Resource allocation and research financing

The plan wants to safeguard universities' independence and financing and defends free basic research, while seeing a need for complementary research based on different societal needs. To review a financing system where matching requirements let external funders direct research direction follows directly from that independence commitment. The plan also rejects privatisation of higher education institutions.

• universities' independent financingdecisive»Vänsterpartiet vill värna universitetens oberoende och finansiering och höja studiestödet så att fler kan välja att vidareutbilda sig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to safeguard universities' independence and financing and raise study support so more people can choose to continue their education.”
• free basic research»Forskning utgör en del av den samhälleliga infrastrukturen och behöver växa i omfång. Vänsterpartiet försvarar den fria grundforskningen.« (party programme ↗)“Research is part of society's infrastructure and needs to grow in scope. The Left Party defends free basic research.”
• research based on societal needs»Vi ser också behov av en kompletterande forskning baserad på skilda samhällsbehov.« (party programme ↗)“We also see a need for complementary research based on different societal needs.”
• against private interests in higher education»Vänsterpartiet motsätter sig också alla försök att privatisera universitet och högskolor.« (party programme ↗)“The Left Party also opposes all attempts to privatise universities and higher education institutions.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme gives the state a special responsibility to guarantee research freedom and to secure basic research, which is precisely what is threatened when co-financing requirements let external financiers steer the direction. The plan also wants to see large state efforts for Sweden's position as a knowledge nation and that the breadth in research is stimulated. A review of the financing system follows from these commitments.

• secure basic researchdecisive»Staten har ett särskilt ansvar att garantera forskningens frihet och att trygga grundforskningen.« (party programme ↗)“The state has a special responsibility to guarantee research freedom and to secure basic research.”
• state research efforts»För att upprätthålla och stärka Sveriges ställning som ledande kunskapsnation krävs stora insatser från både staten och näringslivet.« (party programme ↗)“To maintain and strengthen Sweden's position as a leading knowledge nation requires large efforts from both the state and business.”
• breadth in research»Tvär- och mångvetenskaplig forskning bör stimuleras och kontaktytorna mellan teknisk och humanistisk forskning breddas.« (party programme ↗)“Cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary research should be stimulated and contact surfaces between technical and humanistic research should be broadened.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan explicitly requires that the system for funding allocation to universities and higher education institutions be changed so that high quality is secured for both small and large institutions, and that unrestricted research funding is valued. The counter-proposal's requirement for a review of the funding system, so that external funders do not steer research direction, follows directly from that. The plan also establishes that priorities must not go at the expense of institutions' freedom to shape their activities.

• changed funding allocationdecisive»Systemet för medelsfördelning till universitet och högskolor ska förändras och utformas så att det säkrar en hög kvalitet i både utbildning och forskning för såväl små som stora lärosäten.« (party programme ↗)“The system for funding allocation to universities and higher education institutions shall be changed and designed so that it secures high quality in both education and research for both small and large institutions.”
• value free basic funding»Grundforskning och forskningsfinansiering som inte är öronmärkt är nödvändiga förutsättningar för framtida kommersiella genombrott och en framgångsrik spetsforskning.« (party programme ↗)“Basic research and unrestricted research funding are necessary conditions for future commercial breakthroughs and successful cutting-edge research.”
• institutions' freedom»Detta får dock inte gå ut över grundforskningen eller universitetens och högskolornas frihet att själva utforma sin verksamhet.« (party programme ↗)“This must however not go at the expense of basic research or universities' and higher education institutions' freedom to shape their activities themselves.”
• value smaller research areas»Humaniora, konst och tvärvetenskapliga ämnen stärker och utvecklas i samklang med utbildningar i teknik, natur- och samhällsvetenskap.« (party programme ↗)“Humanities, arts and interdisciplinary subjects are strengthened and developed in harmony with education in technology, natural and social sciences.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme requires that free universities can independently conduct high-quality research, with freedom to themselves shape activities, and sees increased commercialisation of research results as a strength. The election manifesto makes academic freedom a cornerstone. A co-financing requirement that lets external funders direct research direction goes against this, and a review of the financing system that protects free research and utilisation is therefore supported.

