To view this site please upgrade or use another browser. Try either Chrome, Safari, FireFox, Opera or Microsoft Edge.

Organization

Art School and Government Agency

The Royal Institute of Art (University College) is an art school and government agency that runs under the Ministry of Education and Research. Its activity is largely financed by direct government funding, and some of the research conducted here is funded by grants from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), for instance. We operate within the framework stated by the Higher Education Law (Högskolelagen) and the Higher Education Act (Högskoleförordningen) as part of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The Royal Institute of Art’s activity is also regulated through internal operational plans and governing documents and is reported in annual reviews and through evaluations. These are available in the institution’s document database.

University College Board

The University Collage Board is the highest decision-making body of the Royal Institute of Art (KKH). The Board oversees all of the university’s affairs and is responsible for ensuring that its duties are fulfilled

Chairperson
Ewa Kumlin, former Managing Director

Vice Chairperson
Per Olsson Fridh, Director General

Vice-Chancellor
Sanne Kofod Olsen

Members appointed by the Swedish government for the period of October 1, 2024 to April 30, 2028

Patrick Amsellem, Director General
Karina Ericsson Wärn, Vice-Chancellor
Therése Iveby Gardell, University Director
Matts Leiderstam, Visual Artist
Anna Serner, Consultant
Dragana Vujanovic Östlind, Chief Curator

Teacher representatives
Lone-Pia Bach, Professor
Lars Hammarström, Senior Lecturer
Kristina Jansson, Professor

Student representantives
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Trade union representatives
Daniel Norrman, ST
Vacant (SACO-S)

Co-opted
Lina Bjerneld, Pro Vice-Chancellor
Malin Hell, Head of Administration
Sarah Heuberger, Managment Coordinator 

Managment

The management of the Royal Institute of Art consists of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Head of Administration and Head of Department, who, together with a student representative, also make up the university’s Management Council.

Vice-Chancellor
Sanne Kofod Olsen leads the organization and is the Royal Institute of Art’s foremost artistic and academic representative. The Vice-Chancellor holds chief responsibility for the state authority as head of the Royal Institute of Art and is a member of the University College Board.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research
Axel Andersson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Senior Lecturer in Art History.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Quality Assurance
Björn Larsson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Quality Assurance and Senior Lecturer in Photography.

Pro Vice-Chancellor
Lina Bjerneld is Pro Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for the Academic Appointments Board.

Björn Larsson is Pro-Vice-Chancellor with overall responsibility for the institution’s quality assurance in education.

Head of Administration
Malin Hell is the Head of Administration with responsibility for preparing matters upon which the Vice-Chancellor or the University College Board must decide. The position includes ensuring professional support for education and research, and that the university fulfils its obligations as a state authority.

Head of Department
Agneta Linton is Head of Department for the Department of Education and Research in Fine Art and Architecture.

Department and Department Board

The Royal Institute of Art has one department: the Department of Education and Research in Fine Art and Architecture, which offers education in fine art and architecture.

Fine Art is divided into four areas with different focuses: the 2D area includes painting and printmaking, the 3D area includes sculpture and three-dimensional design, the Mindepartementet is the name of the platform where the university has gathered moving image, photography, sound and performance, the Text area includes art theory, art history and writing – the discursive practices that surround art and that artistic practitioners use. Each area is led by an Area Coordinator:

There are also regular meetings of the Collegium of Programme Professors for the Professors of Fine Art, the Council for Education and Research for all Professors, the Collegium of Further Education for the teachers of freestanding courses and the Workshop Collegium for the workshop teachers.

Freestanding courses at advanced level are offered in fine art and architecture. The department is also responsible for the university’s research and collaborations related to doctoral education.

Department Board
The department has a Department Board that advises the Head of Department and makes decisions on collegial issues relating to education and research.

The members of the Department Board are:

Chairperson
Agneta Linton, Head of Department

Regular members
Lone-Pia Bach, Professor
Johanna Gustafsson Fürst, Professor
Emma Kihl, Senior Lecturer
Marie-Louise Richards, Junior Lecturer
Erik Thulén, Junior Lecturer
Tris Vonna Michell, Professor
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Substitute members
Åsa Andersson Broms, Senior Lecturer
Carl Johan Erikson, Senior Lecturer
Jasmine Hinks, Junior Lecturer

University College Advisory Council

The University College Advisory Council prepares collegial matters that are of importance to the entire university and advises the Vice-Chancellor in her role.

The members of the University College Advisory Council are:

Chairperson
Sanne Kofod Olsen, Vice-Chancellor

Permanent members
Agneta Linton, Head of Department
Axel Andersson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Senior Lecturer in Art History

Regular members
Åsa Andersson, Research Officer
Jonas Dahlberg, Professor
Oskar Hult, Senior Lecturer
Jenny Olsson, Junior Lecturer
Danielle Thelin, Controller
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Research Council

The Research Council prepares strategic and ethical matters in relation to research within the department and advises the Vice-Chancellor in her role. The Research Council processes expressions of interest and prepares research applications for decision by the Department Board.

