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Platform for research
A mobility programme for researchers, support for young research leaders, collaboration on innovation and a large number of postdoctoral researchers, these are some of the opportunities that the EUTOPIA Alliance offers.
THE UNIVERSITY of Gothenburg is responsible for the work package within research, says Henrik Lindskog, Head of Research Grants at the Grants and Innovation Office, who assists Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Göran Landberg, in his role as the coordinator of the research part of EUTOPIA. – As the investment in the European Universities Initiative is part of the Erasmus collaboration, the research part was originally very small. But one advantage of EUTOPIA is that it can be used as a platform to seek additional EU funding, which has been very successful. In addition to the initial allocation of 5 million euro for EUTOPIA, the research part has managed to obtain additional funding of no less than EUR 7.6 million. Among other things, we have received 76 postdoctoral scholarships over a five-year period, of which 6 go to the University of Gothenburg.
The research part of EUTOPIA also includes a Young Leaders Academy Development Programme, inspired by the University of Gothenburg’s Research Leader Initiative (REAL). – As part of the programme, young researchers learn, among other things, to manage a team, give feedback, write applications and reach out to wider society. We have also received funding for a mobility programme that will give rese-
HENRIK LINDSKOG
archers the opportunity to participate in exchanges with other teams at one of the participating universities. Due to Covid-19, the programme is currently on ice, but we are still accepting applications.
A FURTHER INVESTMENT is the project EUTOPIA-TRAIN, which has just been approved and which aims to develop a joint research and innovation agenda, amongst other things, says Henrik Lindskog. – With the help of tools like SWOT analyses, the universities must identify areas where, as an alliance, we have the potential to excel. The idea is to also collaborate with industry and public stakeholders. The project also involves developing common guidelines concerning transparency, data management and other research support.
Societal challenges and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are central for EUTOPIA’s research activities. But in addition to the general directives, the ambition is that it will not exert any further influence over the researchers, Henrik Lindskog points out. – The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation is primarily a political programme that aims to use research and innovation to create welfare and jobs in Europe, preferably as quickly as possible. Within the framework of the alliance, the focus is therefore on societal challenges, but we encourage researchers to come up with ideas themselves regarding what challenges they want to take on and how they want to tackle them. Because without the commitment of the researchers, we will not achieve anything.
THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE of the European Universities Initiative is to eventually create a new model for how universities in Europe should operate. The ongoing projects are a platform for testing ideas where universities are encouraged to have the courage to fail, Henrik Lindskog explains. – All major Swedish universities are involved in one of the EU Commission’s 41 initiatives. EUTOPIA is an opportunity for the University of Gothenburg’s employees to exercise influence and to have an impact on the future of the European Universities Initiative, an opportunity that it would be a shame not to take advantage of. It is also a major issue that should engage Sweden as a nation: What do we want to achieve with the European Universities Initiative and how should we collaborate with others?
