Halmstad University

Halmstad University For the development of organisations, products and quality of life

www.hh.se • +46 35 16 71 00

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contents Welcome

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Developing Organisations, Products and Quality of Life

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Teaching

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Research

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One Profile – Three Areas of Strength

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Collaboration Outreach Ventures, Innovation and Wellbeing

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Student Life

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Campus

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Halmstad – the Town with Three Hearts 17 Halmstad University – Organisation The University Campus Area

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WELCOME During 2008, Halmstad University will be celebrating its 25th anniversary! It was in 1983 that an independent university was first established in Halmstad with its own vice-chancellor. Since then a great deal has happened at Halmstad University. Here we offer a selection of some of the things happening now, 25 years later.

May I wish you happy reading and by all means get in touch!

Romulo Enmark Vice-chancellor

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DEVELOPING organisations, PRODUCTS AND QUALITY OF LIFE

The creation of a feeling of wellbeing is also an important goal for Halmstad University. The University exists for everyone. This means that it should also be accessible for people from all walks of life, both physically and socially. It is important that staff and students with different ethnic and social backgrounds, of different ages and genders should feel welcome at the University.

Halmstad University is a popular university. It is wellknown for its broad range of courses and small student groups. In addition the university is distinguished by its eminent and internationally-recognized research.

The University’s profile is based on strong teaching and research areas. The profile is made up of three interwoven areas of strength which can be summarized as the development of organisastions, products and quality of life.

Halmstad University has some 10 000 students and 550 employees, of which 36 are professors.

The University strives to develop and create job opportunities and businesses through new products and services which contribute to welfare and wellbeing both for society as a whole and the individual.

The daily business of the University is characterised by innovation. Here can be found creative, inventive and hardworking people. In addition opportunities exist to realize ideas and dreams. A number of scholarships are awarded every year to the University’s students. The annual degree project fair Utexpo is a major event with many visitors. Nearly one hundred degree projects from many of the University’s degree programmes and courses are exhibited.

Organisations

Products

Quality of Life

Good results are achieved through collaborative outreach ventures at Halmstad University. The University’s collaborative ventures with external interests – both in the dayto-day business operations and in various development projects – are extensive not only in the local region but also further afield.

One profile – three areas of strength. Halmstad University’s profile consists of three areas of strength interwoven on the basis of knowledge: organisations, products and quality of life.

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For a few days every year the University holds its annual open house, including an educational exhibition, public lectures and guided tours.

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TEACHING Nursing, engineering, business administration and economics, education, psychology, natural science, political science, arts and culture and media and communication are some examples of subjects which can be studied at Halmstad University. The majority of programmes lead to bachelor’s or master’s degrees. tive ventures with the work place in their various degree programmes. The National Agency for Higher Education also praises the University for its collaborative work in two reports from 2008.

Halmstad University’s broad range of degree courses and programmes attract students from the whole of Sweden – and from other countries.

Within the areas of strength there are both traditional programmes and courses with unique specialisms. The range of courses and programmes offered is being developed continuously with the setting up of new courses and programmes. Distance education and blended learning programmes offer study opportunities for students who are unable to follow campus courses due to geographical distance, work or family circumstances.

Students at Halmstad University are actively encouraged in their business aspirations and creative thinking. Student work takes place to a large extent in project form on several programmes and students are given training in project management. Each year many of the University’s students are awarded scholarships for innovative degree project work. One example is The Senior Master Sten Fåhré’s Memorial Fund. Thanks to a donation from the estate of late senior master Sten Fåhré, each year a number of scholarships are awarded to students on the Innovation Engineering programme at Halmstad University.

The donation is currently yielding some 400 000 SEK per year.

All degree course teaching is closely linked to the latest research findings which means that courses are based on relevant and up-to-date research and that researchers participate actively in teaching.

Close proximity to the business sector and the work place creates major opportunities for the students. Collaborative ventures with the surrounding community and wider afield provide practical extensions to theoretical studies and opportunities to make contacts which may be useful in working life. The University actively works to ensure that degree courses and programmes should answer the needs of the work place. Many degree programmes offer practical internships and certain courses have a mentor programme which means that a student is placed with a company as his/ her mentor during the period of study.

