Statement on the government's decision on the boards of higher education institutions

Uppsala Student Union and the Doctoral Board at Uppsala University are writing to urge the government to reverse its decision to increase political control over university boards. The government must restore the term of office to three years and make it clear that they intend to return to the system where daily political issues do not control the selection of university board members. Academic freedom requires freedom from political control as well as trust between academia and those in power. The measures now decided by the government threaten both of these values.

On April 27, the government announced its decision on new boards for Swedish universities and colleges. After a period of silence in the normal appointment process, the government suddenly announced that the usual three-year term of office would be shortened to 17 months. The government also announced its intention to appoint members with specific security policy expertise in response to threats from foreign powers.

This procedure strongly violates the norms of academic freedom that prevail in Sweden. The existing practices for appointing university boards are designed to keep political power at arm's length from academia. The news of sudden changes to the terms of office and specific criteria for members represents a sharp departure from the current system. 

The reactions from the higher education world have not been long in coming. The Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers (SULF), the Swedish Association of Universities and Colleges (SUHF) and the Swedish Students' Union (SFS), all the rectors of Sweden's universities and colleges, as well as a number of leading social commentators have expressed their dismay at the proposal. Uppsala Student Union and the Doctoral Students' Committee at Uppsala University hereby join this group and strongly express our disapproval of the government's decision.

Education Minister Mats Persson's line that political governance is there to protect Swedish universities from external threats does not hold. Academic freedom cannot be dependent on other social developments. Academia and universities must always be free from direct political interference. The highly contested decision taken by the government goes in the opposite direction. It undermines the principle of academic freedom and opens the door to further restrictions if or when politicians perceive new threats. We cannot tolerate this development.

In a world where academic and democratic freedoms are increasingly under threat, their defense needs to be centered around strengthening and expanding these values - not the other way around. We trust Mats Persson when he says that the government's intentions are good. At the same time, the measures now taken are misguided and ineffective - it is not in the university boards that the security work of the universities takes place. Furthermore, the government's decision undermines the trust between academia and politics.

If the government wants to strengthen the protection of patents produced by Swedish research and prevent foreign powers from using our education system in a way that harms Swedish interests, this must be done in dialogue with Swedish universities and colleges. There are no simple solutions to such issues. A single board member will not act as a guarantor for improved security work. Instead, provide resources and expertise where they are needed - and do so in a way that safeguards academic freedom as well as trust between politicians and academics. This is the way forward to safeguard academic freedom.

Anton Sánchez Sulejmani‍

The President
Uppsala Student Union

Topias Tolonen‍

Chairman of the
Doctoral Board at Uppsala University

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