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

Part 2 – Conclusions of the review
Mathematics
38. Mathematics continues to maintain international standards and
presence despite lack of funding opportunities for curiosity driven
research. Collectively, staff members are editors of ten internationally
respected journals. All research oriented faculty members publish in
and serve as referees for a number of respected international journals.
They have also been awarded prestigious national and international
awards. The needs of mathematicians are modest and small amounts
of funding will go a long way in attracting/retaining young faculty
with high international reputations. Some areas already have extensive
collaborations both within Lund University, with local industry
and with other international groups. Others in mathematics could
benefit from initiatives that foster interdisciplinary work.
Chemistry
39. The panel is greatly impressed by the many excellent and outstanding
groups operating within the umbrella of chemical sciences.
(This also applies to the Department of Immunotechnology, which
was assessed separately by an external scientist: see Annex 1, Panel 5
Chemistry, Section 5). There are indisputably star individuals, and
the central facilities are second to none – arguably among the best in
the world. Excellent and outstanding research areas are numerous.
Those areas of activities adjacent to biology are particularly good.
So far as the physico-chemical sciences are concerned, there is room
for new directions of research devoted to preparation and synthesis
of new materials across the entire domain of chemistry. The new
molecules and materials will befit the university in two ways:
i) Offering new directions of activities in physico-chemical
sciences;
ii) Making the department more attractive for Swedish and
international industry.
40. To maintain a high standard and to enhance it further, certain
courses of action must now be implemented. Among these, we
identify the following:
i) Recruitment of excellent faculty (both external and internal)
with the necessary financial support to do international quality
research;
ii) Adopting initiatives for improving and attracting undergraduate
students from high schools;
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