The School of Health and Welfare – from the past to the future – in the present
“Write about the School in today's situation and about its future potential." Those were the instructions for this chronicle. With just over five years as an employee at the University and Dean of the School of Health and Welfare (HOV), it was reassuring that the focus would be forward, towards the future. At the same time, I have the feeling that we are already in the future, or that we are catching up with it more and more often.
This is a personally written text. Any opinions expressed are the author’s own.
“A lot of what we never thought possible has happened so quickly that it is already history."
Lena-Karin Erlandsson, Dean of School of Health and Welfare
This year Halmstad University celebrates its 40th anniversary! In a series of chronicles, you get to follow Halmstad University's 40-year research journey, from no research to research for innovation. In this chronicle, you will meet Lena-Karin Erlandsson and her perspective on the development of the School of Health and Welfare.
The School’s activities are very much characterised by collaboration. What we do must be based on the users, activities and society to which our education, research and postgraduate education are directed. In order for us to be perceived as relevant, we need to have an openness, curiosity and flexibility in the face of the developments and changes that take place in society, and in the organisations with which we collaborate.
Writing about the Schools’s future, and thus about what is to come, feels uncertain and almost impossible. A lot of what we never thought possible has happened so quickly that it is already history. Today's and tomorrow's teachers and researchers are dealing with major changes in society, health and social care, as well as in technology and the digital flow of information. The need for, and interest in, research based on information-driven care, which several researchers at HOV are focusing on, is likely to increase. Technological advances in virtual and augmented reality, AI and digital tools will change how care and health advice, social support and sustainability are conveyed and what is communicated in society.
To get some inspiration for my chronicle, I decided to turn to something that is at least quite new, namely ChatGPT. It's a function that is easy to reach. It’s just a few keystrokes away, and you can ask a question and in just a few seconds get very sensible answer.
I asked ChatGPT how one can speculate about the activities of the School of Health and Welfare in the future, and it responded something like this:
Lena-Karin Erlandsson.
The School will continue to be involved in collaboration with companies, regions and municipalities, and we can develop into an important player in a larger health innovation network. The future of health and social care will be characterised by increased collaboration between different professional groups and sectors, including healthcare professionals, researchers, technology developers and politicians. The Health Lab will have developed into a central hub for collaboration and knowledge exchange.
But what does such a future scenario mean for the School’s employees? How might we work, and with what, in 20 years' time?
Researchers at the School are likely to continue, and even more, to conduct advanced and multidisciplinary research to solve complex, national and global problems in health and lifestyle. By including and integrating large amounts of health and lifestyle data, environment and other factors, our researchers will be involved in the discovery of associations and patterns that can help shape health prevention and new treatment strategies. Thanks to our focus on sports, some of us will act as esteemed experts during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.I
The research will have a broader global perspective to tackle health challenges such as new pandemics and environmental threats. For HOV's researchers, international collaboration will be a given, and in a closer perspective, the cross-disciplinary collaboration of the research programmes will prove to be both necessary and innovative.
When it comes to education and teaching, the focus on students memorising information will be obsolete, and instead education will prioritise developing students' ability for critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration. Educators at HOV use advanced technologies such as virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) to create more engaging and customised education. Students get to experience interactive simulations and virtual lectures, enhancing the learning experience.
The concept of lifelong learning will be even more important. HOV's teachers will be involved in contract education and transition for individuals of different ages and industries. Technological developments will enable virtual classroom communication, and students and teachers from different parts of the world can collaborate and exchange experiences and knowledge in real time.
In its day-to-day work, the School’s support staff will manage advanced technological infrastructure that supports research, education and collaboration.
Actually, it was quite exciting to use the AI tool, and since I know copyright is important, I asked ChatGPT if it wanted to co-author the chronicle. The answer was that it appreciated the request, “... however, as an AI assistant, I'm not capable of acting as a co-author in the same way that a human would. Good luck with your chronicle!"
At the same time, I received a warning. “At times, text generated by GPT can feel rigid or impersonal, as the system lacks emotional understanding and authenticity. It can be difficult to create an emotional connection with readers if the text lacks human warmth and empathy."
So, in conclusion, I have written this chronicle, almost all by myself.
Text: Lena-Karin Erlandsson
Photo: Dan Bergmark
