SLU news

Hello VH coworkers!

Published: 26 January 2017

The faculty management and heads of departments began the first working week this year with a lunch - lunch meeting. On the agenda was e.g. that all should give their views on the challenges that SLU and our faculty will face. One thing that almost everyone raised was that SLU, at all levels, needs to be more visible around the issues that are important from a societal perspective.


Anne-Marie Dalin is Professor at the Department of Clinical Sciences and Vice Dean, responsible for education at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences.

VH has broad expertise and knowledge and we must dare to take part in media and public debates, be present at national conferences and seminars in our disciplines, etc. When terms like "post-truth" and "fact resistance" now are established, it is more important than ever that we, representing the ‘knowledge society’, are a part of the debate. If we are visible and heard in urgent matters relating to the future, this may perhaps influence research councils to targeted calls in our areas.

One way to be visible is to participate in TV programs. VH was during the fall approached by a production company for TV4 who wants to make documentaries on teaching, research and veterinary care. After a first meeting they held information meetings with the student union, VMF, and VH staff. Students and staff have the same requirements for participation. In week 3, the representatives of the production company were here on a study visit to take part also in activities that are not directly clinical, e.g. education in food safety. They visited, among other things, Lövsta (the slaughter house and the dairy herd) and met different researchers at VH. 

The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ), has introduced a new evaluation system for higher education. The responsibility is now with the universities to have a quality assurance system. UKÄ will then carry out audits of selected programs. A group at SLU worked with the question and their proposal was taken by our vice chancellor in December. According to a preliminary schedule, UKÄ will review SLU's quality assurance work of education programs in 2019. Already in the autumn (September) this year, however, the European organization, EAEVE (European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education) will evaluate the veterinary program. This means much work during the spring to prepare the self-evaluation report.

Hopefully, the new draft of the VH strategy for the period 2017 – 2020 has been discussed at all institutions. On the 1st February the Faculty Board will take the final decision. Then the strategy needs to be followed up by action plans, a process that now can start at the institutions, divisions and the different education programs.

Anne-Marie Dalin

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