Published: 19-12-2023 16:57 | Updated: 19-12-2023 17:54

Three new deans appointed - to be involved in the development of education, research and collaboration at KI

Matti Sällberg, Carl Johan Sundberg och Sten Linnarsson, KI:s nya dekaner.
Matti Sällberg, Carl Johan Sundberg och Sten Linnarsson, KI's new deans. Photo: KI

KI has appointed three new deans who will take office in January 2024. The three deans have been selected from a group of about ten applicants.

The new deans are Sten Linnarsson for KI Solna, Carl Johan Sundberg for KI North and Matti Sällberg for KI South.

The main responsibilities for the deans include the management, organization, development and follow-up of the activities within their respective departmental groups. Their tasks also include working to ensure that KI maintains a stimulating and competitive environment for education, research and collaboration.

The new deans were appointed after a careful selection process.  KI strives for a balanced gender distribution across all management assignments, but competence is always the primary criterion.

”Those who have been appointed are the candidates deemed by the University Management to be best able to meet the qualification requirements and having the greatest potential to facilitate KI’s growth and development.  Assessing the composition of the group has also been of importance to ensure a good balance in the distribution between women and men in management positions.  When we look at the University Management, including deans and vice presidents, we see that we have achieved this” says KI President Annika Östman Wernerson. 

The role of the deans will be developed within the respective departmental groups with the objective of strengthening KI as a whole. We look forward to working with Sten Linnarsson, Carl Johan Sundberg and Matti Sällberg and together with them develop the role of dean to ensure they have the best possible conditions for their assignments. 

Sten Linnarsson is currently active as professor and head of department at Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB), Carl Johan Sundberg as professor at Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (FyFa) and Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME) and also  head of department at LIME and Matti Sällberg as professor and former head of department at Department of Laboratory Medicine (LabMed). 

The process of replacing the deans is already underway. Until permanent heads of department have been appointed, Clas Rehnberg is acting head of department at LIME during January and Sabine Koch for the period February-December 2024. Björn Högberg is acting head of department at MBB during 2024. 

The positions of the current deans Christer Höög, Anna Martling and Maria Eriksdotter will be terminated on December 31 2023 after a five-year term of office.

Recruitment process for the appointment of a dean

The requirement profile for these assignments was established by the University Management after consultation with the current deans and heads of the departmental groups and after collaboration with the trade unions.  The positions were advertised internally within the university.  The applications were assessed by the departmental deans and heads of department.  The Vice President and University Director and one head of department from each group then interviewed a number of applicants and proposed the final candidates to the President, who made the decision to take in the new deans.  The questions for the applicants were compiled in consultation with the student unions. The proposals for the final candidates were made in concurrence with the trade unions.