Annika Östman Wernerson: Welcome to the spring semester 2026 and an academic election year

Academic election year

KI is now entering an academic election year, in which the first advisory election is for the deans and deputy deans (the current academic vice presidents and deputy committee chairpersons) for Higher Education, Doctoral Education and Research.

Nominations were sent in before the new year, giving us a good shortlist of engaged and qualified candidates for each area proposed by the faculty, KI’s teachers/researchers.

An opportunity to influence

I am confident that the election, which will now continue with hearings on 4 February, will set out for us the candidates’ priorities. I’d like to encourage all of you to listen and, if you’re able to, vote. Voting entitlement is based on KI’s electoral roll, and the results will show how much support the candidates have from the faculty.

The President’s decision

This will give me as President a solid basis on which to make my decision ahead of the new decanal term of office, which will start this year on 1 July and end on 31 December 2029. 

My decisions will be based on a cumulative assessment of the election outcomes, interviews and the prevailing guidelines – all to ensure a strong and firmly anchored leadership.

So don’t miss the hearing on 4 February – either in person in the Erna Möller Hall in Flemingsberg or online, and have your say on the future of KI.

Parallel process with the election of faculty members  

Later in week 7, the election process will commence for faculty members of the Faculty Board and its three committees (KU, KFU and KF). We expect to wind up the process in April.  

New committee for ethics and good research practice

On 1 January, KI established a new committee for ethics and good research practice, which will contribute to learning, continual improvement and the long-term development of KI’s work with research-related ethical and methodological issues. A clear and coordinated structure will enable us to further strengthen KI’s efforts in this regard.

I look forward to a productive dialogue with the board’s chairperson Catarina Almqvist Malmros and the three scientific ombudsmen representing the departmental groups at KI Nord, KI Solna and KI Syd: Jan Zedenius, Giulia Gaudenzi and Sari Ponzer.

Higher THE ranking

KI has bettered its position in this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings by Subject in the field of ”Medical and Health”, rising to place 12 from 13 last year and 16 the year before. 

A ranking does not give a complete picture of a university’s quality, but it certainly is nice to climb upwards and it sends a positive signal to prospective students choosing where to study. It's also welcome testimony to all the hard work done by all of us at KI. 

Welcome to the 2026 spring term!