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

Part 2 – Conclusions of the review
Strategies and Processes
to Promote Achievement of Goals
54. Based on factors that are specific to LTH only, the working of the
Automatic Control Group/Department could be used as a standard
to improve the research and graduate study programs in most of the
other departments. 1
55. In spite of social trends, we feel that the low female to male student
ratio in engineering is positively addressed and we recommend
increasing these efforts considerably. LTH is not doing a good job
in attracting international PhD students because of inadequate PR
and advertising.
56. We feel that the current funding structure within the University
and the country is hindering not only graduate research but also
long range innovative strategic planning.
57. Teaching requirements seem to be totally arbitrary and vary
from group to group and department to department. Although
it is evident that to a major extent these are controlled by budget
constraints, some level of equity would help the staff feel invested
and could promote their research output and external funding.
F. CROSS-CUTTING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
IMPROVING THE VITALITY AND IMPACT OF RESEARCH
58. A number of issues that influence the vitality of the research environment
recurred in the deliberations of many or all panels, and
which we suggest should be adopted as priorities for action by the
University’s leadership. We are aware that some of these are relatively
intractable because they reflect long-standing traditions and
1. On organization, it is noted that the Automatic Control Department is much smaller
than the other departments and is of outstanding quality. There are historic reasons for
this, regarding its initial establishment, its continuing international reputation, and its academic
goals of both theoretical advances and applications across a wide range of domains.
It would be inappropriate to draw any general organizational conclusions except to say that
the structure needs to be sufficiently flexible to allow such anomalies rather than conclude
either that this model be more widely adopted or that this department should become a
group within a larger department.
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