The University's role as a public authority

Source: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/university-glance/universitys-role-public-authority Parent: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/study/admission-degree-studies/applying-studies-when-apply

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What does Lund University’s role as a public authority entail? What action can a university take in different situations? Below, you can read about how laws and regulations determine what the University can and cannot do.

Lund University is a public authority, which means that we work on behalf of the Government. Our remit (the types of activities the University is responsible for) from the Government and the Swedish Parliament, Riksdag, is to conduct education, research and external engagement.

The University is governed by:

laws and regulations, such as the
Higher Education Act
Higher Education Ordinance
annual public service agreements from the Government, which outline the amount of state funding we receive and include specific assignments.

Below, we answer some of the FAQs on what this entails for the University.

What does it mean to be a public authority?

As a public authority, we follow the laws that apply to Swedish public authorities. An important principle is public access to official documents. This allows the public and media to access our documents, except for information that is confidential.

Everyone who studies or works at the University has freedom of speech and freedom to communicate information. This means that they are free to express their opinions. We must also be objective, factual and treat everyone equally.

What can the University decide on?

Overall responsibility for higher education and research rests with the Government and Riksdag, but universities in Sweden have a high degree of independence.

Academic freedom is fundamental for higher education institutions. This means that we decide:

how our organisation is structured
how we use our resources
which courses and programmes we offer and how they are designed.

What do the University's researchers decide on?

Our researchers are free to choose their own research questions and methods, and to publish their results freely. The University does not decide what their research will focus on or which collaborations they will participate in. This is a fundamental element of academic freedom.

Can students influence the University?

Yes, according to the Higher Education Act, students at the University have the right to influence and contribute to the development of education. Through the student union, they have the right to be represented in all decision-making and preparatory bodies within the University that are relevant to education and the students' situation.

What can the University not decide on?

We are not allowed to make decisions outside our remit (education, research and external engagement). As a public authority, we must also be objective and impartial.

The University is made up of a diversity of people with different thoughts and opinions, which each individual has the right to express.

Like most free universities in the world, Swedish universities are not allowed to take a political stance or a stance on conflicts that fall under foreign policy.

How does the University relate to other public authorities?

In Sweden, there are many public authorities that help the Government implement decisions.

Other public authorities include:

the police
the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket)
Sweden's courts of law.

All public authorities are independent of each other, which means that the University cannot control the decisions or actions of other public authorities, and vice versa.

Other authorities' procedures and decisions may affect the University's ability to conduct education, research and external engagement. If so, we can present our views on these matters, for example through consultation papers, statements and meetings.

How is the University funded?

The University's revenue consists primarily of funding from the Government and grants from state research funding bodies and other research funding bodies, such as foundations.

We are not financially dependent on a small number of individual external funding bodies. A small proportion of revenue comes from tuition fees paid by international students from countries outside the EU/EEA, and from donations.

The revenue that the University receives must be used directly to fulfil our remit: education, research and external engagement. This means that we have a limited amount of capital to manage.

Contact information

Johanna Sandahl\ Development officer\ johanna [dot] sandahl [at] kommunikation [dot] lu [dot] se (johanna[dot]sandahl[at]kommunikation[dot]lu[dot]se)

Telephone: \ +46 (0)79 098 65 21

Read more on the Swedish Higher Education Authority website, uka.se: