The August edition of the ACA Newsletter – Education Europe reported about the appointment of Sweden’s new university chancellor, Anders Flodström, and his belief that Sweden could do with fewer but better universities.  On the Högskoleverket’s website, in an article entitled “The University Chancellor believes…”, Flodström touches on the need to increase the quality of Swedish higher education and research in order to become world class. He also argues for a change in Sweden’s US relationship:  institutional cooperation with American universities should be prioritised above exporting young Swedish brains, particularly in research. 

Flodström also argues for the use of English as the language of teaching and research in Swedish universities.  English, he says, will be the lingua academica, even at the Bachelor level, not merely Masters and PhD, and a command of English is a precondition for excellence in higher education and research.  Like many academics nowadays, he does not see English in academia as a threat to the national language.

The Högskoleverket September Newsletter features several articles on English and its role in higher education.

HsV