”The humanities play a foundational role in cultivating analytical reasoning, historical understanding and ethical literacy – capacities that are indispensable in a world shaped by technological disruption and democratic backsli-ding. The humanities offer insights that guide decision-making beyond mere short-term efficiency, and grounds public discourse in analysis, values, context, and meaning. The humanities have always been central to the world’s most pressing conversations.
Humanities education and research are under increasing pressure. Many disciplines face declining student enrolment, reduced funding, and marginalisation in strategic planning. This trend, which threatens the future of the humanities in Sweden as well as globally, is largely driven by political priorities that emphasise guaranteed immediate employability, economic growth, and STEM-oriented innovation policies. In such a climate, where utility and job-market alignment dominate educational agendas, the humanities are often perceived as abstract or impractical.
These trajectories must be changed.
While engineers design autonomous drones, students in the humanities ask: who decides where they fly? While business programmes simulate markets, humanities students ask: for whom is this economy really working? And while algorithms grow more powerful by the day, humanities students ask: what values should govern them?
In a world fixated on outcomes, the humanities invite students to seek meaning, consider broader conse¬quences, and embrace perspective-taking. In an age of information overload, the humanities will cultivate their discernment. In a time of deepening polarisation, they will be offered nuance and complexity.
As universities globally shift their focus toward science and technology, there is a growing risk that the reflective, ethical, and civic dimensions of higher education will be neglected. Sweden, which is known for its democratic values, culture of equality, and social innovation, has an opportunity to set a different example. Lund University, with its history of excellence and breadth of expertise, and its strong humanities and theology research, is uniquely positioned to lead this effort.
Securing the future of groundbreaking humanities education and research is a strategic imperative. This docu¬ment presents a set of actionable recommendations that Lund University can adopt to elevate the humanities and integrate them more deeply into interdisciplinary research, civic education, and societal decision-making. By doing so, the university can lead a humanistic renewal, nationally and internationally.”
https://www.ht.lu.se/fileadmin/user_upload/ht/bilder/Samverkan/Samverkansradet/Reframing_the_Humanities_at_Lund_University_2025.pdf
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