The winds are turning, the future is ours and summer is here!

Dean Kristina Dahlborn: I am extremely happy and proud to be VH's dean with so many loyal, creative, talented coworkers - the future is ours! The Dean's work continues to be very much fun and challenging!

Formal events these first 5 months have been Professor installations, Associate Professorship lectures and graduation ceremonies for our students. Last Saturday, I was baptized “Dromás” in the ice-cold waters of the Fyris river by inspector Drill. VH's economy is in balance and now we have a strategic mission to correctly and wisely transform our capital into action. MU (employee survey) shows that VH's employees are happy at work, have difficulties in separating work from leisure, and are satisfied with their immediate superiors but not with SLU's management.

Deputy Dean Henrik Rönnberg: I've had a good introduction to my work as Chairman of Associate Professorship board. Many applications were received. Then came the spring’s Associate Professorship lectures and that day was very successful! We have decided to promote this "feast" even better in the future, so that as many as possible will come and hear the latest research at the Faculty. The lectures are given by well-prepared scientists at a level that makes their research available to everyone at the Faculty and also for participants from outside the university. VH scholarships have also been chosen at the Scholarship Committee's meeting and will be decided at the next Faculty board meeting.

I have also supported components of the recently concluded EVAVE conference. It was very successful and we heard many positive comments about our facilities and ways of running undergraduate training in the veterinary program from international representatives at corresponding programs. This bodes well for next year's accreditation/evaluation of the veterinary program at SLU.

Work on VH's strategy is moving forward. We have had our first meeting with the Faculty board and the department heads together with GHAL. A first draft is about to be put together, so we will have a relatively complete document to deal with at the next strategy meeting with GHAL in June, just before midsummer.

Vice Dean of Collaboration (Swe. samverkan) Margareta Emanuelson: We are landing the Faculty’s newly instated committee for cooperation, consisting of External Collaboration Specialist (Swe. samverkanslektorer). The work of this committee will be focused on coordinating the cooperation activities at the Faculty and to develop common guidelines on how the External Collaboration Specialist will work.

This work will be in tune with SLU's ambitions that will be coordinated by the Collaboration council led by Erik Fahlbeck. The first meeting with will be 3 June when we will discuss strategies for SLU's collaboration work. We are also creating a new Committee for farm livestock. This committee will address common issues. The first, very concrete work has focused on developing a strong program for SLU's participation at Elmia Agriculture in October.

Vice Dean of Education, Anne-Marie Dalin: By reason of the new strategy, worked is being done on different levels on a policy document on education at SLU. Hippologen are giving admission examinations. The departments are working hard on the autumn launch of courses in the revised animal agronomist programs. Bachelor programs DSS and E&D have their graduations 3 June where our Dean and I will be participating.

Vice Dean responsible for postgraduate education and equal opportunities, Lena Lidfors, reports that the new FUN composed of many new members have had two meetings and is hold its last meeting before the summer on 10 June. Our Director of Postgraduate Studies, Maria Neil, completed her assignment on 31 March and the new director will be Jan Hultgren, beginning his duties on 1 July.

Faculty funding for the fourth year of graduate studies was successful, and all those who meet the criteria will be financed.

The new Equal Opportunities Committee held its first meeting and the main issue we are working on is to organize a course in Swedish, led by Folkuniversitetet, for foreign PhD students, post docs and researchers in the autumn of 2016. Follow-up to MU will be the next issue of the Committee.

Best regards from the VH's dean team