On Friday, members of parliament Mats Wiking and Niklas Sigvardsson visited Karlstad University.
– We are out on a tour visiting universities around the country. Karlstad University is the first higher education institution that we visit together, says Mats Wiking.
– This really provides a good insight into all the positive things that are going on at the university, as well as the challenges that exist, says Niklas Sigvardsson.
Both of them represent the Social Democrats in the Swedish Riksdag and are members of the Committee on Education.
During their visit at Karlstad University, they got a presentation of the university’s activities in general, but also closer introductions of the programmes offered at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, as well as the teacher education programmes. Stefan Lindskog, Dean of the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, focused especially on the challenges of finding enough placements for the nursing study programmes and getting enough nursing students interested in doing research and teaching within the programmes.
– The issue of placements has come up in relation to teacher training programmes as well, says Mats Wiking.
– This problem actually applies to all vocational education and training in the public sector. And of course it becomes an issue when the welfare system is in need of more staff, but at the same time cannot offer enough placements to train them. It is a catch-22 situation and shows that the welfare system needs more resources.
Niklas Sigvardsson agrees, but also emphasises the positive takeaways from their visit to Karlstad University.
– We now have a better understanding of the many excellent study programmes that the university offers.
– Yes, and that Karlstad University recruits students to higher education from all levels of society, says Mats Wiking.