There are many exciting examples where students at the University have taken the ideas from their student days and developed them further in the form of a business start-up. The University seeks to improve opportunities to start a business through Science Park Halmstad, a business ’incubator’ on campus with close connections to the University.

Internationalization is an important component in ensuring that a course is of high quality. Halmstad University offers a great deal of opportunities to study at foreign higher educational institutions and to go on internships abroad. Similarly foreign exchange students come to Halmstad, bringing with them a noticeable international flavour to the campus.

Several of the University’s courses and programmes were awarded the highest grades in a survey carried out by the Swedish business sector in 2008 as to how universities and higher educational institutions enter into collabora-

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RESEARCH Halmstad University carries out eminent research of national and often internationally high quality. Research contributes to the general development of knowledge while at the same time provides a research input to courses and programmes in subjects which make up the University’s profile.

Research is carried out concentrated within the Uni­ versity’s areas of strength and is organized in the form of a number of research environments in inter-disciplinary schools. Research is coordinated through research committees for the humanities and social sciences and engineering and natural sciences while the Committee for Teacher Education is responsible for research into educational science.

particularly successful include innovation, business enterprise, sports and health, welfare and wellbeing.

The University’s commitment in society and community development is strong through extensive collaborative outreach ventures involving the business and public sectors, both in the region and the country as a whole. A major part of the University’s research takes place in the form of networks in close collaboration with businesses and organisations.

The University has signed strategic agreements with Örebro University for engineering and medicine and with the Universities of Jönköping, Skövde and Borås and University West covering the social sciences. The agreement covers collaborative ventures relating to research, PhD research training and courses at second cycle level (Master’s level) with the intention of further strengthening the University’s research and profile.

Halmstad University has 36 professors of which several have been financed wholly or in part by the business sector, for exameple in the following areas: business enterprise, image processing, mechanical engineering, energy technology and building production technology.

Approximately half of the money which finances research at Halmstad University comes from external grant awarding bodies. The largest financing body is the Knowledge Foundation which among other ventures finances two extensive research areas at Halmstad University, one in interacting embedded systems and the other in health technology. In both cases a considerable number of companies and organisations are active in the research projects.

Other research areas where Halmstad University has been

The quality of research is evaluated systematically and is measured in terms of the total number of articles which researchers have published in scholarly journals and conference proceedings. Results and findings from research benefit society in various ways. This could involve new methods within nursing and the caring professions, solutions to problems which lead to new commercial products or new knowledge which helps to preserve the environment.

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ONE PROFILE – THREE AREAS OF STRENGTH The University’s research and degree programme teaching is carried out in five schools.

Within the three areas of strength, courses offered include bachelor’s degrees, one- and two-year master’s degrees, professional and extension courses with a focus on the labour market in addition to a broad range of single subject courses. The multi-disciplinary profiles – which are founded on knowledge and skills provision interaction involving the three areas of strength – can be seen clearly in the different research environments.

ORGANISATIONS, REGION AND SOCIETY Degree programme teaching Centre for Studies of Political Science, Communication and Media Research – CPKM In this research environment, research is carried out into areas such as political communication, the role of women in politics, journalism and documentary presentations on TV together with young people, the media and globalization.

The area of Organisations, Region and Society is characterised by a large number of degree programmes and single subject courses within the areas of product development, innovation management, industrial organisation, management, business enterprise, work science, commercial law, business administration, economics, financial mathematics, marketing, media and communications science and political science.

Societal Change, Learning and Social Relations – SLSR SLSR carries out research into the significance of gender relationships for enhanced understanding of developmental and learning processes in society, globalization, new work and life patterns, increased computer usage and the rapid development of communication technology. (SLSR is also based on the Quality of Life, Welfare and Culture area of strength, see page 9).

Research Centre for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Learning Research – CIEL CIEL carries out research relating to new, small and medium-sized businesses and regional development. The focus is on innovation and product development work, on questions relating to strategy, management, marketing, financing and internationalization of businesses, business enterprise and the management and direction of businesses, regions and innovation systems.

