Visit to SciLifeLab by the International Advisory Board
Last week SciLifeLab was visited by its International Advisory Board, IAB. SciLifeLab is hosted by four universities in Stockholm and Uppsala; Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Uppsala University, and supports activities organized within these universities. SciLifeLab is additionally supporting activities at several additional Swedish universities.
Translate novel methods
As vice-chancellor of one of the host universities, I met with the IAB. It is clear that the IAB is impressed with what has been achieved, but also sees unexplored possibilities and potential. We should not be content and rest assured that combining activities from universities with distinct profiles alone will automatically generate added value, but we should exolore how the universities could contribute to strategic initiatives that will move SciLifeLab to the next level. This is a clear responsibility for us representing university leadership. KI as a medical university has a special responsibility to translate novel methods and protocols into clinical practice, something that is already happening. I hope to contribute in the further developments of SciLifeLab and believe that I have a good understanding of SciLifeLab, including its potential and limitations, from my previous experience of being part of the SciLifeLab operative team as well as the Stockholm SciLifeLab steering group.
Focus on getting a permanent structure
One urgent matter is that presently SciLifeLab is managed by an interim organization until June 2017. It is very important that the universities now work together with the SciLifeLab management to get all organizational agreements and a permanent management structure in place. A structure that allows the universities to take their responsibility as hosts. Being a host of SciLifeLab includes the very important responsibility for personnel. I left the meeting (and the Alpha/Gamma building) with a feeling that we in the KI management should improve communication with our staff at SciLifeLab and that we should also improve joint communication from all host universities to all of our staff.
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