Why has the University started this project? 

At Lund University, the faculties and departments carry out extensive work with the aim to promote gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity. Each faculty works on the systematic preventive work against discrimination including gender equality and equal opportunities. 

At the university-wide level, there is a Lund University Policy for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, support material for the systematic preventive work as well as expertise in the application of the Discrimination Act based on employer and education provider perspectives and external monitoring of the issues. Each year an ‘equality’ report is required from the faculties to fulfil the documentation requirement in the Discrimination Act. 

To reinforce the university-wide work, the University has decided – through this project – to review how the university-wide systematic and preventive work against discrimination is to be structured so that experiences from finalised projects can better benefit others and to ensure that the funds allocated by the board are used optimally.

What is the aim of the project? 

The aim of the project is to develop effective and useful work methods for the university-wide systematic preventive work against discrimination and on gender equality and equal opportunities. 

What are the project goals? 

The impact goal is for the University to be an organisation free of discrimination that is characterised by respect and understanding and has an effective and well-functioning structure for the initiation, implementation and evaluation of the systematic preventive work against discrimination.

The project has two delivery goals, namely to  
1.    evaluate the initiatives and projects carried out and financed via central funds 
2.    present concrete proposals for the development of work methods at the university-wide level. 

How will the project be carried out?

The project will focus on four areas:
1.    Systematic preventive work against discrimination with a focus on specific work methods for risk assessments, active measures and follow-ups.  
2.    Control, organisation of and support for the systematic preventive work against discrimination with a focus on leadership structures, decision-making procedures and mandates
3.    Assessment for recruitments, promotions and appointments of staff as well as assessment and examination of student knowledge. 
4.    Knowledge and talent management with a focus on internal and external communication, training in teaching and learning in higher education and structures for the acquisition of knowledge from leaders, managers and employees. 

The proposals will be produced in stages, through:
•    the review of relevant regulatory documents, organisational matrices and decision-making procedures.  
•    comparisons with six other Swedish universities, namely Malmö, Gothenburg, Uppsala, Stockholm and Umeå as well as KTH Royal Institute of Technology. 
•    interviews, both individually and in groups, with staff and students. Interviews are to include: 
a.    People in central leadership positions.
b.    All faculty managements and the president of the Lund University students’ unions. 
c.    People with roles relating to gender equality and equal opportunities.  
d.    Members of formal or informal networks 

All proposals are to be produced in collaboration and circulated for consultation before the presentation of final proposals. All proposals are to include an implementation plan. 

Are there any project delimitations? 

The project will not address the broadened recruitment of students or the incidence and management of harassment and victimisation.  

Who is involved in the project?

The project is commissioned by the vice-chancellor of the University.  

The steering committee consists of the vice-chancellor, the university director Susanne Kristensson, the director of human resources Ann Silbersky Isaksson, dean Mia Rönnmar, a ST/OFR union representative as well as a student representative from the Lund University students’ unions. The project will be carried out in close consultation with the management group for the Tellus project.  

The project group consists of project manager Jimmie Kristensson (vice-dean, Faculty of Medicine) and project administrator Ellen Karlsson (Division of Human Resources).

The project has three reference groups:
1.    the members of the gender equality and equal opportunities council (R-JOL)
2.    students
3.    staff who are interested in participating

What is the project schedule? 

The project started on 1 November 2019 and is scheduled to conclude on 28 February 2021.