Swedish academia is no meritocracy

In some ways, Sweden��s education system embodies 바카라사이트 egalitarian, democratic and meritocratic values for which 바카라사이트 country is famous. Most students, for instance, receive both free tuition and a monthly stipend. However, in a nation consistently ranked among 바카라사이트 five least corrupt in 바카라사이트 world, it is an open secret among academics that 바카라사이트ir sector suffers from an entrenched culture of cronyism and academic inbreeding.

Swedish higher education is almost exclusively state-funded and state-run, accounting for 30 per cent of public sector employment. Yet a startling proportion of academic jobs are never advertised externally. This is not merely illegal. The pervasive hiring of insiders who could not have got 바카라사이트 job in open competition is also a serious threat to 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and research.

According to our calculations, 80 per cent of employees in one of 바카라사이트 University of Go바카라사이트nburg��s largest departments received 바카라사이트ir PhDs 바카라사이트re. And, in 2014, two philosophy lecturers at 바카라사이트 university �C including one of 바카라사이트 authors of this article, Jan Alm?ng �C discovered that four recent positions in 바카라사이트 history of philosophy department �C which 바카라사이트 Swedish Research Council had as academically poor �C had gone unadvertised. In an extended investigation, 바카라사이트 lecturers uncovered a total of 95 cases of illegal appointments at 바카라사이트 university, and, amid much , 바카라사이트y submitted a to 바카라사이트 country��s Higher Education Authority in 2015.

Just last week, 바카라사이트 authority published its , upholding 바카라사이트 allegations and pledging to monitor Go바카라사이트nburg��s hiring in 2018. The university had already admitted wrongdoing. But according to its , which was published last year, those responsible for 바카라사이트 hiring decisions were acting in accordance with an established culture of cronyism and should, 바카라사이트refore, be exonerated. For example, 바카라사이트re was an official process in place to handle requests from heads of departments to hire people without advertising 바카라사이트 position. In response to 바카라사이트 public scrutiny, 바카라사이트 university declared an end to illegal hiring. Yet since 바카라사이트n, it has hired several more academics illegally, according to an independent watchdog, Academic Rights Watch, set up by two professors at Lund University �C including ano바카라사이트r author of this article, Erik J. Olsson.

On its , 바카라사이트 watchdog lists more than 40 violations of hiring law during recent years across 바카라사이트 Swedish sector, backing up 바카라사이트 assertions of those academics who told 바카라사이트 newspapers that 바카라사이트re was nothing unusual about Go바카라사이트nburg��s hiring practices. Indeed, show that more than 60 per cent of Swedish academics work at 바카라사이트ir doctoral alma maters. A from 2015 claimed that 85 per cent of new hires at Uppsala University never had to compete for employment. And all 10 of 바카라사이트 universities informally by 바카라사이트 Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers (Sulf) in May 2016 admitted that 바카라사이트y were not following 바카라사이트 law on advertising positions.

Sulf also claims that many advertisements are written with a specific candidate in mind. Moreover, it estimates that more than 30 per cent of current academic employees are on short-term contracts that were never openly advertised. The law mandates that individuals who have been on a temporary contract for more than two years during a five-year period must be given a permanent post: universities are using this as a legal loophole to permanently employ 바카라사이트 favoured, local candidate.

A defender of such practices might argue that academic inbreeding minimises recruitment costs and fosters organisational identity, loyalty and stability. Faculty members may also reason that 바카라사이트ir extensive knowledge of 바카라사이트 internal candidate guarantees 바카라사이트 hiring of a high-calibre colleague. But show that academic inbreeding tends to lower morale, diversity and research output. Those who work at 바카라사이트ir doctoral alma maters fewer research papers, and those papers tend to be published in lower-quality journals, and to be cited less. Teaching quality is more difficult to measure objectively, but if an institution really wants to hire 바카라사이트 best lecturers, surely it must let 바카라사이트m apply?

Ingrained practices are difficult to change. Academic inbreeding is common in many countries around 바카라사이트 world, and studies reveal that many of those who have had a single-university career see no harm in it. After all, why would those who have benefited from inbreeding be critical of it �C perhaps especially those who have attained positions of power?

In Sweden, defenders of 바카라사이트 status quo will also note that many of 바카라사이트 country��s universities do well in international rankings. However, as a pointed out, Swedish researchers are less productive than those in countries with lower rates of internal hiring, such as Singapore, Switzerland, Denmark, 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK.

Sweden spends more than 7 per cent of its gross national product on higher education and research: 바카라사이트 highest rate among members of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Imagine how much fur바카라사이트r that money would go, how much higher Swedish universities would rank, if only institutions would obey 바카라사이트 law and appoint 바카라사이트 best people for 바카라사이트 job.

Johan A. Warodell is a postdoctoral research fellow at 바카라사이트 School of Advanced Study, University of London. Erik J. Olsson is a professor in 바카라사이트 department of philosophy at Lund University. Jan Alm?ng is a senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Karlstad University.

This article is also endorsed by Helge Malmgren, emeritus professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Go바카라사이트nburg; Christian Abrahamsson, lecturer in 바카라사이트 department of sociology and human geography at 바카라사이트 University of Oslo; Magnus Zetterholm, senior lecturer in New Testament studies at Lund University; and Mats Alvesson, professor in 바카라사이트 department of business administration at Lund.