Work to establish the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
The Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science (INES) and the Department of Geology will be co-organised into a new joint department to be established on 1 January 2026. The new department will be called the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo) and will move into premises at the Geocentre. On this page you will find general information about the process of creating the new department.
Latest MGeo-news
Latest news on the project. This information is also emailed to the staff of the departments of the co-location.
25 April 2025
Doctoral programmes
On 16 April, the directors of studies for the doctoral programmes (Tobias Ambjörnsson at CEC, Martin Bergengren at INES and Mats Eriksson at the Department of Geology) and vice-dean Karin Rengefors were invited to the Coordination Group's meeting. The directors of studies presented their proposal regarding the organisation and roles in doctoral education. The proposal was discussed and is now being worked on further within the sub-project Organisation and Governance.
Structure for line organisation and general accounting principles
Within the framework of the sub-project Organisation and Governance, a total of six sub-commissions are given to the Coordination Group. One of these assignments is to produce proposals and documentation for the incoming Head of Department regarding the organisational structure, including unit structure, by 31 May 2025.
The heads of department and the directors of Geology, INES and CEC, together with Karin Hall, have had initial discussions regarding various aspects to consider when designing the organisational structure. The following summary provides an overview of the discussions held so far, which will be further developed. Discussions are continuing, including with the Directors of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies, to include the organisation of these levels of education. The coordination group is continuing to develop proposals for the incoming management of MGeo. Decisions on organisational structure, etc. will only be made once the new management is in place.
Sustainable line management and appropriate line organisation structure
A completely flat organisation, where the Head of Department is the only manager, is not sustainable in a complex and extensive academic environment. The effective functioning of the department requires a well-structured line management organisation with leadership distributed at several levels.
To ensure an efficient and effective line management organisation, it is proposed that the Head of Department be supported by a number of line managers with staff responsibilities. The administrative manager is the line manager responsible for the department's office, which brings together both technical and administrative support staff.
The department's other staff are organised into line units (working names subject to change) led by heads of unit (line managers). Scientific co-operation takes place both between and within the line units.
To encourage rejuvenation, rotation of responsibilities and to maintain a flexible organisational culture, the terms of office of line managers are limited. To ensure a present and committed leadership, each line manager is responsible for a maximum of about 50 staff members, which means that four to six line units is an appropriate number at the time of the establishment of the department.
Each line unit includes, as far as possible, staff from at least two of the current departments/centres Geology, INES and CEC. In order to create security in the new organisation, the line units are formed taking into account existing groups of staff within the respective department/centre. PhD students and postdocs are included in the supervisor/postdoc host group.
General principles of accountability
In order to promote cooperation and avoid obstacles between line units, it is proposed that the department's teachers be allocated to the department's common main cost centre, also referred to below as an account. Common costs are also charged to this account. By centralising these costs at departmental level rather than at unit level, a flexible and transparent allocation of resources is created, which facilitates collaboration between line units and reduces the risk of internal fragmentation. This also contributes to a better overview of the department's overall financial resources, which in turn enables strategic decisions for long-term development and resource allocation. The Department Board deals with strategic issues linked to, among other things, recruitment and the acquisition of infrastructure via faculty funds. The Head of Department decides on co-funding, including of doctoral positions. At unit level, projects financed by external grants are managed.
The following general accounting principles to ensure clear and efficient management of income and expenditure within the department, while reducing the risks of polarisation between line units:
- Government-funded research and education (vg 11 and 21) are managed in a departmental common account.
- Common costs (vg 91) are pooled in a departmental account.
- Teachers' salaries are paid from the departmental account.
- The Head of Department is responsible for the budget and authorises costs in the departmental account.
- Projects financed by external funds (vg 35 etc.) are linked to the line unit of the grant recipient.
- Project costs are authorised by the head of unit.
Geolibrary moves to Astronomy House - temporarily closed during summer 2025
During the summer of 2025, the Geo-library will move from its current premises in Geocentrum II to new premises on the upper floor of Astronomihuset on Sölvegatan 27A. This means that the library will be closed from 9 June to 31 August. Please also note that the library is closed on 6 June due to National Day. On 1 September, the Geo-library will open in its new premises.
