University Management's external positions of trust

The Association of Swedish Higher Education (SUHF)

Founded in 1995, the Association of Swedish Higher Education (SUHF) promotes the Swedish higher education sector’s interests vis-à-vis external actors and strengthens its internal cooperation. 38 universities and university colleges are members of the association, all on a voluntary basis.

SUHF is an arena for discussion and strategic decisions relating to higher education. The varying sizes and different orientations of the universities and university colleges that constitute SUHF make for a multi-facetted approach to the many issues that unite them. Within SUHF, designated expert groups and working groups deal with specific issues that are pertinent to the sector. These groups publish reports, recommendations and statements.

Internationally, SUHF is a member of the European University Association (EUA), the Nordic University Association (NUS) and the International Association of Universities (IAU).

The following University Management members are part of SUHF:

Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor

• SUHF chair 2023–2024
• Expert group for analysis, chair
• Expert group on teacher training, member

Katrine Riklund, Pro-Vice-Chancellor

• Expert group on ethics, member
• Working group for disciplinary matters, chair
• Working group for the planning of the supply of skills in the healthcare sector, member

Dieter Müller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

• Expert group for collaboration, member
• SUHF representative in Swepub’s development council

Cathrine Norberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

• SUHF expert group for teacher education, member

Hans Wiklund, University Director

• Expert group for the management and archiving of information, chair
• Working group Platform for Internationalisation, member

Per Ragnarsson, Assistant University Director

• Finance expert group, member

The Principals’ Council

The Principals’ Council is the official beneficial owner of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

It consists of the vice-chancellors of the universities of Gothenburg, Linköping, Lund, Stockholm, Umeå and Uppsala, of Karolinska Institutet, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Luleå University of Technology, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Stockholm School of Economics as well as one representative each of the Swedish Academy, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of History, Letters and Antiquities.

The Principals' Council is a key forum for the discussion of strategic, research-related issues that concern the entire higher education sector, such as research infrastructure, granting processes and open science. It liaises with the Swedish Government Offices, various governmental research councils, foundations, and relevant public agencies and bodies.

The Principals' Council usually convenes four times a year, plus on one additional occasion each year (as beneficial owner of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation).

The following University Management member is part of the Principals’ Council:

• Hans Adolfsson, chair (1 July 2022–30 June 2025).

URFI – research infrastructure reference group

Swedish universities have a national reference group for research infrastructure referred to as URFI (Universitetens referensgrupp för forskningsinfrastruktur). URFI is a cross-sectoral higher-education cooperation body, initiated by the abovementioned Principals’ Council, that focuses on matters of research infrastructure.

URFI has twelve members: eleven who are in charge of the topic of research infrastructure at the universities of Gothenburg, Linköping, Lund, Stockholm, Umeå and Uppsala, at Karolinska Institutet, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Luleå University of Technology and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, plus one member appointed by SUHF to represents the other higher education institutions in the country that are not individually represented in URFI.

The group’s members have all signed up to advancing cooperation between higher education institutions and other actors through URFI, to safeguard Sweden’s access to research infrastructure and carefully prioritise and maximise the country’s use of this infrastructure. Members must also encourage, when appropriate, the country’s higher education institutions to present a united front to public agencies in matters relating to research infrastructure. This requires URFI to regularly touch base with the Swedish Research Council’s Council for Research Infrastructures and other relevant public agencies and bodies.

URFI’s chair is elected internally, for a period of one year at a time.

Lund University’s Vice-Chancellor, Viktor Öwall, is the group’s current chair (1 July 2022–30 June 2023). 

The following University Management members are part of URFI:

• Hans Adolfsson, member appointed by SUHF
• Katrine Riklund, member

Other external commitments

Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor

• WASP-HS (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program ─ Humanities and Society), vice-chair of the board
• Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT), deputy chair of the board
• IVA Nord (regional network of The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences), board member
• Umeå University Holding AB, board member
• Västerbotten County Administrative Board’s supervisory council, member
• Strukturfondspartnerskap for the European Regional Fund’s programme area Övre Norrland, member
• Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) reference group for representatives of higher education institutions, member

Katrine Riklund, Pro-Vice-Chancellor

• National Health Competence Council
• Medical Products Agency’s Scientific Council, member
• National Board of Health and Welfare, ST Council (physicians in specialist training), member
• SciLifeLab, board member
• Science Park i Umeå AB, board member
• Research!Sweden, member
• EU commitments: SAMIRA (Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications) Action Plan, steering group member

Dieter Müller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

• KLOSSnet, Umeå University representative
• Coordinator of Umeå University’s role in the societal transformation of the north of Sweden

Cathrine Norberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

• Teacher Education Convention, a national network of higher education institutions with a teacher education, vice-chair

Hans Wiklund, University Director

• National coordinator for more clinical training places (VFU) on the Nursing Programme

Per Ragnarsson, Assistant University Director

• CSN’s supervisory council, member 
• The Wallenberg Foundations, substitute lay auditor 
• Lars Färgares Gård Foundation, member 
• Universitetshallen Foundation (IKSU’s facilities), member