Strategic planning 2023-2026

Humanities subjects

Subjects in the humanities are concerned with people's experiences, interpretations, forms of communication and behaviour, and the relationships and societies they create. Subjects in the humanities are concerned with people's experiences, interpretations, forms of communication and behaviour, and the relationships and societies they create. Through study and research in the field of humanities, we increase understanding of cultural phenomena and their historical and social conditions.

Humanities knowledge and education provide a basis for understanding, explain and ultimately manage the complexity and globalisation of contemporary globalised society. Studies in the humanities contribute to sustainable and democratic development of society both through the specialised knowledge that they manage and develop, and by training students' ability to work scientifically and reflect critically and analytically. Knowledge of and about language is central to all humanities subjects.

They are a prerequisite for working with sources and materials, but also for developing and communicating analyses and results, both within and outside academic contexts.

Introduction

The Faculty of Humanities at Stockholm University has just over 8000 full-year students and approximately 1000 employees and it is one of the largest of its kind in Sweden. The highest decision-making body is The Faculty Board, which is appointed through collegiate elections. The faculty management consists of the dean, deputy dean, two vice deans and head of office. The faculty of humanities office functions as support for the faculty management and the departments within the faculty.

At the faculty, which consists of 13 departments and a number of center formations, research and education is conducted in roughly 40 academic subjects with different orientations and specialisations. The location in the capital region offers unique opportunities for collaboration and interaction, within both research and education, with a great amount of cultural institutions, authorities and companies.

The faculty has a large breadth that promotes transversal and multidisciplinary research and education, such as historical, cultural and social science as well as linguistic and educational science research and education.

Among the education programs include both professional education (for example teacher, translator and interpreter and journalist training courses) and programs that prepare more generally for professional activities in various sectors. The latter include, for example Cultural studies program, Bachelor's program in museum and heritage studies and the Swedish Language Consultancy Programme.

Qualitative and interpretive approaches characterize most disciplines, but the faculty also houses activities that apply quantitative and experimental methods in laboratory settings, for example in archeology and linguistics.

Leading research

The faculty's research is conducted both in research groups and by individual researchers. Our researchers do well in both international and national competition for external grants. However, to make us even stronger, the aim is to increase the proportion of externally funded research, both in basic research and in applied and practice-oriented research.

We aim for the faculty's researchers to be even more successful in the competition for large research programs and EU funds. The Faculty of Humanities also has one diverse and broad research that means we need to monitor external financing opportunities of a more specialized kind, both within and outside the country.

Doctoral programmes at the Faculty of Humanities are offered in over 30 subjects, in some cases with different specialisations. Doctoral students work primarily within their subject environment, but also gather in the faculty's graduate school and in various national and international networks. Following the evaluation of the graduate school in 2019, its purpose of supporting and complementing the subject environments has been clarified and its activities have been broadened to include not only course delivery but also professional preparation activities.

Actions

External contributions

Faculty management, in collaboration with the Division of research support and innovation, develop initiatives specifically adapted to and targeted at humanities subjects. Subjects with a low share of externally funded research will be prioritised.

The institutions are instructed to review and, if necessary supplement procedures for keeping records of applications for and the awarding of external grants and major scholarships (e.g. postdoctoral scholarships).

Research ethics

Faculty management will actively participate in the ongoing discussions on ethical review forms and procedures, both locally and nationally, and work for subject-relevant application.

Open science

The Faculty shall continuously monitor conflicts of interest between the requirement of transparency and the interpretation of the data protection framework.

Research infrastructure

Humanities research infrastructure, such as digitalisation of archives and libraries, is neglected in Sweden. The faculty management and board will act as a driving force on this issue and seek to collaborate with other higher education institutions in the country.

Climate, environment, sustainability

Faculty management will support departments in aligning with the university's climate roadmap and recognize conflicts of objectives that may arise, e.g. between the research need for travelling and the environmental problems related to air travel.

Postgraduate education

The economic situation has in recent years put a stopped the recruitment of doctoral students in most of the faculty's faculty's doctoral programmes. Since many of the environments were already small, this has significantly exacerbated an already evident in the past problem of small subjects. The Faculty will, for example through the graduate school resources and co-operation in the SLUGU network, support the departments in establishing continuous collaborations between subject environments both within and outside the institution.

In order to provide the Faculty Board and its committees with better knowledge of the scope and throughput of doctoral programmes, the the Faculty Office is commissioned to compile data on admissions and examinations in the thirty subjects in the doctoral programme over the past ten years.

