Newsmail #95, 2024-05-24

Dear all,

There are still some protest actions on campus (as I mentioned last week). Some vandalization with graffiti on buildings occurred in the beginning of the week. KTH has increased the safety concern, some more buildings are now being locked and only accessible via access card and code. Mainly in the central part of campus. Please read the news items on the intranet and the blog from our rector. Other than that, our campus is showing it’s best side now with all the spring flowers and happy graduating students.

On Wednesday I joined a retirement ceremony of our own Mikael Hellgren who retired earlier this year after many years at KTH. All the speeches, nice gifts, and anecdotes about his professional life at KTH painted a picture of a real educator, a real engineer, and an astonished professional contribution to our society. Thank you Micke for your 30+ years of dedication to our students and our department.

Yesterday I received the results of the quarterly work environment survey (the pulse). As a department, we have challenges, and when I compare our department to other departments within our school, these challenges show in terms of stress, inefficiency, work-life balance among other issues. I plan to share the results with the senior staff next Wednesday, and I expect the unit results and analyses to be discussed at the various unit meetings, but it’s clear to me that we need to take action. I can’t say here and now, but my plan is to come back after the summer holidays with a plan.

About the summer holidays. Lots of things are to be done before the holidays: exams, presentations, reporting, etc. Lots of things are being pushed to August as well. I was very happy to learn from the PhD students at MMK via chairperson Nils that they offered to arrange a BBQ for all of us before the holiday (June 12), in return, I now am trying to schedule a welcome-back activity (a BBQ perhaps) immediately after the holidays.

With that I wish everyone a nice weekend,

Martin