“We need to create a strong organization for collaboration”

– As it is today, SLU has hardly any coherent organization for collaboration. We cooperate in many ways and in many different forms but the common structure is often lacking and where it exists, it is very unclear. After an external review, we have also looked at the roles and assignments of the external collaboration specialist. Those, many other employees and collaborative centres will continue to fulfill important functions in our collaboration, but we need to have clear inputs to SLU and an even better external monitoring”, says Deputy Vice-Chancellor Erik Fahlbeck.

In order to start a discussion on how SLU best organizes the collaboration, Erik Fahlbeck, together with the deans of the four faculties, has invited to meetings Alnarp, Uppsala and Umeå.

– I want to anchor the report's proposal. It needs to be discussed. But I would also like to have concrete suggestions for additions and improvements.

Three out of four meetings have now been held. The meeting in Umeå will be held on May 24.

– It has been good and sometimes lively discussions at our meetings. Many are involved in collaborations at SLU. The report's proposal for a coordination of collaboration has received both appreciation and criticism and many wise comments have emerged. Our plan is to now take in all the comments and come back with a proposal after the summer, says Erik.

Collaborative secretary is a completely new role proposed in the report. They will communicate and inspire and have an overview of the initiatives planned within SLU. They should also stay up-to-date on which external initiatives are taken where SLU could contribute and seek external actors who may be interested in collaborating on issues that concern SLU's activities. The collaboration secretaries are supposed to be located at the faculty offices, but work across the faculties. They are also intended to be centrally funded but no decisions have yet been made.

The first changes are planned to be introduced in the autumn of 2019.

– We need to create a clear organization for collaboration. SLU has competencies that are so central to today's major issues, but we must have a greater impact on society. Just as the evaluators in KoN stated – we must dare to take a bigger place, says Erik Fahlbeck.