Development Plan

Vision

Södertörn University will be a university that contributes to sustainable societal development through research, education and critical reflection on contemporary challenges.

University-wide objectives

Strong academic environments – In the period up to the end of 2026, we will:

• strive for a balance between education and research in our academic environments
• further develop a quality culture based on collegiality and core academic values
• create opportunities for researchers and teachers to develop at every stage of their career
• increase the proportion of teaching staff who are employed on permanent contracts
• strengthen the university’s competitiveness in the recruitment of teachers and researchers by developing favourable conditions for academic positions
• promote gender-equal research and education environments
• develop the university’s five research platforms
• focus on a strong research foundation for the teacher and police education programmes
• explore opportunities to switch to a more university-like organisation or to more academically accepted names for our organisational units
• promote academic freedom and the institutional integrity of scholarship, nationally and internationally
• work to provide good infrastructure and well-functioning support structures for research
• examine the need to enhance process support for major research, training and collaborative projects at regional, national and international levels
• highlight research in the university’s external communication
• implement our digitalisation strategy

An attractive and welcoming university – In the period up to the end of 2026, we will:

• continue the development of Campus Flemingsberg as a knowledge-intensive meeting place, where the university provides a hub for others
• create opportunities for personal mobility and close relationships with other societal sectors and businesses
• develop mutual strategic partnerships that both strengthen the quality of the university’s education and research and contribute to knowledge development, skills supply and societal innovation: regionally, nationally and internationally
• strengthen the attractiveness of the university for students, teachers and researchers, as well as administrative staff, by continuing to work for the university to achieve formal status as a full university

Academic teacherhood and active student participation – In the period up to the end of 2026, we will:

• continue to enhance formats for student influence and active student participation
• continue to develop digital elements in education and support skills development for university staff
• develop the multidisciplinary working methods for courses and programmes
• promote academic freedom in education, both for teachers and students

Sustainable development in education, research and collaboration – In the period up to the end of 2026, we will:

• develop an integrated understanding of the various dimensions of sustainable development and society’s transition to sustainable development
• relate research and education to societal stakeholders’ needs for sustainable development and transition
• reflect on potential conflicts of interest in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, to arrive at a sustainable balance and to work for a sustainable world
• integrate sustainable development issues into education, research and administrative support

Research about the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe – In the period up to the end of 2026, we will:

• serve as a hub for high-quality research on the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe and its transformation
• develop and strengthen international partnerships relevant to the research area
• increase societal knowledge about research into the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe through more effective communication
• work to broaden and deepen the university’s academic cooperation with Ukraine

Södertörn University in the world – In the period up to the end of 2026, we will:

• renew our internationalisation strategy, with a specific focus on research, staff and student mobility, collaboration and sustainable societal development
• create good opportunities for international researchers, teachers and doctoral students to work at Södertörn University
• endeavour to create good opportunities for increased mobility by giving university researchers, teachers, doctoral students and administrative staff the opportunity to visit higher education institutions abroad, preferably in Eastern Europe
• pursue responsible internationalisation and academic mobility, as well as safeguarding academic freedom and institutional integrity in our internationalisation work
• take measures to highlight the international and intercultural experiences and knowledge of students and staff, not least in terms of languages
• with consideration for national security requirements, promote international recruitment of research staff and students, and offer university-wide support for researchers and doctoral students from other countries
• increase opportunities for environmentally sustainable meetings, both physically and digitally

Read the Development Plan in full