The University of Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborgs universitet) is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg. Founded in 1891, the university is the third-oldest of the current Swedish universities and, with 53,624 students and 6,707 staff members, it is one of the largest universities in the Nordic countries.
About
With its eight faculties and 38 departments, the University of Gothenburg is one of the most wide-ranging and versatile universities in Sweden. Its eight faculties offer training in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Education, Information Technology, Business, Economics and Law, and Health Sciences.
The University of Gothenburg has the highest number of applicants per study place in many of its subjects and courses, making it one of the most popular universities in Sweden.
History
The University of Gothenburg was founded as Göteborgs högskola (Gothenburg University College) in 1891. In 1907 it was granted the same status as Uppsala University and Lund University by the Swedish government, thus creating Sweden's third university.
Over the course of time, it has merged with a number of previously independent higher education institutions in the city and has continuously expanded its study profile. It was granted the rights of a full university by the Swedish Government in 1954, following the merger of the Göteborgs högskola (Gothenburg College) with the Medicinhögskolan i Göteborg (Gothenburg Medical School).
The University of Gothenburg is a pronounced city university, that is most of its facilities are within the city centre of Gothenburg. The main building as well as most faculties are located in the central part of Gothenburg.
Together with Uppsala, Lund, and Stockholm universities, it is one of four large international research universities in Sweden.
Structure
Management
The University of Gothenburg is one of Sweden's largest universities. It is a comprehensive university, organised into eight faculties and 38 departments. The university is a public authority as well as a confederation of Faculty Boards. Each faculty/school has significant autonomy based on its attributed powers, and a distinct identity within the university.
The University Board is the university's highest decision-making body. The board consists has "supervision over all the University's affairs, and is responsible that its duties are fulfilled". The Swedish Government appoints seven of the members externally, based on their having experience in activities that have significance for the university's teaching and research functions. In addition, the vice-chancellor, three faculty members and three students, as well as union representatives are included as ordinary members.
The day-to-day management is headed by the vice-chancellor, Malin Broberg, who is responsible for implementing the decisions of the board. She is supported by the central administration.
Faculties
The university is organised into eight academic faculties. Collaboration across faculty and subject boundaries is emphasised in the university's research and education strategies. All faculties takes advantage of this possibility and are active participants in a multitude of cross-disciplinary research and education activities within the framework of the university. The university closely cooperates with Chalmers University of Technology, a fact that further increases the total scope of the academic environment in Gothenburg.
The Artistic Faculty (Konstnärliga fakulteten) offers courses in the fields of design and crafts, film studies, photography, scene, music and fine arts.
The Faculty of Education (Utbildningsvetenskapliga fakulteten) is responsible for teacher training in various subjects.
The Faculty of Humanities (Humanistiska fakulteten) comprises the humanities, for instance cultural studies, history, literature, history of ideas, religion, archeology, modern languages, philosophy, linguistics, theory of science and Swedish language and literature.
The IT Faculty (IT fakulteten) offers programmes in applied information technology, computer science and engineering.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences (Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten) covers a number of science disciplines such as botany, cell and molecular biology, physics, earth sciences, chemistry, conservation, marine ecology, mathematics, environmental science, and zoology.
The Sahlgrenska Academy (Sahlgrenska Akademin) is the faculty of medicine at the University of Gothenburg. Research and education in medicine, odontology and health and care sciences.
The School of Business, Economics and Law (Handelshögskolan vid Göteborgs universitet) is a business school and a law school.
The Faculty of Social Sciences (Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten) offers courses in peace and development studies, public administration, journalism, psychology, social anthropology, social work, sociology, political science, and European studies.
World ranking
University of Gothenburg was ranked number 201 in the world by Times Higher Educations 2023.
Noted people
Alumni
Sture Allén, computer linguist, former permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy
Jens Allwood, linguist
Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, Syrian Islamic scholar
Dilruba Z. Ara, writer
Percy Barnevik, industry leader, former CEO of Asea Brown Boveri
Nick Bostrom, philosopher and futurist, and Director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University
Malin Byström, operatic soprano
Arvid Carlsson, Nobel Prize laureate in Medicine, 2000
Magnus Carlsson, singer
Ernst Cassirer, philosopher
Fredy Clue, artist and musician
Östen Dahl, linguist (member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities and Academia Europaea)
Åke Edwardson, author (used to teach Journalism)
Jan Eliasson, diplomat and politician (former President of the United Nations General Assembly, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden)
Carl Henrik Fredriksson, literary critic, columnist, essayist, and translator
José González, singer
Hans Hagnell, politician
Gunnar D Hansson, author
Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, Icelandic politician
Tore Janson, linguist.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor and former Head of Design for H&M
Jonas Jonasson, author of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.
Bernhard Karlgren, sinologist
Nils Kock, developer of the Kock pouch surgical procedure
Juri Kurol, Swedish Orthodontist
Erik Lönnroth, historian (Member of the Swedish Academy)
Lotta Lotass, writer and literary scholar (former Member of the Swedish Academy)
Cecilia Malmström, former European Commissioner
Aleksandra Mir, visual artist
Njuguna Ndungu, economist, Governor and Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of Kenya
Joakim Norbeck, scientist in molecular biotechnology at Chalmers University
Bo Ralph, linguist (Member of the Swedish Academy)
Bo Rothstein, political scientist
Susanna Roxman, Anglophone poet and critic
Gudrun Slettengren-Fernholm, artist
Anna Wåhlin, Antarctic researcher, oceanographer
Martin Wallström, actor
Maria Wetterstrand, politician (Green Party)
Agnes Wold, professor of clinical bacteriology
Vice-Chancellors of the University of Gothenburg
1891 Axel Kock
1891–1893 Hjalmar Edgren
1893–1899 Johannes Paulson
1899–1909 Johan Vising
1909–1914 Ludvig Stavenow
1914–1931 Otto Sylwan
1931–1936 Bernhard Karlgren
1936–1951 Curt Weibull
1951–1966 Hjalmar Frisk
1966–1972 Bo Eric Ingelmark
1972–1982 Georg Lundgren
1982–1986 Kjell Härnqvist
1986–1992 Jan S. Nilsson
1992–1997 Jan Ling
1997–2003 Bo Samuelsson
2003–2006 Gunnar Svedberg
2006–2017 Pam Fredman
2017–2023 Eva Wiberg
1st of July 2023 Malin Broberg
See also
Chalmers University of Technology
GOArt
Gothenburg quadricentennial jubilee
List of universities in Sweden
Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg