Achieving KI's vision through strategic focus areas
Broad collaboration and constructive dialogue between the university management and students, staff and KI’s operational managers have resulted in nine strategic focus areas, each of which will focus on a different aspect of what KI will need to do in order to develop and fulfil our vision. Work is now underway to concretise each focus area.
On 15 April 2019, Karolinska Institutet's University Board adopted Strategy 2030, a plan and strategy for how KI is to achieve its vision of “advancing knowledge about life and strive towards better health for all”. Strategy 2030 made it possible for KI to face the outside world and the future in a more effective and robust way, and since then, work has been ongoing to put the strategy into practice, in parallel with follow-up and revision.
The election of a new university management in the spring of 2023, a changing society and operational expectations created additional momentum towards KI's overall objectives. In the autumn of 2023, a broad dialogue within KI resulted in nine strategic focus areas.
Clear direction towards the vision
The strategic focus areas support Strategy 2030 in its entirety, including the prerequisites for achieving the overarching objectives and vision. The work within the strategic focus areas will deliver a strong and attractive KI with sustainable structures, increased collaboration, clarity and transparency.
The strategic focus areas already lie within many existing assignments and projects, but defining the focus areas will in itself serve to clarify and confirm the way forward. Not everything will happen at once, but a lot is already well underway, and several activities have been initiated. We have a clear direction forward with clear ambitions and priorities.
Now as KI takes the next step, we do so from a strong starting position with a solid reputation, strong finances and fantastic employees. We are now consolidating dialogue, collaboration and the practical conditions, and further strengthening KI’s image - both externally and internally.
Each focus area will be concretised
The tasks assigned to each focus area are currently being concretised and formulated. The framework of each assignment specifies when, where and how the tasks will be carried out, who will be responsible for running them and who else will be involved. The work carried out by the focus areas will affect the whole of KI and ultimately be about achieving the university’s overarching objectives and vision.
On this page you can follow the progress of the work with KI’s strategic focus areas.
A. Greater dialogue and transparency
The assignment card with the names of those responsible and contact persons will be submitted and published here at the end of March 2024.
Responsible: Peter Andréasson, Director of Communications.
Contact person: Anna Broberg, Communications Strategist.
About the assignment: The assignment focuses on improving internal communication at KI by increasing the clarity, coordination and prioritization of the communication work.
The work is divided into three main phases:
- Phase 1 involves ongoing work to improve management's strategic internal communication, including clarifying communication channels and strengthening employee and manager communication.
- Phase 2 aims to further deepen the work by improving the coordination and efficiency of internal communication channels and strengthening collaboration within the organization.
- Phase 3 focuses on the long-term management and development of strategic communication, with the aim of maintaining and continuously improving a communicative culture within KI.
B. Clearer responsibilities and roles within the organisation and management
Responsible: Veronika Sundström, University Director.
Contact person: Björn Forslöw, operations controller.
Summary: The assignment aims to clarify the division of responsibilities between line and collegial bodies within the management organization. The work involves a broad process within the management organization to define issues for collegial decision-making and line decisions, analysis of the current and desired situation.The timetable extends over 2024, starting with a feasibility study, development of proposals, anchoring and dialog, referral and ending with a rector's decision.
Responsible: Marie-Louice Isacson, Head of Faculty Office and International Relations.
Contact person: Gustaf Cars, coordinator.
About the assignment: The assignment involves a review of KI's councils and committees to increase clarity and transparency.The goal is to create a more appropriate and transparent structure with clear mandates and reporting paths. The timetable extends over 2024 and the process includes mapping, dialogues and anchoring. The assignment does not include the organization of program boards in first- and second-cycle education, the election organization, steering groups/advisory groups for university-wide functions, or groupings at department level.
C. Strategic and needs-driven skills supply
The assignment card with the names of those responsible and contact persons will be submitted and published here at the end of March 2024.
The assignment card with the names of those responsible and contact persons will be submitted and published here at the end of March 2024.
D. Sustainable and future-proofed finances
Responsible and contact persons: Gunnar Gustafsson Wiss, Director of Planning and Eva Tegelberg, Director of Finance.
About the assignment: The assignment aims to develop a resource allocation model for the research grant that is well anchored in the organization. The model should help ensure that allocated government grants are used on an ongoing basis and do not accumulate as agency capital. It should be possible to apply the model from 2025 onwards. The timetable extends beyond 2024 with the development of various possible basic models that are discussed within KI's various management bodies and then result in a main model that is anchored in the management organization.
E. Optimised use of premises, infrastructure and facilities
The assignment card with the names of those responsible and contact persons will be submitted and published here at the end of March 2024.
Responsible: Karin Dahlman-Wright, Professor; Martin Bergö, Pro-Rector and Gunnar Gustafsson Wiss, Director of Planning.
Contact person: Karin Dahlman-Wright, Professor.
