News from the management

The recruitment process for new heads of departments involved hearing and interviews of candidates. Active discussions are also ongoing at all departments at LTV for planning and proposing new subject areas. At the same time, we are actively working to improve our research infrastructures through an inclusive approach that involves the entire faculty. 

Thesis day and graduation ceremony

On 5 June, SLU organised a joint celebration of Thesis Day and the graduation ceremony for students completing their bachelor’s or master’s thesis, as well as those concluding their education at SLU. The events brought together students, teachers, and guests from both the LTV and S faculties, creating a festive atmosphere on campus. Over 450 people attended the graduation ceremony, making it a memorable occasion. Throughout the day, inspiring speeches were given by the pro vice-chancellor for internationalisation, the dean of the S Faculty, the deputy dean of the LTV Faculty, the vice-dean for undergraduate education at LTV, programme study directors, and the chair of the Alnarp student union (ASK). The education prize from ASK was awarded to Prof. Jörg Brunet, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre.

There were celebrations across campus cheering up the whole of Alnarp, reflecting the hard work and achievements of both students and staff. On behalf of SLU and the faculty, we extend our congratulations to all students and teachers and thank everyone involved in planning and organising the event.

A new course on plant-based foods together with two other universities

Three universities, SLU, Kristianstad University (HKR), and Lund University (LTH) have received funding from Region Skåne to develop a joint, remote course on plant-based foods.

The course, aimed primarily at teachers, will be piloted this fall and takes a farm-to-table approach, with SLU covering primary production, LTH focusing on nutrition and processing, and HKR on consumption.

This is a unique collaboration where educational expertise is combined in this way to develop a joint course. The goal is to inspire teachers, support the shift toward plant-based diets, and ultimately strengthen interest in food science and the food industry.

If the pilot is successful, the three universities plan to seek further funding to expand the course. Håkan Schroeder has been the driving force to bring the experts from three universities together. Aakash Chawade and Lotta Nordmark were involved in planning with Lotta taking the lead in obtaining the funding. Such initiatives strengthen the universities and bring them closer for collaborative research and education.

New mandate periods for heads of department

The appointment process for heads of department for the upcoming mandate period 2025–2027 is currently underway. At the departments IMS and LAPF, the current heads have been re-appointed for a new three-year term. For the departments VF, VSB and BT the process to appoint new heads is ongoing and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

Land Lease and Network 2.0

Börje Persson, from the Property Division, is responsible for establishing agreements and contracts for land leases. He recently visited Alnarp and received a guided tour of the campus and its cultivation areas. Hopefully, the handling of lease agreements will be more efficient going forward.

The rollout of the new network will begin in Alnarp shortly after the summer. To ensure that communication around Network 2.0 runs as smoothly as possible, the project management team has initiated a dialogue with the Alnarp-based members of the steering group.

Making Alnarp an attractive place for companies

A business development group is set up with representatives from SLU, Akademiska Hus and Lomma kommun to explore how Alnarp can become a more attractive location for companies in the agriculture sector.

As part of this initiative, a workshop was conducted with selected representatives from companies in and around Alnarp.  The focus was on how to contribute to the development of the Alnarp campus and its business community through innovation and collaboration.

The key areas for discussion were:
i) Exploring how existing buildings can be optimised to attract more companies and entrepreneurs.
ii) Identifying future needs for laboratories, flexible premises, and outdoor environments that support innovation and entrepreneurship.

This collaborative effort aims to strengthen Alnarp’s role as a hub for research, education, and business in the green sector.

Research infrastructure proposals submitted

A new initiative this year allowed department heads to propose infrastructure for faculty co-financing. This ensures that the infrastructure that is co-financed by the faculty is of high relevance for research and education. Six proposals are submitted by the departments to the faculty. These suggestions will be discussed further at the faculty and a decision for co-financing by the faculty will be taken by the faculty board in the autumn.

Lönnstorp workshop

The infrastructure workshop series that started last year continues and we just had a workshop at Lönnstorp.

The aim of the workshop series is to increase awareness about the research infrastructure, highlight key strengths and features of each of the research infrastructures at the faculty, and discuss how these infrastructures can be developed further.

At the workshop at Lönnstorp, we learned about various ongoing field trials and the available equipment such as tractors, harvesters and drones. Discussions are also ongoing with the NJ faculty on closer collaboration between Lönnstorp and field trial stations at the NJ faculty.

Do you have any suggestions for improvements?

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or thoughts about how we can improve any aspect of the faculty, big or small, urgent or long-term, we at the faculty leadership would be happy to hear from you. Your idea might just be the next big thing (or at least make someone’s day a little easier)!
Just drop us an email with your suggestion!

Now we are reaching the end of the semester and towards a much deserved summer break. As the semester ends, on behalf of the faculty leadership thank you for your active engagement and wish you all a well-deserved, relaxing summer break.