• independent high-quality researchdecisive»Högre utbildning och fria lärosäten ska självständigt kunna bedriva högkvalitativ forskning och utbildning.« (party programme ↗)“Higher education and free universities shall independently be able to conduct high-quality research and education.”
• academic freedom as cornerstone»Den akademiska och konstnärliga friheten liksom den fria kulturen är grundbultar i ett vitalt civilsamhälle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Academic and artistic freedom and free culture are cornerstones of a vital civil society.”
• universities' own priority»med frihet att själva utforma utbildningen« (party programme ↗)“with freedom to themselves shape the education”
• strengthened utilisation of research»En ökad kommersialisering av forskningens resultat stärker Sveriges innovationskraft.« (party programme ↗)“Increased commercialisation of research results strengthens Sweden's innovation power.”

The plan's decisive commitment is that research appropriations shall be distributed based on quality, that continued high state research appropriations are necessary, and that quality is not only about short-term results but about taking risks. A review of the financing system so that external funders do not direct research orientation follows from this and from individual academic freedom. The plan does not specifically address the co-financing requirement, so the conclusion is derived.

• quality-based distributiondecisive»Forskningsanslagen ska fördelas utifrån kvalitet.« (party programme ↗)“Research appropriations shall be distributed based on quality.”
• high state appropriations»Fortsatt höga statliga forskningsanslag är nödvändiga.« (party programme ↗)“Continued high state research appropriations are necessary.”
• free research»Individuell akademisk frihet ska vara en bärande princip för all offentlig verksamhet inom« (party programme ↗)“Individual academic freedom shall be a guiding principle for all public activities within”
• resources not driven by wrong measures»Resurstilldelningen ska inte bygga på ett system där enbart hög genomströmning« (party programme ↗)“Resource allocation shall not be based on a system where only high throughput”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that all subject areas must be guaranteed sufficient resources and that economic growth thinking must not dominate allocation, and that areas whose results cannot directly be converted into growth shall be assured good conditions. A review of the financing system so that external funders do not steer the direction follows from that commitment.

• resources to all subject areasdecisive»Alla ämnesområden måste garanteras tillräckliga resurser, därför« (party programme ↗)“All subject areas must be guaranteed sufficient resources, therefore”
• growth thinking must not guide»kan ekonomiskt tillväxttänkande inte dominera tilldelningen av resurser till universitets- och högskoleväsendet.« (party programme ↗)“economic growth thinking must not dominate the allocation of resources to higher education and university.”
• conditions for smaller areas»där landvinningar inte direkt kan omsättas i materiell tillväxt tillförsäkras goda villkor.« (party programme ↗)“where gains cannot directly be converted into material growth shall be assured good conditions.”
• free research»Tankens frihet är en förutsättning« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of thought is a prerequisite”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto explicitly promises to work for a university resource distribution system where academic quality is prioritised more highly, and that free research shall be protected from political interference. The counter-proposal's demand for a review of the financing system that protects high-quality free research and simultaneously strengthens utilisation thereby aligns with the plan. The party programme wishes to have both collaboration with business and strong broad-based fundamental research.

• reformed resource distributiondecisive»Arbeta för ett resursfördelningssystem till högskolan så att akademisk kvalitet, genomströmning samt etablering på arbetsmarknaden premieras i högre utsträckning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for a university resource distribution system so that academic quality, throughput and establishment in the job market are prioritised to a greater extent”
• free research»Värna den fria forskningen från politiska pekpinnar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect free research from political interference”
• broad fundamental research»Men vi ska också ha en stark och bred grundforskning« (party programme ↗)“But we must also have strong and broad-based fundamental research”
• quality as guiding principle»Kvalitet och internationell konkurrenskraft ska vara styrande för den högre utbildningen.« (party programme ↗)“Quality and international competitiveness shall guide higher education.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan wants to reduce political governance of higher education and increase the academy's independence, and explicitly criticizes that external governance characterizes research direction. The counter-proposal's demand for a review of the financing system, so that high-quality free research is protected against governance from external funders, aligns with this. The plan at the same time wants research to be of benefit, which is also contained in the proposal.

• reduced governance of the academydecisive»Den politiska styrningen av högre utbildning ska minska och akademins självständighet öka.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Political governance of higher education should be reduced and the academy's independence increased.”
• criticism of governed research»Allvarlig kritik har riktats mot att politisk styrning och ideologiskt präglade värdegrunder i hög grad präglar forskning och akademi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Serious criticism has been directed at the fact that political governance and ideologically characterized value grounds to a high degree characterize research and the academy.”
• academic independence»Slå vakt om den högre akademins självständighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Guard the higher academy's independence”
• research and education to benefit»Den högre utbildningen ska i högre grad anpassas efter behoven på en framtida arbetsmarknad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Higher education should to a greater degree be adapted to the needs of a future labour market.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.