New Director of First and Second Cycle Education wants to focus on collaboration and dialogue
Since 1 July, Eva Liedholm Johnson is the new Director of First and Second Cycle Education (GA) for the subject area of the built environment. She has previously been Progamme Director (PA) for the Degree Programme in Civil Engineering and Urban Management and is now looking forward to continuing the development work at school level.
How does it feel to have been appointed Director of First and Second Cycle Education (GA)?
It feels really great,and I am honored to have been given this opportunity! I have always been passionate about education and educational development. Since the Autumn of 2011, I have been Progamme Director for the Degree Programme in Civil Engineering and Urban Management and previously also Director of studies for the Degree programme in Surveying, as well as a teacher for many years. There is a lot happening at KTH in education right now, so it will be very exciting to take on these issues on a new level, to have the chance to work more across the school and KTH with various educational issues. I will work in close collaboration with Malin Wennerholm, who continues as part-responsible for the undergraduate and advanced education in the role of Deputy Director of First and Second Cycle Education (Deputy GA) with responsibility for the subject area of architecture. I look forward to working together with the development of the ABE school's educational programmes at undergraduate and advanced level.
How do you view your new assignment?
The most important thing is that our educational programmes maintain a high quality and that our students are in demand on the labor market. In order to achieve this, collaboration and cooperation is key, both within the school, within KTH and with external parties. I think that the GA role functions somewhat as the hub between the many different functions that contribute in different ways to and develops KTH's education, e.g. the school management, the line organization, program directors, teachers, administrators and students. The ABE school has very dedicated students and teachers and for me it is a priority to take care of their commitment and listen in. Course responsible teachers and teachers must be able to have degrees of freedom to adapt the activities to what suits their course and subject. I believe very much in the importance of collaboration and dialogue.
What is step 1 for you?
At the beginning, a lot is about settling into the role and the work that has already been done and is being done. I want to make sure that we use what is already working and define what development opportunities and challenges exist in the area. We have many different in-demand educational programmes at the school to look after and a great breadth. Our school has a close connection to industry and is already successful in many of the areas mentioned in KTH's new Principles for the future of education. At the same time, the workload for many teachers is very high, not only here at ABE but at KTH as a whole, and we need to try to find ways to reduce the workload through joint efforts. For example, we need more support in computer rooms during examinations.
In addition to your new GA role, what do you do?
I research and teach at the Department of Real Estate and Construction Management on, among other things, land-related rights such as mineral rights, property formation and regulatory systems around the use of the land. Also, my husband and I have a farm in Småland to manage and I try to get the chance when I can to be out in the forest looking for mushrooms!