In early September, I visited the University of Southampton with a number of other university directors from Sweden. While there, we met our counterparts from 10 British higher education institutions. This meeting was part of a series organised by a network of Swedish and British university directors. The network, which has been in existence for almost 40 years, was the brainchild of the Government Offices of Sweden, which was keen to see greater internationalisation at Swedish higher education institutions. We meet every other year to exchange experiences and discuss topical issues.
While we are organised and governed in different ways, it is clear that we face very similar challenges. The agenda for this year’s conference included the challenges of shouldering the role of university director, updates on developments in the higher education sector in each country, AI and its impact on education, how AI can be used to optimise administrative processes, the efficient use of premises in relation to sustainable development goals, and leadership in permacrisis.
Among the challenges discussed were economic conditions, various security issues and increasing bureaucracy. British higher education institutions are facing major financial challenges, with central government funding slashed. They are also reliant on tuition fees from international students, whose numbers are dwindling due to more restrictive post-Brexit migration regulations. Indeed, our own economic challenges are a breeze compared to the storm being experienced by our British colleagues. It is also interesting to note that circumstances vary between English and Scottish universities, and if anything the latter are having an even tougher time.
In the area of security, we face the same physical and cybersecurity challenges linked to what we in Sweden call responsible internationalisation. How do we, in troubled times, create a safe campus for all staff and students? As for the increasing administrative burden, UK universities are also facing increased demands for various types of follow-ups at the risk of greater bureaucratisation.
The conference prior to this one was held in Stockholm and hosted by the three university directors from the University Alliance Stockholm Trio. We were attending the conference dinner at Spökslottet – the Scheffler Palace – on the evening when the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death was announced. This naturally made it a very memorable evening as, in parallel with the dinner, our British colleagues began to deal with the practical measures each university would need to take based on the agreed protocol. By tradition, the conference dinner also includes a song contest on the theme of ABBA. For obvious reasons, it was decided to forego the song contest at the conference in Stockholm. Alas, this year we did not get away so lightly, although for the first time in living memory, or perhaps the first time ever, the Swedish contingent emerged victorious with a version of SOS with modified lyrics.
This text is written by Åsa Borin, University Director. It appears in the section ”Words from the University’s senior management team”, where the management team take turns to write about topical issues. The section appears in every edition of News for staff.