Three reforms for Chalmers and for Sweden

As a foundation university, Chalmers enjoys greater freedom of action than most other Swedish higher education institutions. At the same time, the framework for our activities is ultimately set by Sweden’s research and education policies – which, of course, is as it should be; we are funded to an overwhelming extent by public resources.

This means that we should maintain a close dialogue with policymakers: to explain how our conditions are affected by political decisions and how we can best serve society.

To do this well, we need to look beyond our own activities and place them in the wider societal context – one way is to think all the way through to concrete political reforms. Only then can we see the real trade-offs and priorities that must be made when political decisions are taken. It also compels us to explain why what we do actually matters to others.

Here are three important changes requiring political decisions where we are actively seeking dialogue with policymakers:

1. Abolish co-funding requirements imposed by public research funders. This may sound technical, but it is crucial for whether Sweden’s research-intensive universities can reach the international top tier. If funders demand that universities use their core grants to co-finance research projects, then resources that could have been devoted to curiosity-driven research, to the universities’ own priorities, and to projects where scientific risk can be taken, will soon be exhausted. In other words, the very type of research that can lead to groundbreaking results. As free resources diminish, so too does the ability to offer international top researchers attractive conditions.
2. Expand tax relief for donations to higher education institutions. International companies such as AstraZeneca regularly donate funds to universities because they want to support strong academic environments near their major facilities. We are convinced that Swedish universities today miss out on this type of donation, since companies achieve far better outcomes in other countries – even in northern Europe – where a larger share of the funds directly benefits the recipient.
3. Facilitate migration for researchers and students. Universities are in fierce international competition for talent. Parts of Sweden’s migration regulations hinder students from coming here, and make it harder for newly graduated students and researchers to establish themselves in the Swedish labour market – both inside and outside academia. Since the competitiveness of Swedish industry – and thus Sweden’s welfare – depends on our innovative capacity, we cannot afford to lose highly qualified talent in this way.

These proposals could have a major positive impact on Chalmers and other research-intensive Swedish universities, but above all they are important for Sweden, for our capacity to innovate, and ultimately for our shared welfare and our transition towards a more sustainable society.

Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President and CEO of Chalmers University of Technology

Under the headline "President’s perspective" the President and CEO for Chalmers University of Technology, shares his reflections on current topics that concern education, research and utilisation.