´Sweden risks lagging behind in the higher education sector´

How will a possible recession affect the decisions that Minister for Higher Education and Research Matilda Ernkrans should take in the coming years?

– In a recession, the minister for higher education is often under immense pressure to increase the number of higher education places. And to some extent it is of course also reasonable that the supply of education is adjusted to the demand. However, in such a situation, it is important to have a clear idea of the long term so that the investments in education and training places also meet the longer-term needs of especially the economy. If the quality deteriorates, that can have serious repercussions for skills provision in the long run. Sweden must have a higher education system that performs well in both recessions and booms. That is why a reform of the resource allocation system for higher education and research is very urgently required.

Which countries’ research and higher education policies should Sweden take inspiration from and adopt?

– Many countries have carried out major reforms in the last ten to fifteen years. In our part of the world, Denmark, often with an overwhelming political consensus, has carried out both higher education and research reforms towards a greater focus and relevance. Finland has also carried out exciting university reforms. The same goes for Switzerland as well as, of course, the United Kingdom, Europe’s leading research nation.

How well do Swedish universities and university colleges measure up in the ever-increasingly digital era?

– I am worried that Swedish higher education institutions will not keep up with development. It is happening at a fast pace now; it is even difficult for the leading international universities to be at the forefront of development. The Digitalisation Commission established that the higher education institutions are ill-equipped. In Sweden, it has also until now mainly been about web-based courses, known as Massive Open Online Courses.

– The data-driven university is just around the corner. In Denmark, the University of Southern Denmark successfully predicted – a year in advance – eight out of ten dropouts and the exact number of students who extended their period of study, something that is hugely important for budgeting and planning. Used correctly, digitalisation can help tackle a number of problems, such as dimensioning [of programmes and courses] and throughput, but also develop forms of instruction and collaboration.

Tobias Krantz was interviewed by Johannes Hylander, senior consultant and partner at New Republic. ‘Three Quick Questions…’ is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.