As newly appointed Vice-Chancellor at Lund University, Torbjörn von Schantz says that he wants to put the students first. But he also sees many challenges ahead, especially concerning the economy.
Why do one become Vice-Chancellor?
“I can’t claim to have planned becoming Vice-Chancellor this particular time, but in the past I have played with the idea. You can’t plan for these types of jobs, since it’s all about circumstances. I also believe that it depends on your co-workers at the University and their wishes for a new Vice-Chancellor.”
Which issue lies closest to your heart?
“Having a much better economy when it comes to our introduction level education, and that does not only apply to Lund University, but to all higher education in Sweden. Introduction level education is severely underfinanced, and this affects the students since they won’t receive the very best education. It isn’t feasible. I don’t believe that politicians always understand this, because the common opinion is that the University has a lot of money. But this is money we can’t use on introduction level education.”
You got support from the Student Unions when you were appointed Vice-Chancellor. How come you got that support?
“I don’t remember that, now that you mention it … I had a good reputation already as Pro Vice-Chancellor at SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), where I always put student issues first. That could have been a promoting factor. I believe that the student representatives here were in contact with the students at SLU. That is my guess.”
Not many students know that much about their Vice-Chancellor. What did you know about yours?
A good question. Now, let’s see; who was my Vice-Chancellor when I studied? Not Sandblom, and then there were the Stjernkvists, weren’t there? Oh, this is starting to get embarrassing. I’ll have to go check. The first Vice-Chancellor I really was aware of was Carl-Gustaf Andrén, but Håkan Westling was the one I truly knew something about. Students have no clue because they have other day-to-day issues, like practising for exams, making their money last, and who to clean their corridor.”
You have previously been a student in Lund yourself. Which is your fondest student memory?
“My fondest student memory … That’s a whole other life … I don’t know, it was fun to study and party, even if you worried over your exams. But you didn’t think about that then. So in one way, that entire life was a good memory, I have to say.”
Do you worry about anything?
“I worry about a lot of things. Sometimes when I am walking home, I think ‘how will this work out?’, but that’s what life is at times, and it always gets better. What worries me is how to get politicians to realise that they have to reprioritise. Especially in times like these, with international unrest. It’s likely that not only the Swedish Government, but also governments in other countries, will invest more money in defence, which of course will take funds from our sector.”
Previous Vice-Chancellor Per Eriksson always talked about a need for more student places in higher education. What is your opinion on a possible increase in study places?
“It might be necessary from a national perspective. But we already have a basic education that is difficult to finance, and it won’t help having more underfinanced study places. The last few years, we have accepted more students than we have the funds to support, which is why we need more study places to pay for the ones we already teach.”
What is your opinion on there being fewer and fewer international students?
“It surprised me that there was such a political unity on introducing term fees, even if I can understand it from an economical perspective. I thought it was a terribly bad decision for several reasons, among others that the international exchange is hampered. When young people study in another country, prejudice and conflicts between cultures, religions and ethnic groups can be lessened. Now that won’t happen anymore. I find student fees a horrible idea overall.”
You wrote a dissertation about foxes. Why foxes of all things?
“There was a large research group looking at predatory effects on prey, and for that they needed someone to look at foxes. It was pure circumstance and nothing I had planned from the start. I was more interested in partridges.”
Text: Beri Zangana
Translation: Carl-William Ersgård
Photo: Jens Hansen
