This opinion piece was originally published in Nerike's Allhanda.
In the large congress hall in Örebro, the country's environmentalists are gathering this weekend for the Green Party's congress. The agenda is overshadowed by the choice of spokespersons, where political commentators assess that there is a division between what the party should focus on going forward, with one half preferring to broaden the party to reach further, while the other prescribes a clear and pervasive climate focus. Regardless of which path the Green Party chooses to take, politics will need higher education and research.
Today's societal challenges such as the environmental and climate crisis, inadequate total defense, lack of integration and increased gang crime require interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research for better understanding and knowledge of what can really change behavior and reverse societal development. At Örebro University and other higher education institutions, the students of the future are educated. After their education, the students will contribute to a knowledge-based societal development on a democratic, equal and sustainable basis.
However, there are several obstacles to universities and colleges in Sweden contributing in the best way to sustainable social development. We see a great need for politics to address the following issues.
- Review of the higher education funding system
Since 1993, Sweden has had a financing system for higher education that provides financial support for universities and colleges. According to studies The cost of higher education has almost doubled since 1993, but funding has not kept pace. Funding would need to increase by between 30 and 50 percent to reach the levels that prevailed in the 90s.
The consequences are that Swedish students receive the least teacher guidance of all students in Europe, that the number of students per teacher is growing, that higher education institutions are forced to cut back on educational premises and that teachers have less time for preparation and development of teaching. The higher education sector has long warned of this development, but without a response from politics. It is gratifying that the government, in connection with its investment in engineering education, has finally acknowledged the reality that we are witnessing, and highlights the need to strengthen resources, but we see a continued need to do more in more areas than technology and natural sciences.
- Invest in free research
Research is crucial if we are to meet future societal challenges, regardless of what they may take. We are currently in a situation where a high proportion of government research funding is awarded through competitive tendering by government research funders, while the proportion of basic funding paid directly to universities is declining. We believe that there is a great risk that this type of funding distribution could lead to a lower degree of risk-taking, i.e. fewer research projects that challenge conventional wisdom. In the long term, this risks undermining the opportunities for groundbreaking and innovative thinking in research.
The basic state funding is the foundation and prerequisite for independent research. This requires a high proportion of basic state funding that is at a stable level over time, combined with a high degree of freedom for higher education institutions to use these funds.
- Strengthen Sweden's attractiveness
Today's migration legislation is in direct conflict with the ambition of increased internationalization and must therefore be designed to strengthen Sweden's attractiveness for highly qualified workers and the opportunity for international researchers to stay in Sweden. We also see a particular need for Sweden to become more attractive as a country to attract young researchers and people with doctoral education.
In a global situation with war, climate crisis, serious crime, bubbling pandemics and worrying economic development, society needs a good foundation that is based on scientific approaches. We, who are representatives of academia and students, are ready to take our responsibility in contributing to sustainable development. For the whole to succeed, politics must also take its responsibility. The Green Party also needs to increase its focus on research and higher education, regardless of what other choices the party makes for the future.
Anna Olsenius, chairman Örebro student union
Jacob Farnert, chairman Swedish National Union of Students