Press release
22 September 2008
Ministry of Education and Research
Largest ever investment in research
The Government's 2009 Budget Bill, which is being presented today, includes the largest investment in research ever to be made in Sweden.
"It is important for Sweden to be able to compete in the era of globalisation. Knowledge is increasingly becoming our most important competitive factor. But it is also important to invest in research so as to solve, if possible, the great challenges facing humanity. We must find countermeasures against the greenhouse effect and we must try to find cures or more effective relief for the most common diseases. This is why I am so pleased that the Government has managed to seriously break a trend and give a boost to Swedish research," says Minister for Higher Education and Research, Lars Leijonborg.
Special initatives in the area of higher education and research contained in this year's Budget Bill are:
Research
The Government will propose investments in research and innovation which will entail gradual increases in central government support during the period 2009-2012, to reach a permanent increase of SEK 5 billion in 2012. Since the largest extra allocation of funds will be made in the first year, total additional funds for the four-year period will amount to almost SEK 15 billion.
In terms of absolute amounts, the largest increases will benefit research into medicine, technology and the climate.
The bulk of the boost in resources will take the form of direct appropriations to universities and other higher education institutions, but the research councils and the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems will also benefit from significant increases in appropriations.
More doctors and dentists
The Government is expanding both medical and dentistry training programmes. Medical training programmes will offer 110 new trainee places - after full expansion this will mean 605 more students than there are today. Since 2006, medical training programmes have been expanded by almost 25 per cent.
Dentistry training programmes are being expanded to offer 40 new trainee places, which after full expansion will mean 200 more students than there are today. Since 2006 dentistry training programmes have been expanded by almost 20 per cent.
Subsequent education for people with foreign qualifications
Immigrants who have higher education qualifications from another country and advanced professional experience are a great asset to Swedish society. It is important that these people quickly enter the labour market. The Government is therefore continuing the initiative it has already begun for supplementary education for people with foreign qualifications. In 2009 the Government will invest SEK 94.2 million, primarily in supplementary higher education programmes for people with health and medical care qualifications from third countries and for teachers with foreign qualifications.