Read more on the Study centre and integrated library page.
MGEO communication channels sub-project update
Work on communication channels for the MGEO, including an external website, is progressing. At the end of April and in the coming months, the project team will organise workshops to gather needs, visions and ideas related to both external and internal communication channels and systems. The first will be a visioning workshop on 29 April, with invited participants from the relevant activities. This will be followed by in-depth workshops focusing on research, education and internal communication.
Do you have questions about the sub-project? Contact sub-project leader Cecilia Schubert, communicator and sub-project leader for the communication channel project, at cecilia [dot] schubert [at] science [dot] lu [dot] se
Previous info from MGeo news in 2024
Coordination Group's First Meeting
The coordination group has had its first meeting. The group initially includes Vice Dean Karin Hall (convener), Head of Department Anders Scherstén, Head of Department Petter Pilesjö, Director Katarina Hedlund, Deputy Head of Department Raimund Muscheler, Deputy Head of Department Anna Maria Jönsson, Deputy Director Yann Clough, Project Manager Daniel Kåreda, student representative Pontus Rabe, and administrative support Karin Hofvendahl.
Project Plan and Subprojects
Project leader Daniel Kåreda went through the project plan for the Establishment of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (STYR 2024/3287), as well as the five subprojects involved. Daniel and the subproject leaders will develop subproject plans in January and subproject groups will be appointed.
Advisory Group's Role and Composition
The dean is the client for the project, and there is an advisory group whose function is to contribute with operational knowledge regarding the direction of the project and to advise and act as a sounding board regarding the project. The group consists of heads of department, director, incoming head of department, vice dean, project manager, head of faculty office and student representatives for both undergraduate and PhD studies. The group will meet every week during the spring.
Project Information and Communication
Further information about the project will be provided in due course.
The project plan (in Swedish) can be found on the Swedish version of this webpage under the 'Projektplan' section (naturvetenskap.lu.se)
The coordination group meets every two weeks. Meeting notes from the coordination group meetings will be sent out to the staff on a regular basis. The coordination group is the project group in one of the sub-projects, Organisation and Governance, where Karin Hall is the project manager.
Working Group – A Preparatory Function
A working group consisting of the vice-dean, project manager, heads of department/director, and administrative support meets weekly. It is a preparatory group for the coordination group. The working group also discusses ongoing issues that need to be handled jointly by the three heads of department.
Collaboration with Safety Representatives and Risk Analysis Follow-Up
The coordination group meets the safety representatives for the departments/centre at least three times during the spring, and the follow-up of the risk and impact analysis linked to the co-organisation will be done on at least two occasions.
At the meeting of the Coordination Group on 29 January, convenor Karin Hall reviewed the function of the group and the sub-project plan Organisation & Governance, for which the group is responsible.
The Coordination Group
- The Coordination Group is a sub-project group but also serves as an interface between the MGeo Project and existing activities.
- The Coordination Group is advisory and makes proposals but does not take formal decisions.
- The Coordination Group has a preparatory group, the Working Group, which consists of the heads of INES and Geology and the director of CEC. They make decisions on ongoing activities in 2025, but not for 2026 and beyond.
Sub-project Plans
Decisions on sub-project plans for all sub-projects, including Organisation & Governance, have been taken by Project Manager Daniel Kåreda on Friday, 31 January.
The plans are available on this site in Swedish (naturvetenskap.lu.se/internt)
Communication to Staff
A new email address, mgeo [at] science [dot] lu [dot] se (mgeo[at]science[dot]lu[dot]se), has been set up to distribute information with all members of staff at CEC, Geology, and INES regarding the Project and its progress. Links to the minutes on the Faculty website will be sent from this address after each meeting of the Coordination Group. Please note that this email address cannot be used for queries.
Questions about the project should be addressed to Project Manager Daniel Kåreda or your closest line manager.
Furniture Management
In the context of the Geocentre II co-location, some office furniture will be replaced due to business needs. Questions have arisen regarding how to manage this process. The aim is to be as circular as possible. Furniture that is no longer needed should be reused whenever possible. The principle for handling surplus furniture is as follows:
- Reuse in the first instance.