The members of the Research Council are:

Chairperson
Axel Andersson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Senior Lecturer in Art History

Regular members
Blaise Kirschner, Professor

Runo Lagomarsino, Doctoral student
Natasha Marie Llorens, Professor
Johan Örn, Senior Lecturer

Library Board

The members of the Library Board are:

Chairperson

Regular members
Emma Kihl, Senior Lecturer
Asier Mendizabal, Professor
Marie-Louise Richards, Junior Lecturer
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Substitute member
Lina Bjerneld, Professor

Administration

The Administration is responsible for the university’s administrative support for the University College Board, the Vice-Chancellor, and the Department. The administration’s employees have a high level of competence and work systematically to supply the core organization with the best conditions for providing education and conducting research of the highest quality.

The administration consists of the following four units, and is led by the Head of Administration:

  • Estate and Service
  • HR
  • Finance Unit
  • Education and Research Unit

In addition, there is the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, headed by the
Vice-Chancellor, with the functions of Communication, Management Support, and Exhibition Support.

Other Boards, Committees and Councils

The university’s other boards and councils include representatives from management, staff and students.

Admission Boards

Admissions boards are put together to determine admission to programmes and freestanding courses. The admissions boards also involve the Royal Institute of Art’s student representatives, and an external member is also included in the admission’s board for the educational programmes. The members of the admissions boards vary from year to year.

Disciplinary Board

The Disciplinary Board handles cases of disciplinary measures against students. The Vice-Chancellor is the Chairperson of the Disciplinary board. The board also consists of a legally qualified member – who must be (or have been) a standing judge – as well as a teacher representative from the university, as appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. Students at the school have the right to be represented on the board by two members.

The members of the Disciplinary Board are:

Chairperson
Sanne Kofod Olsen, Vice-Chancellor

Regular members
Magnus Åhammar, legally qualified member
Marie-Louise Richards, Junior Lecturer
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Substitute member
Andreas Hammar, Junior Lecturer

Academic Appointments Board

The Academic Appointments Board (LFN) is a preparatory body that assists the Head of Department or Vice-Chancellor in the recruitment of Senior Lecturers (but not substitute Senior Lecturers), Professors, Postdocs and Doctoral students.

The members of the Academic Appointments Board are:

Chairperson
Lina Bjerneld, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Regular members
Jonas Dahlberg, Professor
Johanna Gustafsson Fürst, Professor
Ulrika Rosengren Gustafsson, Junior Lecturer
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Substitute members
Blaise Kirschner, Professor
Alessandro Petti, Professor
Marie-Louise Richards, Junior Lecturer
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

Management of Trusts and Scholarships Council

The Management of Trusts and Scholarships Council (Scholarship Council) is tasked with making proposals for decisions in the field of fine art and architecture to the decision-maker/s representing foundations whose purpose is to provide funding (usually scholarships) to people connected with KKH or activities associated with the university.

Members of the Scholarship Council are:

Chairperson
Björn Larsson, Senior Lecturer

Regular members
Åsa Andersson Broms, Senior Lecturer
Martin Christensen, Junior Lecturer
Kristina Janni Ståhl, Junior Lecturer
Natasha Marie Llorens, Professor

Substitute member
Vacant

Work Environment and Equal Terms Council

The Work Environment and Equal Terms Council develops, coordinates and follows up on issues relating to the physical, organizational and social work environment and issues of equal terms for students and staff at the university.

Members of theWork Environment and Equal Terms Councilare:
Chairperson
Rickard Stöhr, Head of Human Resources

Regular members
Annette Felleson (ST)
Malin Hell, Head of Administration
Agneta Linton, Head of Department
Jenny Olsson, Workshop Coordinator
Anna-Karin Rapp, HR Generalist
Patrik Söderstam, Student Ombudsman
Vacant (SACO-S)
Vacant (Principal Safety Officer)
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025
student representative to be appointed autumn 2025

The Staff Responsibility Board

The Staff Responsibility Board is convened when necessary and decides on dismissal for personal reasons, disciplinary liability, prosecution and suspension.

Members of the Staff Responsibility Board are:

Chairperson
Sanne Kofod Olsen, Vice-Chancellor

Regular members
Mikael Beckman-Thoor (SACO-S)
Ulrika Rosengren Gustafsson, Junior Lecturer
Vacant (ST)

Substitute members
Johanna Gustafsson Fürst, Professor
Andreas Hammar (SACO-S)

Quality Assurance Work

Quality assurance work at the Royal Institute of Art is integrated into the operations at all academic levels and is based on our vision-statement and governing documents. The systematic quality assurance work is based on a cyclical working pattern of four recurring processes, namely: to plan, implement, evaluate, and adjust.

Faculty

The Royal Institute of Art’s faculty (teaching staff) consists of highly educated and experienced teachers. Most of our teachers are artists or architects with an active and reputable artistic practice. The school also has highly experienced technicians and craftspeople who support the students in the workshops. Our faculty brings together teachers with different artistic specializations and experiences from around the world.

Student Union

The Royal Institute of Art’s Student Union, called Club Mejan, stands for students’ rights, and is represented on the Royal Institute of Art’s University College Board, as well as others various boards and councils.

Contact: clubmejan@kkh.se

Governance Policy

This page is currently being updated.