Quality work at Stockholm University

Stockholm University’s quality system for education comprises six sub-areas:

1. Organization and governance
2. Establishment, revision and discontinuation
3. Planning, implementation and follow-up
4. Admission and degree
5. Employment and skills development
6. Student support and information

The sub-areas are based on the Higher Education Act, the Higher Education Ordinance, as well as Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area, ESG. The President’s advisory body for university-wide educational issues and systems for quality assurance (Rebus) leads the work with the development of the quality system. 

Advisory bodies to the President

Quality assurance activities

Each sub-area includes a number of activities which contribute to ensuring and enhancing the quality of courses and study programmes. Activities include the president's annual quality dialogues with the Science areas, the president's funding for quality enhancement of courses and study programmes, revision of syllabi, implementation of course evaluations, peer review in teacher employment processes, and study and career guidance.

Based on specific quality criteria originating from ESG, the university has developed its own system for reviewing study programmes and courses every six years. Other examples of generic quality assurance activities include working with student influence and gender equality.

The quality of the research performed at Stockholm University is assured through the use of the research community’s widely accepted and wellestablished scientific methods and practices as well as through internal strategies, action plans, routines, rules and support functions.

Peer review is the fundamental process for quality assurance of research. Thousands of research applications and publications originating from the university are peer reviewed yearly by the international research community. When deemed necessary the university initiates external evaluations of research environments or scientific disciplines.

Stockholm University strives to recruit the most qualified individuals and to provide them with stable working conditions to enable research of the highest quality. Positions are announced in an open way to have wide reach and evaluation of candidates includes peer review of external experts.

Quality assurance as well as quality development is based on a systematic and collegial method of work. When combined with a well-functioning cooperation between organizational levels, with a common understanding of the university’s mission and operations, problems can be solved and opportunities seized. 

Several other processes and functions within the university are of major importance for the quality assurance of research. Examples are the university’s gender equality work, cooperation developing actions, the university library, the grants office and routines to find and handle possible research misconduct. 

The most important process for quality assurance and development, the internal quality dialogue, has been systematized. An indicatorbased report now functions as a recurrent discussion material in the internal dialogue between the university’s organizational decision levels; departments, faculties and the senior management team. 

Fundamental Principles for the Quality Assurance of Research at Stockholm University pdf, 279.6 kB. (279 Kb)