2025-03-04: The description of the issue is simple, but the way forward is complex, and many stakeholders must be involved, writes Martin Nilsson Jacobi.
At last, the government’s STEM strategy (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has arrived. The expected presentation was due before Christmas, but now that it has finally been released, it provides a welcome overview of an area where a vast array of investigations, activities, and initiatives are already underway, led by an equally vast number of stakeholders. The issue itself is relatively simple to describe: Sweden needs more people with interest, education, and competence in the STEM field.
But that is where the simplicity ends; everyone understands that the various factors that can contribute to this goal are numerous and diverse. It could involve increasing children’s interest, improving the visibility of available professions and career opportunities, enhancing the quality of education in primary and secondary schools, and perhaps raising the status of the teaching profession – the list goes on. A multitude of stakeholders must be involved.
The now published strategy largely consists of an inventory of measures and initiatives that have been politically initiated in recent times. Additionally, the government has outlined several solid objectives, including:
- In PISA 2033, at least 15 per cent of students should be high performers in mathematics.
- The number of full-time STEM students at the higher education level should reach at least 90,000 by 2035 (currently, the figure stands at 83,000).
- Universities and higher education institutions should work to increase the proportion of women studying in STEM fields, as we currently seem to be missing out on individuals with strong potential due to these programmes not being equally attractive to both men and women.
A concrete step forward is the establishment of a so-called STEM delegation to ensure progress and collaboration between different stakeholders. The delegation will be chaired by Pia Sandvik, CEO of Teknikföretagen, and Chalmers is well represented: student Selma Hodzic, who is also the chair of Girls in STEM; astronaut and Chalmers alumnus Marcus Wandt; and myself.
This is an important endeavour, and I hope that together we can contribute to achieving – and hopefully even surpassing – these objectives.
Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President and CEO of Chalmers University of Technology
Under the headline "President’s perspective" the President and CEO for Chalmers University of Technology, shares his reflections on current topics that concern education, research and utilisation.