On the whole, the summer cooperated by bringing plenty of warmth and sunshine – apart from some heavy rain in certain areas that resulted in flooding and other headaches. Another reminder of our changing climate, from which we are now seeing the direct effects. The link between global warming and the extreme weather we are seeing was confirmed in the latest IPCC report, to which the university’s researchers made a significant contribution through our strong climate and environmental research efforts.
As the autumn semester approaches, we once again entertain feelings of hope and confidence – but with a tinge of trepidation. We will be returning to on-campus teaching, though not yet full scale. There is a plan in place to gradually phase in more on-campus teaching during the semester, and so many of us are eager to finally be able to welcome our students back and meet face to face on campus. The students have missed that just as much as we have! But at the same time, the pandemic is still a reality, and we have to stick it out a while longer and follow the recommendations of the health authorities with regard to infection prevention, working from home and vaccination. The rise of the new variants is certainly a worrying development, as is the increasing spread of infection they bring, but we are hoping to avoid a repeat of the shut-downs and distance learning we saw last year.
As the semester begins, a wonderful source of satisfaction for the university is the new facility in Albano, where activities will finally kick off in earnest this autumn. A truly gratifying milestone! A number of departments have moved in during the summer holiday and are now ready to conduct their teaching and research activities in the new, modern premises – and the students will also be able to access plenty of new study places. I am really looking forward to visiting the premises in Albano when everything is fully up and running.
I look forward to seeing you all on campus this autumn!
This article is written by Clas Hättestrand, Vice President. It appears in the section ”Words from the University’s senior management team”, where different members of the management team take turns to write about topical issues. Words from the University’s senior management team appears in every edition of News for staff which is distributed to the entirety of the University staff.