Selection of candidates for dean, deputy dean and faculty board for the term of office 2027-2029

Fredric Carlsson, Docent and Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Biology at the Department of Biology, Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

Research and education are the issues that engage me the most.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I hope to contribute to the Faculty Board in several ways, not least by bringing a broad perspective on our core mission, grounded in many years of experience from both the biotech industry and universities in Sweden and the United States.

Our Faculty encompasses a wide range of disciplines and departments, all with different needs and conditions. One of the Board’s key responsibilities is therefore to remain attentive and focus on the overarching conditions that enable departments to independently develop and sustain their unique research and educational environments.

An important part of this is working to strengthen our ability to recruit and retain the very best researchers and staff.

Elizabeth Blackburn, Professor of Physics specialising in magnetism at the Department of Physics, Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

It is always difficult to predict the future. However, the Faculty’s goals are clear, and I am particularly interested in two areas that are currently being influenced by various external factors: (i) ensuring that teachers receive the support they need to meet students’ changing needs and expectations, and (ii) enabling researchers to pursue their scientific interests.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I try to be an engaged member of the Faculty of Science community. I moved to Lund in 2018 to establish a new research area within the Department of Physics, which has given me the opportunity to gain insight into how the organisation operates here. In addition, having worked as a lecturer in the United Kingdom for more than ten years, as well as spending time in France and the United States, I can contribute perspectives and experiences from different academic environments.

Although I do not have previous experience of decision-making boards, I do have experience serving on advisory boards, both within scientific contexts and in other roles.

Photo by K. Ruona.

Philipp Birken, Professor of Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

I have been highly engaged in promoting computational science within the Faculty. Through that experience, it has become clear how important the Faculty’s role is when departments need to collaborate on shared issues and strategic initiatives.

At the same time, we are living in a period of major societal and global change that affects the Faculty in very tangible ways, while the Faculty Board must continue to make long-term decisions regarding the development of activities across all departments. I believe these are precisely the kinds of issues that the next Faculty Board will need to address and navigate.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I hope to contribute with perspectives from disciplines that work with simulations and theoretical models.

Photo by K. Ruona.

Susanna Horsefield, Professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

I am particularly engaged in issues related to infrastructure, recruitment and the allocation of resources. I see it as a major challenge to find ways of using our available resources to create the best and fairest possible opportunities for current and future teachers and researchers.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

Through my previous term on the Faculty Board, I have gained valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the Faculty. If re-elected, I hope to contribute with continuity, commitment and experience as an active teacher and researcher.

Lars-Johan Lyttkens Lindén, Librarian at the Science Library, Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

Safeguarding collegiality and the independence of academia.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I have extensive experience of committee and board work and place great importance on ensuring that established rules and procedures are followed.

Photo by H. Bergqvist.

Carina Rasmussen, Research Engineer at the Department of Biology, Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

For me, it is important that both colleagues and students have a safe, supportive and healthy working environment.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

On the Faculty Board, I hope to contribute with my extensive professional experience and expertise in laboratory work, work environment management and safety issues in order to support the Faculty’s continued development.

Helena Filipsson, Professor of Marine Geology at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo), Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

There are several issues that I believe are important to continue working on:

We need to simplify the routines surrounding teaching across departments, particularly within the Faculty of Science but also between faculties. Fair working conditions for staff are also important to me. At present, there are considerable differences between departments for similar positions, which does not feel appropriate.

I also have a strong interest in internationalisation and increased exchange opportunities. Here, I hope the Faculty can help make it easier for both students and staff to welcome exchange students and to participate in exchanges themselves.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I hope to contribute with energy and enthusiasm, as well as an ability to see the bigger picture.

Andreas Persson, Senior Lecturer and Docent at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo), Lund University

Which issues – current or future – engage you the most?

Following a period on the Faculty Board, I see it as important to continue safeguarding collegial governance and to work for openness and transparency in the decisions taken by the Board.

Financial matters are also a key issue. With decreasing government funding, we need to create good conditions for continuing to provide high-quality research and education. In this context, issues such as recruitment and core funding are particularly important.

I am also engaged in how we strategically work to ensure that the right support services are located at the right level within the Faculty – whether at central, faculty or departmental level.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I hope to contribute with experience from my previous work on the Faculty Board, as well as a long-term and strategic perspective on the Faculty’s development.

David Bendz, Director of Research at the Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI)

About David Bendz

David Bendz is Director of Research at the Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI) and a member of the Director-General’s executive staff. He holds strategic responsibility for SGI’s research and development activities, while his role also includes a range of other strategic assignments within the agency. As Director of Research, he is responsible for the overall coordination, governance, monitoring and evaluation of research and development activities, the coordination of research funding, and matters relating to quality assurance and open data.

