As Head of the Faculty Office, you are involved in a wide range of issues, which provides a broad perspective on the organisation. Our facilities are, in many ways, the foundation of everything we do. They need to function well, be fit for purpose, and be available when needed – while also being used efficiently so that valuable space does not stand empty.
A few years ago, a more coordinated effort was initiated to review the faculty’s premises. At the time, discussions largely centred on a perceived lack of space. Today, the situation looks different, with organisational development, structural changes and financial conditions playing a much greater role in shaping how we think about and use our facilities.
This is not an area in which I am personally an expert, but that is often the case in our work. We are supported by a strong Faculty Office, which enables us to address complex issues together. In this context, Hanieh Heidarabadi, process manager at the Faculty Office, has played a key role in driving the work forward in close collaboration with the institutions and others.
A substantial amount of work has already been carried out to map our facilities – including room inventories, analyses and calculations, as well as numerous relocations and adaptations. I have followed the developments at Geocentrum, where renovations are now nearing completion for our newly established Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
At the same time, significant changes are taking place across the faculty. The Department of Biology is preparing to vacate parts of the Biology Building, largely due to rising rental costs, and is currently undertaking extensive work to identify new solutions. Similar processes are underway at Kemicentrum, where parts of the Department of Chemistry will need to leave certain areas and instead consolidate their activities elsewhere in the building.
So, while much has already been achieved, considerable work remains. We are far from finished.
An important development ahead is the transformation of the Astronomihuset, which will become Universum – a central study hub for the natural sciences. As many of you will have read, the plan is to bring together subject libraries and create study and meeting spaces for students, doctoral candidates and staff, while the Faculty Office and leadership remain in the building on the second floor.
The building will also host a Learning Lab on the ground floor – a flexible environment for pedagogical development and teaching. This is a pilot initiative in collaboration with Akademiska Hus and the Faculties of Humanities and Theology. Work is currently ongoing on financial assessments and planning for the next phase.
In parallel, work is progressing in relation to the university’s new campus plan. The leadership team will soon meet with LU Byggnad to discuss what this means for us, our short- and long-term needs, and how we want to develop our environments going forward. Campus-related issues are becoming increasingly important, not least in relation to our landlords and the long-term planning of university facilities.
In the coming years, we will continue to work actively with these questions. My role is to contribute where needed, support the overall perspective, and help create sustainable conditions for well-functioning environments for research, education and our staff.
Catrin Malmström, Head of Faculty Office, Faculty of Science