About the assignment: The assignment aims to consolidate and optimize the research infrastructure at KI to increase quality and efficiency.It involves an inventory and review of existing research infrastructures, with the aim of creating an attractive and competent organization that optimally supports KI's research. This includes ensuring operational and information security and efficient use of resources.The process includes preparation of discussion documents, broad anchoring within the organization, and development of concrete proposals with associated resource requirements for implementation, with a timetable extending to spring 2025.
Note: The focus area originally included the separate task E3: Coordinate sustainable animal activities with the region. It is now integrated with E2.
F. Coordinated and optimised administration
The assignment runs as a project over 2024-2025. The project page contains more information on the objectives and purpose, organisation and timeline of the project.
Responsible: Helén Törnqvist, Head of the Legal Office and Björn Kull, Head of the Research Support Office.
Contact person: Richard Cowburn, Head of Unit.
About the assignment: The assignment aims to streamline KI's contract process. The initiative includes strengthened competence and support for contract preparation, negotiations, and risk assessments. The goal is to establish a clear division of responsibilities, improve competence transfer to the institutions, and implement a new case management system to facilitate contract management. Proposed measures include the creation of a contract coordinator function in the institutions and the reinforcement of central support functions. The introduction of a common case management system is an important step in this process.
G. Strengthened and coordinated security
The assignment card with the names of those responsible and contact persons will be submitted and published here at the end of March 2024.
Responsible: Helén Törnqvist, Head of the Legal Office.
Contact persons: Stefan Larsson, specialist and Peter Lidholm, security coordinator.
About the assignment: The assignment aims to strengthen KI's information security work. This work is part of KI's commitment to comply with national security regulations and support KI's strategic goals. By developing and following a three-year goal and strategy document and annual business plans, the work aims to involve all institutions in an improved and coherent information security work, where regular dialogues, training and risk analysis play key roles. The goal is to achieve a high level of awareness and competence in information security at KI, and to ensure a coherent situational picture for management. The work is ongoing and aims to be fully implemented by the end of 2026, with continuous follow-up and reporting to KI's management and consistory.
Responsible and contact person: Mattias Nordström, Head of Information Technology Office
About the assignment: The assignment aims to improve the secure and correct handling of data at KI by increasing users' awareness and knowledge of the Information Technology Office's solutions for storing and sharing data, which include different types of central storage, OneDrive, Teams and various server solutions. The work emphasizes the importance of adapting data storage to different needs and security requirements. The work includes regular follow-up, dialog with users and updating information on the employee portal to counteract risks such as incorrect data storage and the use of non-secure solutions.
H. Strengthened environment for collaboration with healthcare sector
The assignment card with the names of those responsible and contact persons will be submitted and published here at the end of March 2024.
I. Enhanced societal attractiveness and relevance
Responsible: Peter Andréasson, Director of Communications and Marie-Louice Isacson, Head of Faculty Office and International Relations.
Contact person: Peter Andréasson, Director of Communications.
About the assignment: The assignment focuses on developing a process for assessing and prioritizing areas for collaboration with and impact on the surrounding society. The goal is to create a long-term and strategic direction for KI's management regarding relevant external issues and actors, but also to create a readiness for the management to be able to act quickly on urgent issues. The process aims to provide support for collaboration with society, identify priority areas and actors for increased activity and systematically update these priorities. The work process includes drafts, proposals for priorities, workshops with management, and final delivery of process proposals and priorities.
Responsible: Ulrika Widegren, Head of Unit, Sustainable development and equal opportunities office
Contact person: Anna Zorzet, coordinator.
About the assignment: The assignment is aimed at strengthening KI's preparations and collaboration with other universities and authorities for future health crises. The work process includes exploring interest, conducting dialog meetings to explore expectations on the role of universities during health crises, and planning for next steps based on these discussions. The project also includes establishing clear lines of contact and collaboration with authorities and establishing a national health crisis network to promote collaboration and effective communication. KI's Centre for Health Crises plays a central role as coordinator of the network, which builds on previous dialogues and mapping of competencies at Swedish universities.
Note: The assignment is already ongoing within the framework of the work already carried out by KI's Centre for Health Crises. It is thus completed within the framework of strategic focus areas.
Updates to the assignment cards
| 19 April 2024 | Assigntment F1 is updated with a link to the project page. |
| 18 April 2024 | Assignment E2 renamed to "An integrated organisation for KI:s research infrastructure for improved quality and efficacy" (Previously: Remodelling of internal infrastructure organisation) |
| 15 March 2024 | Information about 11 of 18 assignments published in English on this page. |
| 15 March 2024 | Assignment E3 is integrated with E2. |
| 15 March 2024 | Assignment I2 is updated as part of the work already carried out by KI's Centre for Health Crises, and thus completed within the framework of strategic focus areas. |