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PRODUCTS, PROCESSES AND SERVICES Teaching

lity to learn themselves. This can involve for example the technology for the identification of people, navigation, steering and self-regulation. Research builds on a combination of embedded computer systems, sensors and information processing.

The area of Products, Processes and Services is the most focused area of strength within the University’s profile.

This area includes a significant number of successful engineering, technical and natural science degree courses at first and second cycle level (Master’s level) within the disciplines of computer engineering, informatics, mecatronics, electrical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering together with certain areas of the natural sciences which border technology, such as biomechanics, environmental technology and energy technology

Innovative IT usage In this area, social science and technical perspectives are combined with a focus on the innovative use of information technology, for example in the development of enewspapers.

Applied mathematics and physics Research into touch-free sensors for the process industry, special development of methods for optimized energy use, research into nanophysics and applied mathematics. One special area is financial mathematics.

Research Halmstad Embedded and Intelligent Systems Research – EIS Within this environment research is carried out with four specialisms:

Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design – MTEK This research environment is directed towards the functional surfaces of products and design and digital product models during early product developmental phases.

Embedded ystems A research profile financed by the Knowledge Foundation. Research takes up such areas as new applications within health technology and traffic safety.

Biological and Environmental Systems – BLESS Research is carried out into ecosystems as well as biomedicine and biomechanics.

Intelligent systems Research focuses on the development of methods which can provide technical systems with the capabilities of advanced decision-making and behaviours and also the abi-

QUALITY OF LIFE, WELFARE AND CULTURE Teaching

Societal Change, Learning and Social Relations – SLSR See page 8.

The area of Quality of Life, Welfare and Culture has a large number of degree programmes and single-subject courses in nursing, public health, sport, functional handicaps, psychology, sociology, educational science, teacher education, the humanities and the natural sciences

Research on Education and Learning within the Department of Teacher Education – FULL This research environment cooperates with SLSR (see page 8) and research takes up areas such as teaching subject didactics and methodology, research in close proximity to school practice and relations between education / school and surroundings, society and societal development.

Research Welfare and Wellbeing – VV This research environment studies welfare systems and people’s wellbeing at the levels of individual, group and society. Research aims to improve awareness of the significance of life style factors for health together with drawing attention to the health and life situations for groups at risk.

Context and Cultural Boundaries – KK This research environment involves research into so-called culturally-embedded identity markers where identity can be understood both in terms of the individual’s and institution’s identity and where the markers can be categorized as ethnicity, gender or class.

Center for Sport and Health Science – CIHF CIHF focuses on sports injuries and rehabilitation, career transitions, physical activity and health, adapted activities as well as sports for children and young people.

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Utexpo is the University’s annual exhibition of student degree projects. Degree projects are displayed for the general public and scholarships are awarded.

Organisations

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Products

Quality of Life

e ellb ch, Inno vation and W

ing

The work of Halmstad University is characterised by collaborative outreach ventures, innovation and wellbeing.

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THE UNIVERSITY IS CHARACTERISED BY

COLLABORATION OUTREACH VENTURES, INNOVATION AND WELLBEING The work of Halmstad University is characterised by collaborative outreach ventures, innovation and wellbeing. These are the driving forces behind the day-to-day working operations, promoting interplay between the areas of strength.

Collaborative Outreach Ventures

vation system to support the development of products and services within this area and part of the research takes up the area of secure accommodation for the elderly and physically handicapped.

Collaboration involving the business sector, public administration and authorities and other players in the University’s surroundings are natural and important aspects of the University’s day-to-day business. And the University’s collaborative ventures are extensive. In a significant number of projects, collaborative ventures are set up involving the business sector, local organisations and the public sector, both in the region and in other parts of the world.

Innovation Traditionally, innovation is a distinguishing characteristic for Halmstad University. Innovations are not solely concerned with new technology, new products or product development but also with new services and ways of working. Company start-ups which have sprung up from the University and collaborative ventures involving students are important factors for growth in the region.

