ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 3 – arts
Including research fellows and researchers the full time equivalent is
21 for all three divisions together. There are 7 doctoral students (Art: 3,
Music: 3, semiotics 1). There is a department board, but each division has
its own committee for all levels of education and for research.
In Art history and visual culture there is a special emphasis on the period
after 1900 including “non-art media and mass media contexts where
visuality and visual aspects have a decisive role”. In Musicology there is
a special emphasis on both Swedish and European music, particularly in
a social and political context. Semiotics has an emphasis on cultural and
in particular visual semiotics. The division of semiotics is the only one in
Sweden and has a prominent status in international research in semiotics
– at the basis of the work of professor Sonesson.
The total revenue is down from kSEK 18 579 in 2003 to kSEK 13 797 in
2007; revenue from undergraduate education and revenue for research are
both down about 25%. In particular grants for research have decreased
(2003: kSEK 4 595 – 2007: kSEK 2 631). Two professors (three, including
Sonesson?) and three lecturers, i.e. about half of the professors and
lecturers, are over 60.
Productivity in terms of PhDs is steady; although it is low (about 3 a year)
it should be compared to the limited number of professors and lecturers.
Most of the PhDs are in Art History and Visual Studies.
It is obvious that staffs of this size cannot cover entire fields of research;
it does thus make good sense that both art history and musicology
have made the choice to highlight particular areas as indicated above.
A merger of the department with Cultural Sciences and Ethnology will
potentially create new constellations, in particular in the field of cultural
history, yet it is important to prepare for new recruitments.
Since there are significant differences between the research activities of
the three sub sections, an overall assessment is not to the point. Below
each of the sections will be dealt with separately.
3.2 Research infrastructure
A regular ‘Higher Seminar of Art History and Visual Studies’ invites
scholars from other disciplines at the department. The Centre of Sound Environment
represents an important potential for interdisciplinary research.
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