Dean letter - Kristina Dahlborn

Kristina Dahlborn is Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Veterinary medicin and Animal Sciences.

Until 2019, 484 million kronor is being invested in the context of the food strategy, and an additional 540 million kronor was intended as part of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. Only part of these investments will go directly to SLU. So we need to get better at communicating our knowledge to the outside world, and clarify that SLU contributes with very useful research.

The National food strategy focuses e.g. strongly on organic farming and consumption of organic products where SLU’s thoughts on long-term sustainability and efficient utilization of resources were not adopted. The good news is that Sweden at least now has a national food strategy! For VH's part, this means, among other things that we will take responsibility for the proposed scientific advice that will provide support for the regulatory field of animal welfare. My grandchild was born a month early, on February 13, and she is alert and happy and will be named Elvira!

On February 20, the final report by Bengt Gerdin and Tarja Onegårds investigation "Investigation of the activities of the university veterinary hospital" arrived, and last Thursday they presented the report orally to the employees at VH and UDS. The main proposal is positive and means that UDS we get new instruction where it is clear that the mission of UDS is "to be SLU clinical resource for education and research in animal health care”.  An addition proposition is shared positions for VH's clinical staff and "to students in veterinary programme and animal nursing programme participate and contribute in the UDS work during the day or by call time".

It is good that the Vice-chancellor decided to proceed immediately with the realization of the proposals put forward in the investigation by allowing Bengt and Tarja continue working until the process manager selected by the Vice-chancellor can begin. Particularly important is the academic subject representatives have full control over UDS activity.

I look forward to faculty board, along with director of UDS, the KV prefect and the staff at KV and UDS will take an active part in the change process and implement the proposals in the report, and preferably reaching the zero-vision I have discussed with the Vice-chancellor: "No patient without a student present, and/or that the animal/animal material is used in research”.  If we are to reach the Vice-chancellor's vision of becoming the leading university animal hospital it requires, however, a large increase in resources, to for example improve skills in certain areas.

Furthermore, I can announce that the Future platform Animals and Health has had its first steering committee meeting and that we are now manning the platform. We are also pleased that the Vice-chancellor finally made a decision so we can start the faculty-spanning platform SLU-Aquaculture.

Under the leadership of our vice dean for education Anne-Marie Dalin work is carried out at full speed on the response to the Ministry of Agriculture’s referral “on the extended privileges for keepers”, which proposes that animal keepers with only high school education and a short course should be able to handle and inject drugs. This poses a great risk for the animal protection and patient safety, and also a great responsibility for our veterinarians who, by ordination, are responsible when this happens.

The ability to seek funds for "writing-weeks" where a research team can go away for a week to complete a manuscript will be decided at the next faculty board meeting, followed by an open call.

This year's Research Day will take place on June 16!