I would like to share reflections on two recent, significant discussions with focus on the School’s strategic direction. On October 16-17, we held a management retreat centered on key faculty matters, with  emphasis on reexamining our school’s financial model at a foundational level. I deeply appreciate the openness and collegiality demonstrated by all department heads. Your collective willingness to understand the distinct challenges across departments, coupled with a strong commitment to constructive collaboration, has been invaluable. This exchange has laid a strong foundation and is a first step for developing a sustainable, equitable model that aligns resources with departmental and school-wide priorities.

In addition, on October 21, we held our “verksamhetsdialog” with KTH’s leadership, including the president, vice president, faculty dean, and faculty vice dean. This session covered several  points: our strategies for enhancing teaching revenues, initiatives for sustaining high-quality education programs, the school’s financial performance, and our broader research and reform agenda. A key message conveyed was that research at the SCI school serves as a flagship for KTH, reflecting our success in securing competitive grants and achieving international distinction. However, we highlighted challenges in two particular areas where we feel our potential remains underutilized. First, theoretical research often lacks access to comparable levels of external funding despite our considerable strength and potential in this domain. Second, research requiring specialized laboratory resources faces unique funding limitations when compared to larger, more generalized research infrastructures.

Both the retreat and the operational dialog underscore our shared commitment to fostering an environment of academic excellence through transparent and constructive collaboration.