Letter from dean

One of the absolute highlights of the spring has been the departmental visits that Noél and I, together with parts of the faculty office, have carried out during March and April. At the time of writing, eleven out of twelve departmental visits have been completed, and it has been very rewarding to gain insight into all the activities taking place at the faculty. The breadth of research, environmental monitoring and assessment, and teaching conducted at our departments is truly impressive. The dialogues have also given us valuable insight into the quality assurance work being done at our departments and how various challenges are tackled to ensure the highest possible quality in their work. Our departmental visits have provided us with many new impressions and a wealth of useful input to work with going forward during the upcoming term. We are currently compiling much of the information we gathered during the department dialogues to prepare for the faculty's own dialogue with the vice-chancellor in May. So, I would really like to extend a big thank you to all the departments for the work you put into preparing for our visits and for showcasing your activities.

Another very enjoyable experience this spring was the docent lectures, which took place over two days in March. These open docent lectures give our younger researchers the opportunity to present their research to a broader audience. I thought the audience turnout was good at all the lectures I attended, and the fact that the lectures were also broadcast live over Zoom further increased accessibility. One cannot help but be impressed by the enthusiasm, breadth, and commitment that came through during the various lectures. That I then had the pleasure of ending the whole event by enjoying a lovely dinner with several of the lecturers certainly didn’t hurt!

In conclusion, I hope the rest of your spring is both pleasant and productive.

Pelle Ingvarsson, Deputy Dean