Which current or future issues are of particular interest to you?

I have a strong interest in societal development, climate and sustainability issues, and the role of education, research and innovation systems in addressing pressing societal challenges. One area that particularly engages me is civil preparedness. This is a highly relevant, far-reaching and multifaceted issue that encompasses both educational and research needs across a wide range of disciplines.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I hope to contribute the experience I have gained from strategic work within a government expert agency. Our work involves close collaboration with academia, other public authorities and industry, and I would welcome the opportunity to contribute an external perspective on the university’s important mission. I also hope to contribute an employer’s perspective on educational matters and workforce development.

Camilla Christensson, certified upper secondary school teacher in chemistry and Senior Lecturer in Natural Science Specialisation at Katedralskolan, Lund

About Camilla Christensson

I hold two degrees from Lund University: a Master of Science in Chemistry and a PhD in Engineering Microbiology. My research background spans several fields, including bioethanol production at the Faculty of Engineering (LTH), biological water treatment at the University of Queensland, cheesemaking at Massey University, and clinical studies at AstraZeneca. In recent years, my focus has been on science education in collaboration with Malmö University and Umeå University. Through various school development projects and assignments for the Swedish National Agency for Education, I have also built an extensive network of teachers across Sweden.

Which current or future issues are of particular interest to you?

I would like to promote closer collaboration between the Faculty of Science, upper secondary schools, and the education of future science teachers.

What do you hope to contribute to the Faculty Board?

I hope to contribute an external perspective, but above all an understanding of the knowledge, skills and experiences that students from the Natural Science Programme bring with them when they begin their university studies. New subject syllabuses have recently been introduced in upper secondary education, which may in the longer term influence both entry requirements and the content of the faculty’s degree programmes.

The Nomination Committee has developed a profile of requirements based on the University’s Policy for Academic Leadership.

The Faculty of Science is seeking a dean and a deputy dean who, together, will lead and further develop education, research and external engagement within the faculty.

• The dean must hold the title of Professor and have previous managerial experience.
• The deputy dean must be an Senior Lecturer or Professor.

Shared requirements

Together, the dean and deputy dean shall:

• possess sound knowledge of, and demonstrated commitment to, the faculty’s organisation and activities
• take a strategic and forward-looking approach
• be experienced, attentive and communicative leaders with integrity and the courage to make decisions
• safeguard collegiality while also exercising employer responsibility
• have documented ability to foster engagement and to work collaboratively
• be able to raise the faculty’s profile within the University as well as nationally and internationally
• have insight into national and/or international research and education policy
• have an understanding of financial management and relevant regulatory frameworks

Who may be nominated

Academically qualified teaching staff

Persons who are employed at the faculty as a Professor, Senior Lecturer, Associate Senior Lecturer, Adjunct Senior Lecturer or Postdoctoral Fellow.

Other staff

Persons who are employed at the faculty but do not belong to the group of academically qualified teaching staff.

Doctoral students

Doctoral students with doctoral studentships are considered students and therefore cannot be nominated as representatives of other staff.

Who may nominate

You may nominate and vote if you:

• are employed at the Faculty of Science
• have an employment level of at least 50 per cent
• hold a permanent position or a fixed-term position of at least two years

Doctoral students with doctoral studentships are not eligible to nominate or vote, in accordance with Chapter 1, Section 4 of the Higher Education Ordinance.

How to nominate

Nominations were accepted at val [at] science [dot] lu [dot] se until 27 February 2026.

The person you nominate must have been asked and must be willing to be nominated. Your nomination must include:

• the name of the person you are nominating and the position for which they are nominated
• a brief statement of justification

Dean and Deputy Dean

The Dean is the head of the faculty and represents the faculty both internally and externally. The Deputy Dean serves as the Dean’s deputy and substitutes for the Dean when required.

The Vice-Chancellor appoints the Dean and Deputy Dean following a proposal submitted through an election process.

Further information about the duties of the Dean and Deputy Dean can be found in the University’s Rules of Procedure on the Staff Pages (staff.lu.se).

Faculty Board

The Faculty of Science is governed by a Faculty Board. The Board consists of:

• a Chair
• a Deputy Chair
• six representatives of academically qualified teaching staff
• two representatives of other staff
• two public representatives
• three student representatives
• two representatives from the trade unions

Representatives of academically qualified teaching staff and other staff are appointed through elections. The public representatives are appointed by the Vice-Chancellor following proposals from the Nomination Committee.

Further information about the duties of the Faculty Board can be found in the University’s Rules of Procedure on the Staff Pages (staff.lu.se).

Voting takes place online via a link sent to eligible voters on 22 May.