- Recycle if reuse is not possible.
- Disposal if recycling is not an option.
Questions regarding this can be directed to Project Manager Daniel Kåreda.
House Forum
The decision to establish a House Forum at the Geocentre was taken on 22 January 2025. The House Forum is an advisory group to the House Superintendent, who was appointed in August, and will deal with ongoing and practical issues related to the management and operation of the building. The House Superintendent is the convener of the House Forum and reports regularly to the Heads of Geology and INES and the Director of CEC.
Initial members of the House Forum are House Superintendent Mathias Svensson, administrative managers Gisela Cesar and Anna Ekberg, and premises coordinator Hanieh Heidarabadi.
Meetings with the Directors of Studies
Next week, on 5 February, the Coordination Group is invited to participate in a meeting with the directors of studies for the doctoral programmes, where discussions on the future assignments of the directors of studies will commence. The following week, the Directors of Undergraduate Studies will attend the Coordination Group meeting to provide a report on their ongoing work.
Postgraduate studies
On Wednesday, 5 February, the Coordination group was invited to a meeting where the Directors of studies for the PhD programmes (Tobias Ambjörnsson at CEC, Martin Berggren at Ines, and Mats Eriksson at Geology) presented their thoughts on the existing doctoral programmes and the way forward as MGeo is established. This meeting was a follow-up on a task assigned to the Directors of studies last autumn.
With the establishment of the Project for creating the new institution, several deliverables have been introduced that affect the ongoing work of the Directors of studies. As a result, they have received a revised assignment and are expected to submit a report to the Coordination Group no later than 11 April. They are also required to consult with the subproject on Support functions.
Read more on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (naturvetenskap.lu.se)
Undergraduate studies
On Wednesday, 12 February 2025, the Directors of studies for undergraduate studies (Johanna Alkan Olsson at CEC, Ulrik Mårtensson at Ines, and Karl Ljung at Geology, who was absent) were invited to the Coordination group meeting. The Directors of studies presented their progress so far regarding undergraduate education in preparation for the formation of the new MGeo institution.
In December, the Directors of studies were tasked with submitting proposals for the future organisation of undergraduate education within MGeo. Following the establishment of the Project, their assignment has now been expanded. The Directors of studies will report back to the Coordination group by 4 April and will also consult with the subproject on Support Functions.
Read more on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (naturvetenskap.lu.se)
House Forum
The composition of the House Forum – the group that will handle practical matters concerning Geocentrum II – has now been finalised. The Forum will include property manager Mathias Svensson, Gisela Caesar, administrative manager at CGB’s Office, and Anna Ekberg, administrative manager at CEC. The subproject manager, Hanieh Heidarabadi from Kansli N, will also participate in the House Forum meetings. Both the mandate and composition of the Forum may change over time.
Read more on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (naturvetenskap.lu.se)
Ongoing work of administrative managers within the subproject Support functions
The administrative managers, Anna Ekberg and Gisela Caesar, have delivered an oral interim report to the Heads of Departments at the Working group meeting regarding the development of a future joint administration. Their work continues within the subproject on Support functions, with ongoing contributions from the KIA consultant.
Monthly Report
The first monthly report from the Project, prepared by Project manager Daniel Kåreda, is available in Swedish on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (naturvetenskap.lu.se)
Safety representatives were informed
On 26 February, the safety representatives at CEC, Geology and INES were invited to the Coordination Group meeting and were informed about the progress of the work.
Karin Hall, who is the convener, went through the work on the delivery targets within the sub-project Organisation and Governance (see sub-project plans on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter). She emphasised that no decisions have been made yet regarding delivery targets, but that everything is still work in progress. The coordination group also handles ongoing matters, with communication taking place as decisions are made.
Ms Hall's presentation is available on the Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (in Swedish).
Criteria for categorisation
One of the delivery goals is to produce a proposal and basis for the organisational structure and division of the new MGEO section by 31 May 2025 at the latest. Here, the Working Group (the heads of departments and Karin Hall) has started to discuss which aspects are important to consider in order to achieve a good MGEO identity when creating ‘section’. (The discussions have just started and it has not been decided that the term ‘sections’ should be used). The aim when creating a division is not to build organisational or scientific barriers and to create a good common identity. Criteria to be used in this work will be discussed further.
