An internal evaluation strengthens KTH in advance of the RAE

This August, it was planned that external international experts would come to KTH to evaluate KTH's research within the framework of the 2020 RAE (Research Assessment Exercise). Due to the coronavirus crisis, it was necessary to postpone this evaluation for a year. Instead, KTH will conduct an internal review on 24 – 27 August.

During the first three days, Dean of Faculty Anders Forsgren will meet with the representatives of the nine panels representing the nine research areas evaluated during the RAE, through which KTH receives answers regarding its performance in relation to the international research front.

Replaces KTH’s continuous quality monitoring

Anders Forsgren will conduct a dialogue with the heads of department and coordinators from each panel about the reports they have submitted to KTH's RAE report, which is still in its preliminary stages.

“This internal review week will replace the quality dialogues, the continuous monitoring we usually carry out every year. Naturally, the review is based on written material, in the form of the panels’ reports.”

Makes KTH better prepared for the external RAE review

The purpose of the dialogues is to give heads of department and coordinators from each panel the opportunity to reflect on what they have written in their reports about how they work to ensure the quality of KTH's research in the long term.

“The keyword here is ‘how’. Sure, the reports should be a certain number of pages and should describe certain things. But it’s important to explain the ‘how’ in how we go about things. It’s when you meet and ask questions about what is in the reports that you can have a discussion and a dialogue that allows you to take the next step,” says Anders Forsgren. He continues:

“We look at the content and discuss questions about what they have written with regard to academic leadership, the research environment, the quality of research and other such things. This gives them the opportunity to engage in one more round of reflection.”

The idea is that heads of department and coordinators from each panel will take the comments that emerge and continue to work on improving their reports over the course of the autumn.

“This will better prepare them for the external review conducted during the RAE next year,” says Anders Forsgren.

Dialogue seminar on Thursday with all the panels

On the fourth day of the internal review week, Thursday 27 August, Anders Forsgren and Johann Packendorff, a professor at the ITM School and programme leader at the Equality Office, will lead a dialogue seminar with the heads of department and coordinators from the nine panels. The seminar will revolve around the research environment and academic leadership at KTH.

“At the seminar, I think we’ll discuss and reflect on the state of our research environment here at KTH, highlight what is good, learn from each other and meet with others from KTH,” says Anders Forsgren, adding:

“It has a lot to do with trust and confidence. It’s important that it be a dialogue that those who participate find meaningful. And hopefully I will be able to make sure that it is.”
 

Håkan Soold

Facts:

The focus of the internal review is:

• Leadership (formal and informal) and work environment. The starting point is research-based links between work environment and productivity.
• KTH should be on the cutting edge of the research front. Do we work in a sustainable and methodical way that will ensure that this remains the case, even 10 years from now?
• Investigate what KTH does really well in terms of research, and which areas can be improved

The purpose of the review is:

• To answer the question “How are we working to ensure the quality of KTH's research in the long term?” Each employee should reflect on her/his contribution to this goal, and ask her/himself the question “What do I do to contribute to heighten the level and/or quality of KTH's research? The week is thus an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on KTH's working methods in research-related activities.

The internal review week will result in:

• Strengthened academic leadership and improved reports (in preparation for the next RAE)
• Discussions that can serve as the basis for the next part of the self-evaluation (the RAE) – for example, changing and adding to the questions included in the panels' reports.