

Verksamhetsplan 2021 för Uppsala universitet 

Anneli Waara