Further development of the career system
The development of KTH's career system is entering its next phase. A Presidential decision is expected t before the summer on how the system will be built and further investigated in some areas, with the aim of strengthening KTH's attractiveness and creating transparency and trust internally.
"This has been, and still is, a thorough development process involving the utilisation of our expertise, which is why we have taken a methodical approach," says Anders Söderholm, President for KTH.
Out for consultation
The report on KTH's career system was published at the end of October last year and has since been discussed at various levels and by different bodies to garner broad collegial support. Since then, the report has been out for internal consultation within KTH, and responses from various quarters have been collated.
"There are two parts. On the one hand, there are proposals on which we have reached a consensus and which we will probably implement during the next academic year. On the other hand, there are some issues that we will investigate further and delve deeper into," says Sofia Ritzén, Dean of Faculty.
The first category includes the following, among others:
- New positions as regular and senior research specialists;
- A right for teachers to be considered for promotion on artistic grounds;
- Possibility to hire substitute associate professors.
- Establishing a new teaching post for which a doctoral degree is the minimum qualification required, to enable the promotion of lecturers with a doctoral degree.
One issue that will be investigated further is how parts of the group researchers can be incorporated into the career system in the short term, and how KTH should use researcher employment in the long term.
Skills and tasks must match
Another issue is how the need for a associate professor to be considered for promotion can be defined, so that the system becomes transparent and predictable.
"Matching competences and tasks is very important. Clear and inclusive terms and conditions will increase KTH's ability to recruit the right skills for the future and retain those we are helping to develop,” Ritzén says.
Therefore, the work that began in spring to develop the assessment criteria in the employment regulations — the qualification requirements that we set for teachers at different levels — is continuing.
Following the President's decision on the intended changes and areas to be investigated further, the central governing documents, such as the employment regulations and rules of procedure, will be adapted.
"We have a strong focus on finalising these issues regarding our career system during the next academic year," Söderholm says Söderholm.
Text: Jill Klackenberg
Photo: Jann Lipka