Deputy dean Aakash Chawade shares several positive developments for the faculty and vicedean of first and second cycle education Caroline Dahl writes about news on the education front.
This is a period of significant positive development for LTV, marked by a substantial budget increase, the successful implementation of our new subject areas, and exciting advancements in our research and education. From the Prime Minister's visit highlighting our research to the strategic planning for our campus, these updates reflect our collective ambition and teamwork for a forward-looking faculty.
The annual allocation of government funding to SLU's faculties is decided by the university board. For 2026, the LTV faculty received a total budget increase of 9%, the highest among four faculties.
This growth is driven by two main factors: a 10% rise in the basic education budget, following the transfer of the "Lantmästare" program to PN LT from PN NJ, and a 9% increase for research, largely due to an additional 10 million SEK for the SLU Grogrund platform.
Of the government funding received by LTV, in addition to the fixed investments, strategic annual allocation is done by LTV faculty board for various initiatives that are of high strategic relevance to the faculty. In 2026, similar to previous years, nearly 47 million SEK are allocated to strategic initiatives such as co-financing for Phd positions, early career and BUL positions, co-financing of OH for external projects to name a few.
Between 2022 and 2025, the faculty and the departments conducted a comprehensive review of its subject areas which resulted in 20 subject areas at the faculty for 2026. This was an excellent team effort by all members of the faculty.
Our focus now shifts to strategic support to the subject areas, including prioritizing resources such as academic positions and PhD students where most appropriate.
Subject area leaders are encouraged to take up courses in leadership and administration to carry out their duties in best possible manner. We will soon plan workshops for all subject area leaders to identify key collaboration opportunities.
Subject areas are designed for long-term development and will be followed annually, with reports due each September. Subject areas with fewer than 15 academic personnel may be re-evaluated to ensure their continued viability.
We are actively working with the development of research infrastructure at the LTV faculty. Our research infrastructure from greenhouses and climate chambers to field stations and labs are vital assets that require continuous development.
To ensure strategic and sustainable development, the faculty board has implemented a new funding model. Larger, faculty-level infrastructure receives long-term investment, while department-level infrastructure can now apply for annual co-financing from the faculty. This opens up new opportunities for the departments to propose existing or new research infrastructure for co-financing from the faculty.
Within this new model, the faculty this year received a total of six suggestions for research infrastructure from the departments of which four were granted faculty co-financing. The next application deadline for infrastructure co-financing is May 2026.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visited the Alnarp campus in October. He was welcomed by the vice-chancellor Maria Knutson Wedel and the dean of LTV faculty Christina Lunner Kolstrup. His visit was for to learn how research and education in plant breeding at SLU contributes to food security.
During the tour, we showcased how research at SLU such as in SLU Grogrund is focused on building critical climate resilience. We had a look at exciting experiments conducted by many colleagues on key crops such as wheat, oats, barley, red clover, faba bean, apple and potatoes targeting traits like yield, quality, tolerance to heat, drought, waterlogging, and disease resistance.
We also toured our advanced, climate-controlled growth facility Biotron! A state-of-the-art facility demonstrating how modern research infrastructure is vital for accelerating plant breeding.
We are currently having several strategic discussions led by the dean to further strengthen our faculty. Here is an update on some of the ongoing discussions:
Campus development is a priority topic for continuous discussions. The planned train station and a good bus connection to Malmö are essential for Alnarp. Planning of western node is ongoing for lab spaces, offices, and co-localization of five departments. Increased collaboration among the departments, good working environment, cost effectiveness and sustainability form the core of the discussions.
We are exploring ways to diversify our funding, by attracting private donations to complement our other funding sources. A visit to Lund University's fundraising initiative provided valuable insights into this area. We will continue to work on this in the coming months.
Another area for improvement is research and education in horticulture. The faculty has competence and ongoing initiatives within horticulture from plant breeding to business economics. We will be initiating broader discussions on this with all departments in the coming months.
With best regards
Aakash Chawade
The inquiry into strategic student recruitment has now been completed and submitted to the vice-chancellor. It remains to be seen how the proposals put forward will be implemented, but there are several thought-provoking observations and suggestions.
One proposal involves drawing up communication plans for our programmes. We are keen to support this work to ensure that we reach the right target groups with relevant messages.
The report also highlights how SLU can improve its student retention. Currently, only half of the students admitted remain in the third semester, which is far too low a figure and something we will need to work on.
The LTV Faculty and PN-LT will continue to focus on recruitment by taking up some of the suggestions in the inquiry report and continuing to carry out marketing initiatives, for example through trade fairs and ads on public transport ahead of the spring application round.
With best regards
Caroline Dahl
Aakash Chawade, Deputy Dean, Senior Lecturer
Department of Plant Breeding
Caroline Dahl
Vicedean of First and Second cycle Education at LTV Faculty,
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management
caroline.dahl@slu.se, +4672-213 15 30