Newsmail #88, 2024-03-28
Dear all,
Yesterday MMK hosted yet another visit by KTH mgmt. people; two managers with the overall responsibility for administration of all education at KTH (manager of student service). They explained, for the mgmt. group, how KTH organizes education, how the funding is given from the government to KTH, our processes for opening up (and closing) study programs, who decides how many students to accept to each program, rules and policies regarding the 3+2-system etc. It’s clear that we often take certain structures and rules for granted, while other areas need to be more strict than we have understood. The managers were very impressed by our prototype center and our large engagement in education, in particular experimental hands-on focus, manifested by for example our HK-projects.
On Tuesday, in the school level mgmt. group, we looked at a draft version of the new development plan for KTH, in particular relating to education. It’s clear that we have a rector with very high ambitions and that these are times of change. In the draft version we see clearly that the ambition for KTH is to focus on master level education, on having industrially relevant master programs, tightly connected to our strong research teams, and that the master program portfolio should be more flexible and dynamic. On school level, we’ll therefore immediately initiate a process for establishing this portfolio; which programs will the school offer? What characterizes a MSc-program at ITM? I think that the work we have done so far at MMK, to plan ahead, for example the concepts of “major/minors”, flexible study paths etc leaves us very well positioned in this work.
After months of negotiations, KTH has allowed us to release the A3-corridor, the corridor were the HK-rooms, the Mechatronics lab and the Master lounge are located. We’ll leave the space end of June. While this gives a financial advantage, we can keep our rent low, it leaves us with a stressful spring in terms of moving around. The IPD unit will move their offices to the 4th floor, and the former IPD offices will be used as HK-rooms and spaces for student supervision. The mechatronics lab will move to the ground floor, the former B242 room. I sincerely hope that this is the final reshuffling in a long time to come.
On Monday, we hosted yet another group of children, 27 children ages 8-9, who spent some time in our prototype center. This time I asked three more colleagues to help out, which was really useful when we took the group to lunch. All 27 children now have told their parents that they definitely have decided to study at KTH. Mainly because of the ice cream after lunch, but also for the nice experience in our labs. And the fact that they got to meet a real astronaut. Even though they were disappointed that he didn’t wear his space suit.
The upcoming weekend is a major holiday for many, and it seems that the weather will be nice, so with that I wish everyone a nice long weekend.
Best,
Martin