Roles
Another delivery target is to define roles, a work that is ongoing and where several other sub-projects (e.g. undergraduate and postgraduate education) are involved. This, too, as well as proposals for rules of procedure and rules of delegation, must be completed by 31 May 2025. It is already clear that heads of department should also be line managers with personnel responsibility.
When it comes to the operational dialogue, the Coordination Group is awaiting instructions from the Faculty.
Relocation plans
Project manager Daniel Kåreda informed the safety representatives about the status of the co-location in Geocentrum II. The main moves (but not all) will take place this summer but exact dates are not yet available. The project is waiting for answers from the developer, as soon as these are available, they will be communicated to all affected employees.
Risk and impact assessment
The risk and impact assessment was reviewed and updated together with the safety representatives. The safety representatives will visit the Coordination Group again in six weeks.
The safety representatives:
- Wilhelm May (CEC)
- Rebecca Malmström (CEC)
- Patrik Vestin (INES, absent)
- Martin Jarenmark (Geology)
- Anton Hansson (Geology)
Nomination committee work and general meeting
During week 10, an invitation to a general meeting and information about the work of the nomination committee will be emailed to employees at INES, CEC and Geology.
The Nomination Committee is on schedule and is now in an intensive phase of interviewing candidates from CEC, INES and Geology. In January, the Selection Committee reviewed the nominations (until 12 January) and held workshops with HR representatives to analyse the University's policy on academic leadership and to develop a profile of requirements for the future Head of Department.
The selection is based on the profile and the policy, with all nominees being considered. The number of nominations does not influence the decision. As the department will be established on 1 January 2026, the Faculty is responsible for the selection of the Head of Department. The policy is available on the HR website.
In April, the electronic voting is planned to take place where the proposals of the nomination committee will be presented. It will be possible to vote for your own candidates. The Dean will make the final decision to appoint the Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department.
The result, including the number of votes per candidate, is presented at a public meeting. The process follows Lund University's election regulations.
At the Coordination Group meeting on 12 March, it was noted that the report on CEC’s network activities has been submitted to the faculty. The Dean will now prepare a proposal for a decision and inform the Faculty Board in April. The Faculty Board will then make a decision at its meeting in June. During the spring, the Dean will continue working on the proposal, engage with additional stakeholders, and gather further supporting material.
The report and proposal focus on how the networks and other special activities within CEC can be organised, continued, and developed after the new Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences is established on 1 January 2026.
Read more on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (naturvetenskap.lu.se)
Unit Discussions
Discussions on proposals for units and the organisational structure of the new department are ongoing within the Working Group (Heads of Department/Director and Karin Hall). The first step is to establish the criteria to be used as a basis. More information about the process, timeline, and opportunities for feedback will be provided soon. If you have any questions or thoughts about the new organisation, please contact your line manager. If you have any concerns, you can also reach out to your health and safety representative.
The safety representatives:
- Wilhelm May (CEC)
- Rebecca Malmström (CEC)
- Patrik Vestin (INES)
- Martin Jarenmark (Geology)
- Anton Hansson (Geology)
Promoting a Good Scientific Environment
Last year, the former department representatives Yann Clough, Raimund Muscheler, and Martin Berggren were tasked with developing a proposal on how to promote a good scientific environment across the entire MGeo. Their task was to address five key areas: research groups, seminar activities, PhD student activities, social activities, and research webpages.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Yann Clough presented insights gathered from discussions with researchers, as well as proposals for the way forward. The Coordination Group will take these proposals into account in their ongoing work.
Relocation, Information Meeting, and New MGeo Team
The deadline to register for the general meeting on co-location at Geocentrum is 21 March. It will also be possible to participate digitally.
Starting after 27 March, updates on the construction process and Akademiska Hus will be sent out every other week in conjunction with the regular MGeo Newsletter.
An email has been sent to employees with workspaces, labs, and/or storage at Geocentrum 2, asking them to specify their needs for access to the facilities over the summer. Based on this, a new Teams group called “Staff at CEC, INES and Geology” has been created. This group will for now only be used for managing documents related to Geocentrum access and is not a communication channel for the project.
