101nm.qxp 25-05-2010 16:08 Side 141 MUSEOLOGISKE UDDANNELSER ● NORDISK ● MUSEOLOGI 2010 ● 1, S. 141-143 Museology teaching departments in Sweden have been evaluated JANNE VILKUNA* Abstract: This article discusses the activities and impact of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (Högskoleverket) and the two evaluations of Swedish museology that this body has carried out. Key words: Evaluation, museology, museum studies, examination right. AN ORGANIZATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION lor Office was reorganized into the University Office (Universitets- och högskoleämbetet, UHÄ). In the museum world, Sweden has been a spe- This central office was disbanded in 1992 and arhead country, with important innovations replaced with six new offices. By 1995, how- conducted during both the 20th and 21st cen- ever, it was already apparent that the Swedish turies by men like Artur Hazelius and Gustaf universities still needed a central office, and Kolthoff, and the setting up of organizations the Swedish National Agency for Higher Edu- for contemporary museum collecting and do- cation (Högskoleverket, HSV) was therefore e- cumentation (Samdok) and travelling exhibi- stablished. tions (Riksutställningar). The country was also One of the main tasks of this agency beca- a museological trail-blazer, with university me reviewing the quality of higher education studies in museology available at Umeå Uni- in Sweden. This is carried out by an interna- versity in 1981. tional expert group reviewing certain subjects Sweden also harmonized its universities at at the same time in all the universities at an early stage by founding the University which these are studied. If an university does Counsellor Office (Universitetskanslerämbetet, not pass this audit, it is given a limited time to UKÄ) in 1964. The task of this body was to comply with the appropriate requirements. If plan, co-ordinate and monitor all Swedish it is unable to do so, the university in question universities. The country got its first Universi- forfeits the right to conduct examinations in ty Act thirteen years later, thereby increasing this subject. the degree of uniformity between the different Once the review has been completed and Swedish universities. approved by the agency, the executive body At the same time, the University Counsel- sends its decision to the principal of the uni- 101nm.qxp 25-05-2010 16:08 Side 142 JANNE VILKUNA 142 versity in question. This is done shortly before personnel resources, all departments cleared the decision is published so the principal can the review. However, each was given specific prepare his/her comments about the situation recommendations. to the general public and the media. Furthermore, five recommendations were made that were common to all the depart- ments, as follows: THE FIRST AUDIT ● Develop contacts with employers both in In 2003–2004, the MBA subjects were revie- Sweden and Europe. wed. This meant that the departments of mu- ● Begin a shared process for museology in seologies or museum studies at the universities Sweden, in the spirit of the Bologna Treaty. of Gothenburg, Uppsala and Umeå were eva- ● Benefit from each others’ teacher resources luated by visiting each department. and co-operate with visiting lecturers, etc. The reviewer group consisted of Ms Elisa- ● Develop networks and methods by increa- bet Olofsson, Executive Director of the Swe- sing intakes of students from subjects other dish-African Museum Programme (SAMP), than the arts, e.g. science and technology. Mr Janne Vilkuna, Professor of Museology at ● Co-operate with museological research pro- Jyväskylä University, Finland (the author of jects, where professors, lecturers and docto- this article) and three students of museology ral students contribute. It would be benefici- (one from each of the universities undergoing al if these projects incorporate a practical this form of audit): Ms Karin Tångeberg from point of view, i.e. are carried out in collabo- Uppsala University, Mr Bengt Wittgren, doc- ration with museums or similar participants. toral student from Umeå University and Mrs Irén Wängnerud from Gothenburg Universi- THE SECOND AUDIT ty. Naturally, the student members stood down when the group audited their own uni- Ms Olofsson and I were somewhat surprised versity. The group was joined and supported when the Swedish National Agency for Hig- by officials from the Swedish National Agency her Education contacted us again in 2008 and for Higher Education. asked if we could again review museology de- During the local visits, hearings were con- partments in a new MBA subject auditing. ducted with both the administrators and with The reason for a new audit being carried out teachers and students. so soon was that in 2007 Sweden had introdu- The report was published in 2004 (Utvär- ced the European two-step system of degrees, dering av ämnena arkivvetenskap, biblioteks- in accordance with the Bologna Treaty. New och informationsvetenskap, bok- och biblioteks- knowledge about the situation was now historia, informations- och medievetenskap, kul- needed. turvård och museologi vid svenska universitet och Before introducing the Bologna-style MA, högskolor Rapportserie 2004:27 R http://www. Sweden had a lower master examination (ma- hsv.se/download/18.539a949110f3d5914ec8 gisterexamen) that in practical terms meant 00093667/0427R.pdf). one year of studies after completing a BA Although the problem in all the departments (kandidatexamen). Students who have not fi- was – and still is – the quite limited permanent nished their examination before 1st July 2007 101nm.qxp 25-05-2010 16:08 Side 143 MUSEOLOGY TEACHING DEPARTMENTS IN SWEDEN HAVE BEEN EVALUATED can still take the Swedish master examination seum and Cultural Heritage Science (musei- och 143 until 2015. kulturarvsvetenskap) at Uppsala University were The task was to write a national descrip- questioned, and the institutions concerned tion of the subjects with the help of hard and were ordered to report by 19th May 2010 on soft data that the agency had collected from what actions had been carried out to rectify this the universities. situation. After this, the Agency will decide When the report was ready, it was publis- whether or not there continues to be a need to hed in December 2008 (Granskning av utbild- withdraw the right to conduct examinations ningar inom kulturvård och ABM-området (Decision: http://www.hsv.se/download/18.1 2008:45 R http://www.hsv.se/download/18.12 dbd1f9a120d72e05717ffe2282/643-3762- 584b1911e21a5c9d57ffe449/0845R.pdf). At 07+arkiv+museologi.pdf). the same time, it was decided to continue the auditing process in 2009 with a deeper evalua- A HARD FACT tion, by visits to the departments in question (Decision: http://www.hsv.se/download/18. Finland does not have an corresponding eva- 12584b1911e21a5c9d57ffe713/643-3762- luation body. If comparable minimum criteria 07+Kulturv%C3%A5rd+och+ABM.pdf). of teaching personnel were to be applied, not The group was now joined by museology stu- a single museology department at the five Fin- dent Ms Nana Mikkelsen from Aarhus Uni- nish universities would be granted the right to versity, Denmark. conduct examinations. The situation is very The audit involved criteria featuring many similar in other Nordic countries. different aspects. However, the most impor- This is the reason why I regard the Swedish tant new ones were – firstly – the requirement National Agency for Higher Education very of a close relation to a research environment highly. It forces the principals of the universi- and – secondly – the minimum requirements ties to at least adhere to minimum standards regarding the qualifications of permanent aca- that ensure even the smallest subjects have re- demic personnel for teaching at BA, MA and alistic opportunities to develop, in terms of PhD levels. The minimum at all these levels is both research and teaching. for two PhDs: at the BA level, two PhDs; at the lower master level, one must be a Phd and the other must be an Adjunct Professor (Do- cent); at the MA level both must be Adjunct * Mr. Janne Vilkuna is Professor of Museology Professors; and at the PhD level one must be and the Director of the University Museum at an Adjunct Professor and the other a Profes- Jyväskylä University, Finland. sor. On the grounds of the finished report, the Address: Museology, P.O. Box 35 (G), senior executive of the Agency gave her deci- FIN-40014 Jyväskylä University sion on 19th May 2009. The examination rights associated with the MA and Swedish E-mail: [email protected] master degrees at the International Museum Studies at Gothenburg University and the Mu-.