For the University is it necessary with close relationships involving the surrounding community to ensure quality and to further develop the courses being offered. This is facilitated by initiatives such as mentor companies for students, internships / work placements and degree project work. Companies and organisations at the same time have the opportunity to take on board up-to-date knowledge, thus developing their own operational strengths. Through work sector and degree programme councils, representatives of the business and public sectors are involved in the process, contributing with valuable ideas and insight into the labour market of tomorrow.

As a stimulus for economic growth, Halmstad University is geographically well placed. The University’s support for innovation brings together areas such as student motivation initiatives, career guidance and counselling, the award of scholarships and help with starting up a new business. Many businesses have been started which have been built on innovations and new thinking and are currently being run by former students of the University. In 2008, Science Park Halmstad was inaugurated, which the University runs in collaboration with Halmstad Municipality, offering initiatives such as the support and promotion of new business start-ups. Creative environments are in evidence where students with different educational backgrounds and who are interested in starting up a business of their own can meet . The annual degree project fair Utexpo offers the opportunity for students to exhbit innovative degree projects and be inspired by others.

Other forms of collaboration involve commissioned education, advanced vocational training (KY) and distance learning. Commissioned education is often concerned with educational and training provision for employees in a company, the public sector or other organisations. Advanced vocational training courses are post-secondary school courses which have been designed in close collaboration with working life representatives. Municipal learning centres make it possible to study at a University even when a student lives outside the university’s region.

Wellbeing The term wellbeing involves several different dimensions within education and research– both regarding form and content. Great emphasis is put on wellbeing in the form of preventative health, health care and working environment for staff and students. One example of this is the Centre for Health and Sports. This centre includes both sports facilities and laboratories for physiology, biomechanics and psychology used by the University’s researchers, the Halland Sports Association, students and members of staff.

A significant part of the University’s research takes place in close collaboration with companies and organisations in the form of commissioned research or collaborative production.

The profits obtained are mutually-beneficial – the partners involved in the collaborative venture increase their knowledge and expertise while the University obtains Information relating to important developmental areas. One example of this is the area of health technology. In the region there is an inno-

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STUDENT LIFE The University and the Halmstad University Student Union have a tradition of close collaboration and share the view that the influence of students is of great importance. Students are represented on all the University’s decision-making bodies, committees and boards.

The Student Union represents the students’ interests over the course of their studies and functions as the collective voice of its members with regards to the University, the municipality and other organisations with which the students come into contact. Students can obtain help here if they come across problems during their studies or in student life in general.

There are also conference facilities and public space for 1 300 people or 500 people for a film showing.

One student activity the public notices and which leaves its mark on Halmstad during the late summer is the socalled ’nollningen’ or student freshers’ week. This is where the new students get to know each other in connection with various events and festivities. Other popular traditions are the Halmstadspexet, a student drama production and the student union’s annual job fair.

The most important aspect of the student union is the supervision of degree courses and teaching. However the Union has also an important social role to play. The Halmstad Student Union runs a large number of clubs and societies for students, such as for example in sports and culture. Students also have their own newspaper and radio station. The student union runs an internet book shop, gym, conference facilities and takes care of student accommodation.

There is continual activity in the Student Union building.

There is a café, restaurant, five bars, two dance floors, newspaper editorial office, dark room, radio station and club facilities. The Student Union Building is distinguished by its exciting architecture and is built in such a way that the facilities can be used for many different activities.

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CAMPUS Lecture theatres, library, project rooms, practical facilities and laboratories, cafes, gym, student union and pub. At Halmstad University everything can be found on one campus. There is often a great deal happening and the area is a natural meeting place for the University’s students, staff and visitors.

Since 2004 however it has been works by the Halmstad born artist Olle Bærtling (1911–1981) which have been exhibited in and around the University area. The Bærtling foundation has deposited oil paintings, graphic sheets and sculptures with the municipality who in concert with the University have exhibited works in the University campus area. Banners with motifs from Bærtling’s art have been manufactured and the campus area where the University is situated is now officially referred to as the Bærtling Quarter. Olle Bærtling’s art is characterised by geometrical compositions with strong colour combinations. He also worked with sculptures, moulded as boundary or contour lines between colour fields in the paintings.

