Government seeking to cut length of service of universities’ external board members
Another group of European universities has backed rectors in Sweden who are protesting government plans to reduce the length of service for university board members.
In April, Sweden’s government announced 238 new chairs and other board members for 30 state universities and colleges, but said they would serve terms of only 17 months, down from three years.
The shorter length is believed to be due to political concerns about potential international influence on education. But Swedish rectors say the move interferes with institutional autonomy, and they have been backed by European university groups.
Now the League of European Research Universities, which has Sweden’s Lund University (pictured) among its members, has joined the complaints.
Leru said in a statement on 18 May that it had “grave concern” about the move, and it backed the position of Swedish rectors on the matter.
The group said universities in Sweden were “facing a decrease in institutional autonomy”. It added: “Conditions for academic freedom should be strengthened instead of implying politically motivated changes to university boards’ competencies.”
Sweden’s government has not responded to an earlier query from Research Professional News about university concerns around the change.