Several new initiatives at Campus Gotland

The process of establishing a profile for Uppsala University Campus Gotland has been in progress for some time. It has set out from a number of points: research and education focusing on critical social challenges; current educational and research strengths at Campus Gotland; and Gotland as a location.

The areas identified and approved are:

• Energy transition, wind and water
• Cultural heritage
• Games and creativity
• Sustainable social development/digitalisation

The purpose of establishing a clearer profile is to strengthen education and research at Campus Gotland, attract more students and academic staff, and increase external research funding. The thematic areas will also guide the University in prioritising resources for Campus Gotland.

“I am very pleased that we have come this far in the work on Campus Gotland’s profile. We will capitalise on the strengths that exist here to continue to conduct exciting education and research of top international quality. Our efforts moving forward will be based on the focus areas that have now been identified. Several decisions have already been made on specific new initiatives and we will have more to tell everyone about in the autumn,” says Jenny Helin, Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Uppsala University Campus Gotland.

Gotland Forum – new platform for collaboration

The University Board has decided to establish a platform for collaboration, both internally within Campus Gotland and the University and in relation to external parties. The platform will be called Gotland Forum and will be run by a director. Gotland Forum will be a test bed for interdisciplinary studies and methods development where local societal challenges meet excellent research. Current boundary-crossing activities, such as the Blue Centre and the GRASS graduate school, will be linked to the Gotland Forum.

More doctoral students for the graduate school at Campus Gotland

Uppsala University’s interdisciplinary graduate school in sustainable development (GRASS) has involved 12 doctoral students collaborating in five research projects. A decision has now been made to organise a new intake to the graduate school and add ten new doctoral students in 2025.

New business administration programme in autumn 2026

The Department of Business Studies will launch a new bachelor’s programme focusing on sustainable business and management, scheduled to start in 2026. This programme will then replace the current Bachelor’s Programme in Business Studies. It will be possible to study the new programme in its entirety as an on-campus programme on Gotland and it will then be linked to the profile focus area “Sustainable social development/digitalisation”.

Statement from the University Board on Uppsala University on Gotland

At its latest meeting, the University Board discussed the recent attention given to the announcements of suspended and discontinued programmes. The Vice-Chancellor emphasised the University’s responsibility for Campus Gotland and, commenting on this, the University Board formulated the following statement:

“The University Board shares the Vice-Chancellor’s analysis that Uppsala University’s ambitious goals and strategies for Gotland should be maintained, including the goal of 1,500 full-time equivalent students.

Uppsala University is determined to be a committed and important player on Gotland and to contribute through collaboration to the island’s skills supply in an active and forward-looking way. This requires good communication and strong cooperation between the Campus Gotland Board recently established by the University Board, the Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor and the Gotland Committee established by the Vice-Chancellor, as well as the faculties concerned.”

Linda Koffmar