Most of you have surely noticed that the university management and five departments have now moved into the refurbished space on the fourth floor of Building 1B. We believe that the new flexible way of working will lead to a higher degree of utilisation, a continued good working environment, and lower costs.
The next piece of the puzzle will soon fall into place as the very reason for the refurbishment moves in. The Swedish Defence University will shortly begin using its part of the floor. While we do indeed have a directive from the board to reduce accommodation costs and make more efficient use of our spaces, it is of course genuinely exciting in many ways that the city’s two higher education institutions will now be co-located on our campus. I believe this will lead to new opportunities for collaboration between Karlstad University and the Swedish Defence University. The official opening will take place on 13 May.
In order to make room for the Swedish Defence University, parts of our own administration have, as mentioned, had to change their working environment. This is a transition that we are now evaluating – not only to ensure that it functions well in day-to-day work, but also to draw lessons for future change processes. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed, supported, and made this possible.
But what about the financial aspect? What does this give us? Well, one thing is that Karlstad University currently has the lowest rent per square metre of all Swedish universities. It is important that we maintain that level so that as many resources as possible can be used for our education and research. Thinking smart about how we use our spaces – sometimes together with others – is one way to succeed.
At the same time, further development work is underway within the administration. Exploring how AI can be used in our processes is one example. Last year, we trained our staff in the basics of generative AI. We are now identifying which workflows AI can support, but also how we can inspire and motivate more people to explore how AI might be used. This is not about replacing people, but about freeing up time and providing our colleagues with tools that strengthen our operations.
One step in this work is to appoint AI ambassadors from different departments who can exchange experiences, help identify next steps, and perhaps act as sounding boards for colleagues who want to try using AI. As with the co-location project, this is a change process that requires careful consideration and the courage to test new things. And, just like the co-location initiative, it is genuinely exciting.
All colleagues are warmly welcome to visit the “new” fourth floor!