Last day to sign up for the general meeting for the co-organisation is 21 March (forms.office.com)
Save the Date – Barbecue Party (spring party) on 15 May!
A joint barbecue party (spring party) will take place on 15 May from 16:00 outside Geocentrum. More information will follow.
On 27 March, a general meeting was held regarding the co-location, providing information on planned construction measures, relocations, and temporary workplaces during the summer closing period. The presentation and recording of the meeting can be seen in the Staff at CEC, INES and Geology team (lunduniversityo365.sharepoint.com/sites/MGEOstaffteam)
Questions raised during the meeting will be compiled with other frequently asked questions and presented in this section (Work to establish the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences) of the Faculty of Science internal web.
Inventory of research teams
As part of the preparatory work for MGeo's future organisation, an effort is now underway to identify research groups within the current departments. Similar wfforts have already been conducted in various ways, but to ensure the accuracy of this inventory, you may be contacted by your manager to verify the information.
New save the date for the barbecue (spring party)
The joint barbecue (spring party) has been moved to Tuesday 20 May, starting at 16:00. More details to follow.
Following the election of a nomination committee for MGeo, the comittee started in November by inviting nominations and votes from CEC, INES, and Geology for candidates for the roles of Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department of the new Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, which will be established on 1 January 2026.
The nomination committee developed a requirements profile based on Lund University’s policy for academic leadership. In addition, they considered other essential qualifications, such as leadership experience and change management skills, deemed necessary to navigate the complexities of the new department.
The committee conducted a comprehensive and thorough review of all eligible nominations submitted by CEC, INES, and Geology. Interviews were held with potential candidates who matched the requirements profile. Reference checks formed part of the information-gathering process, and numerous valuable conversations and discussions took place.
The Nomination Committee has not been able to agree on a joint proposal for the Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department and has, after careful consideration, agreed to hand over the assignment to the Dean.
What happens next?
The Dean will urgently begin the process of appointing a new Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department for the Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences.
Once these appointments have been made, the nomination committee will resume its work to develop proposals for the Department Board. Further information will be come.
Safety representatives were informed
On 9 April, the safety representatives at CEC, Geology and INES were invited to the Coordination Group's meeting and were informed about how the work is progressing.
Karin Hall, who is the convener, went through the work towards the delivery targets within the sub-project Organisation and Governance. She emphasised that the Coordination Group's task is to produce proposals, which the new department management and dean then have to decide on. The work has mainly concerned roles and organisation and the discussions are continuing.
First and second cycle education
On 9 April, the Directors of Undergraduate Studies (Johanna Alkan Olsson at CEC, Ulrik Mårtensson at INES and Karl Ljung at the Department of Geology) and Vice Dean Charlotta Turner were invited to the Coordination Group meeting. The Directors of Studies presented their proposal regarding organisation and roles in undergraduate education. The proposal was discussed and is now being worked on further within the sub-project Organisation and Governance.
CEC
On 9 April, the Faculty Board discussed the network activities within CEC and the report that the working group for the activities submitted to the Dean. The dean will return with information on how this is now being taken further. Read the full report on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (in Swedish).
Monthly report
Project manager Daniel Kåreda's monthly report from the establishment project for April can be read on the page Beslut, planer och månadsrapporter (in Swedish).
Sign up for the spring party by 9 May
Take a break and enjoy quizzes, food and good company!
Contact and questions
Contact your head of department or ask your question directly to Daniel Kåreda, project manager for the MGeo co-organisation.
Daniel Kåreda
Phone: +46 46 222 03 55
E-mail: daniel [dot] kareda [at] science [dot] lu [dot] se (daniel[dot]kareda[at]science[dot]lu[dot]se)
Timetable for the work
Milestones will be added in the timetable in due course.
- June 2025: Election of the head of department and deputy head of department is completed.
- During 2025: Election of the department board is completed (the exact time of the election has not been decided yet).
- September 2025 (preliminary): Co-location to the Geocentre is completed.
- 31 December 2025: the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science and Department of Geology cease to exist in their current form.
- 1 January 2026: the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is established.