University of Skövde – the higher education institution for all of Skaraborg

At the University of Skövde, there are approximately 4,000 full-time equivalent students, and in total around 10,000 people are enrolled in programmes or standalone courses. A large student population also means a sizable staff - just over 500 people work at the university. Most are teaching and research staff, and 46 are doctoral students, but there are many other professional roles as well. About a quarter of all employees work in professional services, including system technicians, librarians, communicators, economists, and counsellors.

“It’s exciting to work in an organisation that helps drive development and generate new knowledge. The university’s research is at the forefront within its specialised areas,” says Denise Antonsson, HR specialist.

The University of Skövde offers a broad range of programmes and courses, with some areas standing out in particular. One such area is game development, where the university offers highly attractive programmes that receive a large number of applications each year. The university was an early provider of education in this field, and more than 20 years later it is clear that it has made a strong impact on the city. The presence of these programmes has also helped make Skövde one of Sweden’s leading hubs for the development of new computer games.

Another strong area is healthcare, where there are several different programmes and research fields, such as the nursing programme and the doctoral programme in Health in a Digital Society. The university also has a distinctive research focus in information security, both in terms of governance of information security in organisations and user-centred cybersecurity.

“We are unique in Sweden because research on information security here is conducted with the user in focus. It examines how people use IT systems. Often, a great deal of responsibility is placed on the user—for example, not being deceived or ensuring they have a strong password. Research at the University of Skövde challenges this perspective and asks whether it is really reasonable to place so much responsibility on the individual. It’s an exciting field to follow!”

The University is helping drive societal development

If there is one thing that particularly distinguishes the University of Skövde as an employer, Denise believes it is that everyone working at the university contributes to societal development.

“The University is a very important actor in Skaraborg! Our activities are also an important part of ensuring that the transition within the Swedish automotive industry becomes sustainable from an ecological, social, and economic perspective. There are very close collaborations with industry and other sectors and organisations, as well as between the university’s departments and divisions. We have many different internal collaborations, and most involve a wide range of roles and responsibilities. To thrive with us, you need to be curious and enjoy development!”

The University of Skövde regularly organises activities that are open to more people than just its students. Popular science cafés are one such activity, where both the university’s own experts and guests from other universities present current research in various fields.

“The University is constantly seeking new areas for collaboration in order to continue being part of regional development in Skaraborg,” Denise concludes.

Work at the University of Skövde

If you’re interested in what’s happening at the University of Skövde and what it’s like to work with us, visit his.se.

This text has been translated with the help of AI.