A Word from the Dean, June 2025

Lena Mäler. Foto: Sören Andersson

Collegiality and academic freedom - where are we heading?

Given the current state of the world, and particularly the developments in the United States regarding research and education policy, the issue of academic freedom and collegiality remains high on the agenda. And rightly so. It is vital that we do what we can to continue governing our University in a collegial manner and to protect academic freedom. This is why we must reflect on what collegiality means to us. The University should be a place where we all share responsibility for advancing the organisation. This means that colleagues take turns assuming responsibility for various aspects of university governance, for example, by taking on roles as head of department, dean or vice president. This ensures that organisational matters are discussed and decided by the right people. However, collegiality is much more than that. It involves taking responsibility for common issues, large and small, and thereby contributing to the university as our shared arena for research and education.

In 2025, academic freedom is under threat in our part of the world. For researchers in the United States, and also for several Swedish researchers, the political situation in the US has had a direct impact on their ability to conduct research. Budget cuts and increased control over which topics may no longer be pursued, or even mentioned in a research application, are affecting researchers' ability to freely choose their research focus¹. International exchanges are being halted². This is unacceptable, and it has escalated rapidly. It is therefore up to us, as a collegial organisation, to defend academic freedom here in Sweden and at our university. This includes safeguarding both the autonomy of our institutions and the right and opportunity for individual researchers and teachers to define the focus of their research and content of their teaching. The lack of protection against political interference in higher education institutions is evident, and the alarming pace of change in the West reminds us of how quickly things can shift. While much is being written about this at present, I believe it bears repeating. The more we talk about the issue, the more likely it is to gain the attention it deserves.

Some of the key actors in collegial governance are our Heads of Department. Together with the department boards, they exemplify perhaps the most crucial aspect of collegial leadership. So, as we approach the summer, I would like to thank all Heads of Department for another year of excellent collaboration. You have a great responsibility for the functioning of the University, and I am both happy and proud of how well our Faculty operates – to a large extent thanks to you!

I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the Heads of Department who are now stepping down: Jan Conrad, Martin Högbom and Neus Visa. Thank you for your dedicated efforts for Stockholm University and the Faculty. I also look forward to working with the new Heads of Department: Daniel Daley, Tony Hansson and Eva Sverremark Ekström. Thank you for taking on this important responsibility.

Despite the rather gloomy start of this text, I would like to end by wishing everyone a pleasant, relaxing and enjoyable summer!

Lena

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¹ Some examples of how research in th US is currently managed can be found at the following links:
Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants
Federal Government’s Growing Banned Words List Is Chilling Act of Censorship

² Trump signs proclamation to suspend visas for new Harvard international students

Further reading on developments in the US can be found at the following links:
Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders
The Trump administration has shut down more than 100 climate studies