The campus area lies alongside the southern entry route into Halmstad, 2 km from the centre of town. It is a similar distance to the sea and local beaches which go on for miles.

In the newly-built sports hall, all activities relating to health and sport are accommodated in spatial and modern facilities. These facilities include a sports hall, gymnasium and well-equipped laboratories for teaching and research in biomechanics, physiology and psychology.

In the student centre there is information on display regarding degree courses offered and studying in higher education in general, not only at Halmstad University but also in other parts of Sweden and further afield. The Student Affairs Centre offers career guidance and counselling as well as courses in areas such as effective study techniques and the art of applying for a job.

Campus Varberg Campus Varberg is a modern educational centre in the town of Varberg, 70 km north of Halmstad. Halmstad University has set up several of its courses at the Varberg campus such as for example the nursing and energy economics programmes.

University library The University library in Halmstad is an important information resource for study and research. It is also a work and meeting place for students, staff and the general public.

The library contains literature covering all the University’s teaching and research areas. The library’s collection is currently somewhere in the region of 90 000 books and approximately 35 000 e-books. 10 000 journals are available in the database and 500 printed journals are stocked on the shelves of the library. All literature is searchable via the library’s Hulda catalogue. E-books and e-journals are available on the internet 24 hours a day.

The Halland Collection The University library has a unique Halland collection.

The core of the collection consists of a donation from Eric Rasmusson – a well-known cultural and business figure in Halmstad – and contains material from the 17th Century onwards. The collection is continually being enlarged through purchases to cover everything of interest for scholars researching the county of Halland.

Art and the University Halmstad University has a number of exciting works of art on display both internally and externally around the campus area.

Examples include three major pieces which the Halmstad artist Mikael Ericsson has created for the Vision lecture theatre.

Walter Bengtsson (1927–98) was a sculptor working actively in Halmstad. His famous sculpture Mälardrottningen, nearly 5 metres high has been erected at the University.

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The Town Library alongside the river Nissan in Halmstad with 16 the work entitled 0+0=8 in the foreground.

HALMSTAD THE TOWN WITH THREE HEARTS The town, the beaches, the atmosphere – in Halmstad it is easy to feel at home.

By bicycle you can move around quickly and easily between the centre of town, surrounding woodland and the sea – and the University.

The town of Halmstad’s coat of arms consists of three crowned hearts. And it is a likeable town. There is even a part of town called Kärleken which means ’love’ when translated into English! It is easy to be seduced by the charm of the town centre, the friendly atmosphere and the blue expanses of the sea.

The centre contains a varied range of restaurants, night clubs, pubs and cafes. There are plenty of concerts organized all year round for people interested in music and the town’s art galleries, museums and cultural organisations all do their bit to contribute to the ongoing activities. In 2006 a new town library was opened in Halmstad. This eye-catching, centrally-placed building stretches out over the waters of the river Nissan. The library has an extensive collection of literature, a café, a newspaper reading room, art, exhibitions and offers entertainment in the form of theatre and music.

A sporting town

Every year in August, a four day long street festival is organized. The streets of Halmstad are filled with drama ensembles from all over the world. Other regular cultural events include Halmstad’s Arts Festival, film week and Boating Festival. Halmstad has a varied entertainment and cultural life but is never too far from the sea or woodlands if you are after peace and quiet.

Beache

Anyone interested in sport can really have their fill of all sorts of sporting activities regardless of whether you want to sweat yourself or just watch from the stands. Örjans Vall is the home ground for the Swedish Premier League football club HBK. There are gym and sports clubs for the majority of tastes. The town is close to surfing and sailing waters and Halmstad is a mecca for golfers. 11 golf courses can be found in close proximity to the town!

s and sea

Next stop Continental Europe

Perhaps it is the salty aroma, the feeling of hot sand against the skin, or the sight of shimmering expanses of water – once you have lived by the sea it is often difficult to move away from it. Halmstad is a town which is distinguished by its situation on the west coast. Here you are always close to mile-long beaches, cliffs and charming harbours.

