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Vid Umeå universitet används sedan några år tillbaka ett regelverk i form av ett sammanhållet kvalitetssystem för utbildning som bygger på nio aktiviteter som stödjer, utvecklar och synliggör det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet. En av dessa aktiviteter är ”Utbildningsutvärdering genom kollegial extern granskning”, vars syfte är att bidra till att säkra kvaliteten i utbildningarnas innehåll och genomförande samt ge stöd för kvalitetsutveckling. Vi beskriver processen för utvärderingen av 11 ingenjörsutbildningar som genomförts under 2022 och diskuterar fördelar och nackdelar med det valda upplägget ur kvalitets- och resursperspektiv. Därefter diskuteras några programövergripande utvecklingsområden som de externa granskarna lyft fram, däribland jämställdhet, pedagogisk modell, samt professions- och forskningsanknytning. Avslutningsvis sammanfattar vi den återkoppling vi erhöll från både de externa granskarna och programansvariga som deltog i processen. Återkopplingen är av betydelse för att kontinuerligt förbättra vår process för kollegial extern granskning inför kommande utvärderingsomgångar.

This short paper describes the first prototyping of a self-evaluation process of Curriculum Agility at a Faculty of Technology in Sweden. The process comprises guided, semi-structured, individual interviews at different organisational levels within the faculty, a joint narrative based on those interviews, prioritizing development strategies per level, and jointly mapping them on importance and implementation time. The self-evaluation is part of and based on the research on the principles of Curriculum Agility. The results show the interplay in timely curriculum change for futureproof engineering education between the teaching staff, the systems and the people who control the systems. The self-evaluation brings together the different perspectives and perceptions within the faculty and gives insight in how those affect the willingness towards and occurrence of curriculum development. This work in progress indicates how doing such a qualitative self-evaluation paves the road for transparent strategic dialogues on a holistic level about what to give attention and organize differently.

In an era characterized by a move towards a "knowledge society", universities are central in fostering "knowledgeability", that is the reflexive understanding of knowledge in knowledge societies. The objective of "knowledgeability" can be met through creating a stronger link between education and research. Furthermore, overall student performance, for example in critical thinking and problem solving, can be improved if research-related activities are incorporated into the curriculum.

The aim of this paper is to use international examples to discuss the research-education nexus from four different perspectives, namely context, policy, implementation and quality, with case studies from higher education institutions in Singapore and Sweden. We suggest that different integrative technologies can be used to enhance the links, but it will be essential to consider the inputs of training, service and support in using new technology. Interestingly, the act of evaluating the link between education and research will increase awareness of this linkage by stakeholders involved in both education and research. In turn the link can be strengthened, contributing to increased quality in both education and research

Adherence by Helicobacter pylori increases the risk of gastric disease. Here, we report that more than 95% of strains that bind fucosylated blood group antigen bind A, B, and O antigens (generalists), whereas 60% of adherent South American Amerindian strains bind blood group O antigens best (specialists). This specialization coincides with the unique predominance of blood group O in these Amerindians. Strains differed about 1500-fold in binding affinities, and diversifying selection was evident in babA sequences. We propose that cycles of selection for increased and decreased bacterial adherence contribute to babA diversity and that these cycles have led to gradual replacement of generalist binding by specialist binding in blood group O-dominant human populations.