Karlstad University has consolidated its position as a mid-sized and innovative higher education institution with stable and controlled growth. The interpersonal relationship is essential, and participation and engagement are characteristics of the University. We give priority to quality and enjoy a good reputation among students, staff, and the wider community. The close interaction between research, education, and external partners is notable in all university activities. All members of the teaching staff pursue research, and all researchers teach. The University is imbued with various forms of cultural expression. Research and third-cycle education are the individual tasks of a university. Well, functioning internal and external graduate schools and doctoral programs ensure stability and quality. There is a balance between broad and specialized expertise. The University is internationally acknowledged in several research fields and is also at the forefront of some. There are at least eight strong/excellent research groups of international excellence and great importance to other research environments. Research groups support and inspire one another. The quantitative and qualitative progress has led to a recent and considerable increase in research allocation, and research is externally financed at 50 %.
High-quality teaching, flexible forms of study, professional contacts, and satisfied students are factors placing Karlstad University among the top six universities in Sweden in terms of first choice applicants. The students are engaged and involved in the follow-up and improvement of courses and programs. Our broad range of educational opportunities is balanced and consists of 80 % degree programs and 20 % subject-specific degree courses or freestanding courses. Also, we offer a significant number of attractive and requested general education courses. We train professional musicians and dancers and have added professional degree programs in psychology, jurisprudence, pharmacy, and physiotherapy. We provide students with the qualified professional preparation required for their future careers.
The University is based on regional, national, and international cooperation and is a preferred option for change and improvement processes among regional actors. A robust social commitment is our trademark. Our education and research programs address urgent issues, and we participate in current debates. We make systematic internationalization efforts at all levels. International mobility among staff and students is high, and we attract highly qualified staff and students from the whole world. The idea of sustainable development is notable in all our activities. We cooperate efficiently and smoothly in the whole organization, motivated by the commitment and a shared vision. The work atmosphere for staff and students is characterized by reciprocity, accessibility, and flexibility. We encourage creativity, boldness, and a critical approach. The University has transparent management, collegial influence, an effective organization, and good planning, thus ensuring quiet and uninterrupted time for our duties. Support functions are appropriate and effective in supporting education, research, and cooperation.
Karlstad University strives to contribute to sustainable development. Environmental thinking must permeate all of our activities. We have, therefore, introduced an environmental management system and annual environmental goals. These goals include taking environmental aspects into account in all education and research, making environment-friendly purchases and journeys, reducing the amount of paper and chemicals used, and training the staff in environmental issues. The environmental management system is a way of achieving a better overview of environmental issues to involve all sections of the organization.
The University’s environmental policy focuses on our environmental work and the drive to achieve ongoing improvements. The aim is to take an active and targeted approach to achieve gradual improvements in the situation concerning our impact on the environment. A new environmental policy is drawn up every third year. An environmental committee has also been set up. We have introduced a comprehensive waste-sorting system. Eco-stations are located all around the University. Most waste paper baskets have been removed and replaced by units made to our design for separating waste at source. The aim is for as much as possible of the University’s waste to be sent for recycling and to reduce the number of waste consignments. The University has set itself a target of reducing paper consumption by making increased use of double-sided copying and printing. We also aim to reduce our energy consumption by ten percent in five years.
Our students should be treated equally and fairly in their studies, irrespective of gender. There should be an even gender distribution within all undergraduate programs, and student influence should be evenly distributed and well developed from an equality perspective.
Our staff should be treated equally and fairly and should not be discriminated against or exposed to offensive behavior on the grounds of gender. Women and men should have equal conditions of employment for equal or equivalent work. Working conditions for women and men should be equal, as should their opportunities for development and promotion. Gender distribution should be equal, both among staff in senior positions and within the various professional categories. The University currently has roughly equal numbers of men and women in senior positions. Teaching and research staff should know gender and equality issues and integrate the gender perspective in their teaching and research. This will provide students with an understanding of why men and women are not on an equal footing in several areas and that this is a human rights issue.
Karlstad University cooperates with universities in many other countries through visiting researchers and the exchange of teaching staff and students. We have agreements with about 200 universities and are involved in several international networks. Our ambition is to increase understanding of other cultures and strengthen the University’s role in the international knowledge community. We have a wide range of bilateral cooperation agreements with European and Nordic universities within the Erasmus and Nordplus program framework and outside it. The University is also involved in several projects in the Erasmus program and other European Union programs and initiatives. Further, Karlstad University was one of the founding members of the Compostela Group of Universities, a network of over eighty universities throughout Europe centered on the University of Santiago de Compostela.
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