Graduate School of the Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty Management shall monitor the provision of pre-professional activities at the different levels of the university, in order to avoid duplication.

Collaboration

The departments must map out how collaboration with external actors in research and postgraduate education in order to find good examples.

Broad and high-quality education

As one of the largest educational environments in Sweden with a focus on humanities subjects, the faculty offers a rich and socially relevant range of courses and programmes with both breadth and excellence. We have programmes in several subjects that are not offered at other higher education institutions in Sweden and sometimes not even in any of the Nordic countries.

Some of these programmes, language courses in Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Portuguese and Swedish sign language, the Faculty has a specific government mandate to provide. Interpreter and translator training is also offered on behalf of the government. Research is carried out research is conducted in all subjects offered at undergraduate and graduate level.

The Civic Alliance, as well as other networks, has contributed to a marked increase in international co-operation, not least for the smaller educational environments. The strong increased use of digital tools after the lockdown of campuses during the during the pandemic has opened up new didactic possibilities that allow us to reach new student groups regardless of where they are in the world. Alternative pedagogical methods may take time to develop, but the intention should be to be able to offer more effective education without compromising on quality, including reverse classroom, pre-recorded lectures, online distance learning distance courses, and other pedagogical approaches.

A large part of Stockholm University's teacher training programme is conducted within the Faculty of Humanities. The recent reorganisation has concentrated responsibility for teacher education to a small number of departments, making it easier for students and teachers. However, the reorganisation has consequences that remain to be followed up in the the coming years, including in financial terms.

The Faculty maintains good relations with students through dialogue with students in the Faculty of Humanities Council as well as with student representatives in various preparatory and decision-making bodies. In accordance with the rules for student influence, the Faculty offers an introduction for new student representatives in these bodies. The Faculty also values having good contacts with the Humanities faculty club.

Diversity

The faculty management will safeguard the diversity of the educational offer. The ambition to preserve small learning environments remains. The issue will be pursued both internally and externally.

Further education

In the written documentation used in financial and operational dialogues with faculty management, departments should describe the range of courses available to professionals and other groups in society, including educational courses and courses leading to further education and training without necessarily leading to a degree.

Digital development

The Faculty, with the help of the Centre for Centre for University Teacher Education (CeUL), contribute to the further development of teaching using digital tools, both in terms of distance learning courses and online courses in real time.

The faculty management team monitors - in consultation with area and university management and in dialogue with the departments - the new challenges and opportunities offered by AI technology.

Teacher education

The faculty management, in consultation with the area management, will monitor the consequences of the structural change that was implemented when the organizational transfer of teacher education to the Human science academic area.

Sustainable development

The Faculty's departments conduct extensive education and research relevant to democracy, ecological and social sustainability. The Faculty will support institutions that wish to collaborate on these issues.

Collaboration

Institutions should map out how collaboration with external actors takes place in education (e.g. internships) in order to find good examples.

A well-functioning organisation

The collegial and delegated decision-making that is the basis of operations at Stockholm University is based on employees having basic knowledge of regulations, financial conditions and allocation principles, and the exercise of authority. Area and Faculty Offices, together with the departments that regulatory documents and other information are available on the university's website. Active and responsible participation in the activities of the departments, for example in preparatory and decision-making bodies, is a prerequisite for effective collegial activities and a good working environment.

Work environment

The autumn 2022 employee survey indicates that employees at the Faculty of Humanities do not have sufficient time for recovery. The faculty management will initiate a study of which work tasks (and administrative procedures) that different categories of employees perceive as particularly burdensome with the aim of eventually achieving a more sustainable working day.

Digital support systems

The Faculty will monitor and pass on feedback from activities related to the digital support systems to those responsible for development of the same. Recruitment and promotion: In view of the new term of office of the 2024-2026, a review will be carried out of the composition and working methods of the composition and working methods.

Recruitment and promotion

In view of the new term of office of the 2024-2026, a review will be carried out of the composition and working methods of the composition and working methods.

An induction for the new teacher proposal boards will be organized in spring 2024, as well as a seminar day on strategic recruitment.

The faculty management will work in co-operation with Human Resources to develop a good induction programme for internationally recruited staff.

Communication

The faculty management, in consultation with the heads of department, will work to ensure that student recruitment and research communication are prioritised in communication efforts.