Halmstad lies along the West Coast railway track, the E6 motorway and has its own airport. It takes an hour and a half to travel to Gothenburg by train and a similar amount of time to Malmö. From here it is only a ’bridge’s throw’ to Copenhagen – and the Continent!

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halmstad UNIVERSITY – organisation UNIVERSITY BOARD HHUAB

Vice Chancellor’s office

Education Committee

Administration

Research board of Engineering and Natural Sciences

Library

Research board of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of External Relations

Board of Teacher Education

School of Teacher Education

School of Humanities

School of Information Science, Computer and Electrical Engineering

School of Social and Health Sciences

School of Business and Engineering

LUT

HUM

IDE

HOS

SBE

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THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AREA N

SÖDRA AVFARTE

TILL EUROSTOP,

2 km

GODSMOTTAGNING

SP

TILL ÖSTRA STRANDEN 1 km

BUILDING

BUILDING

A Building Glass corridor / Balcony Student Health and Welfare Centre (SH)

O Building School of Business and Engineering (SET) Reception SET, 2nd floor

P Building School of Business and Engineering (SET)

B Building Glass corridor / Balcony

University reception School of Information Science, Computer and Electrical Engineering (IDE) Reception IDE, 2nd floor C Building

Central IT Unit (CITE)

D Building School of Information Science, Computer and Electrical Engineering (IDE) E Building School of Information Science, Computer and Electrical Engineering (IDE)

Central IT Unit (CITE) F Building School of Information Science, Computer and Electrical Engineering (IDE) G Building Restaurant H Building Trade Center Vice-chancellor (RE)

Chancellery (LK)

Finance Department (EA) Department of External Relations (EKS) Information Department (Info)

Personnel Department (PA)

Faculty Club – conference facilities

Q Building Student Centre Student Affairs Department (SA) International Department (IA) Skrivpunkten – student writing resource centre School of Teacher Education (LUT) Reception, LUT, 4th floor School of Social and Health Sciences (HOS) Technical and Estate Management Department (TA)

Caretaker’s office and cleaners (TA) The Halland Sports Association R Building School of Social and Health Sciences (HOS) Reception HOS, floor 3 School of Humanities (HUM) Reception HUM, floor 3 S Building School of Social and Health Sciences (HOS) School of Humanities (HUM) T Building ’Idérum’ School of Business and Engineering (SET)

I Building

University Sports Hall

J Building

’Visionen’: Malcus, Halda and Wigforss, lecture theatres

X Building Student Union Building Student Union (Halmstad Student Union) Restaurant

Cafe and pub

M Building

University library

SP Science Park Halmstad

N Building Naturrum-centre for the natural sciences School of Business and Engineering (SET)

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WANT TO KNOW MORE? www.hh.se University visiting address Kristian IV:s väg 3

Student Centre Study counselling Visiting address: Q Building Telephone (exchange) +46 35 16 71 00 Opening hours: Monday–Thursday 08.30–16.00, Friday 10.00–16.00 Email: studievagledning@hh.se Student Union P O Box 847 SE 301 18 Halmstad, Sweden Telephone +46 35 16 71 70 www.karen.hh.se Campus Varberg Halmstad University SE 432 80 VARBERG Telephone (exchange) +46 35 16 71 00 (all telephone contact via Halmstad exchange) Fax +46 340 67 64 19

HÖGSKOLAN I HALMSTAD

P O Box 823 • SE 301 18 Halmstad • Visiting Address: Kristian IV:s väg 3 Telephone: +46 35 16 71 00 • Telefax: +46 35 18 61 92 E-mail: registrator@hh.se • www.hh.se

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Halmstad University, Information Department, August 2008. Printing: Åkessons, xxxx copies. Pictures: Andreas Andersson, Patrik Leonardsson, Björn Kalla, Björn Lestell, Ida Lövstål, Fredrik Petersson, Martina Thalwitzer, Roland Thörner.

Reception opening hours 08.00–16.30