Allocation of Funds
A particularly gratifying piece of news is that SLU Grogrund has received a permanent funding increase (a total of SEK 45 million), and that SLU was very well provided for in this year’s appropriation letter – congratulations to the faculties and to SLU as a whole. This enables us to further scale up our plant breeding research, and the fact that the government chose to expand our budget is a clear recognition that what we do within Grogrund is extremely valuable for Sweden’s food security.
The university will also receive relatively strong performance-based funding, as well as special funds to launch a preparatory year in natural sciences located in Umeå.
On a general level, we can note that the government’s budget proposal once again emphasizes excellence and innovation as guiding principles for research. It also highlights the importance of campus-based education, the significance of STEM, and the need for more efficient management of higher education programmes to make them better aligned with societal and labour market needs.
Promotion, Jubilee- and Honorary Doctors
This past weekend, 50 new SLU doctors, 20 SLU jubilee doctors, and 7 SLU honorary doctors were promoted and celebrated.
In addition, the Great Medals for Distinguished Service was awarded.
This year’s recipients were Professor Göran Sandberg (the Great Medal), Professor Mårten Carlsson (the Gold Medal) and Researcher Mariana Pires Braga (the Silver Medal).
The festivities included honorary doctor lectures, the promotion ceremony held in the assembly hall at SLU Ultuna, and a celebratory banquet at Uppsala Castle.
A BIG CONGRATULATION also to LTV’s nine newly promoted doctors (Emilia Berndtsson, Martin Friberg, Maria Hellström, Isabella Kleman, Ying Liu, Oliver Moss, Hannah Ohm, Johanna Osterman, and Muhammad Awais Zahid) and three honorary doctors (Erik O.R. Bengtsson, Per Modig, and Maggie Roe).
LTV’s promotor duties were handled with great professionalism by Professor Åsa Ode Sang, and next year’s promotor, Professor Johan Stenberg, also participated in the ceremony.
Doctoral Education
From the perspective of doctoral education, broad range of PhD courses and other educational activities is crucial for LTV to maintain high quality in doctoral training. Faculty researchers now have excellent opportunities to contribute by applying for funding for new courses and activities.
This year’s call opened on October 2, and the total budget is considerably larger than usual thanks to a joint initiative with SLU and Sparbanken Skåne’s Centre for Sustainable Primary Production. Take the opportunity to apply and thereby contribute to an even better doctoral education!
SLU Landscape Days
We would also like to highlight that this year’s SLU Landscape Days will be held in Ultuna, from lunch to lunch, October 15–16. These days provide an opportunity for colleagues from Alnarp and Ultuna to meet and deepen our shared interest in landscapes.
This year’s programme includes workshops organized by SLU Landscape’s own forums, discussions within our subject clusters, and invited speakers on two themes.
Wednesday’s keynote will address Emerging Digital Technologies and Future Landscape Practices, while Thursday offers a climate conversation on the More than Human approach related to landscapes.
More information and registration can be found via the link SLU Landscape Days 2025.
After the event, participants are welcome to join the industry-focused Ultuna Landscape Day (link in Swedish only) which will take place on the afternoon of October 16.
New managers
It is also worth noting that as of October 1, the Department of Biosystems and Technology has a new head, Lise Lykke Steffensen, whom we warmly welcome. She previously worked at NordGen, where she served as CEO.
SLU’s HR Division will have a new head in October as well, Ola Brandell, who has previously worked at HSB and the City of Sundbyberg, and brings experience from the private sector.
The new head of SLU’s Division of Financial administration is Hanna Mörtberg, who joins us with recent experience from a similar position at Uppsala University.
Unfortunately the newly appointed IT director has decided to leave our organisation after just a short stint at SLU.
Salary Review
As usual, the annual salary review is taking place during this part of the autumn. You can read more on the staff web: Salary Review 2025. Please come well prepared to your discussions with your immediate manager.
Seasonal Flu Vaccination Offered
Starting this autumn and onwards, seasonal flu vaccinations will be offered to all employees. The vaccine will be centrally funded by SLU. More information can be found on the staff web: Seasonal Flu Vaccination – 2025.
New Wireless Network in Alnarp 2026
The major infrastructure upgrade includes the installation of a new wireless network in Alnarp during the first two quarters of 2026. The project has been slightly delayed due to necessary replacement of local cabling, but work is now back on track and is expected to meet the revised timeline.
Campus Plan
The comprehensive Campus Plan has been circulated for consultation, and many interesting comments have been collected. We expect that the plan will be approved by the Vice-Chancellor during the autumn.
Embellishing the Slopes Around Svanedammen
Finally, I would like to draw attention to the fact that, thanks to a generous donation from the Friends of Alnarp Park Society (SAV), we now have the opportunity to embellish the slopes around Svanedammen with new shrubs and trees.
At the time of writing, our horticultural unit is in the middle of the planting work, and by the time this newsletter is published, the work will be completed — allowing visitors to the Park to enjoy the pond’s refreshed appearance.
Håkan Sandgren
Head of the Faculty office
