Continued government funding for AI courses for professionals
The Government is providing Halmstad University with additional funding to develop courses in artificial intelligence (AI) for professionals. It is also investing in more short courses for this target group. In total, the University will receive just over SEK five million in 2026.
“This gives us better opportunities to develop courses that meet professionals’ needs for skills development throughout their working lives.”
Malin Hallén, Pro Vice-Chancellor
Part of the funding will be used to develop shorter courses for people already in employment. Six higher education institutions will share a total of SEK 20 million, of which Halmstad University has been allocated SEK 2 million.
Supporting skills development in the labour market
The Swedish higher education system mainly offers degree programmes and stand-alone courses that are not primarily aimed at professionals. The Government now wants to significantly increase the number of stand-alone courses for skills development, particularly short courses.
At the same time, short courses for professionals can create some uncertainty for higher education institutions under the current funding model, as the number of participants and completion rates can be harder to predict. The Government has therefore announced that a dedicated funding model for short courses for professionals will be developed.
The design of this model has not yet been decided. As a first step, several higher education institutions have been given development funding to create short courses aimed at professionals.
“This gives us better opportunities to develop courses that meet professionals’ needs for skills development throughout their working lives”, says Malin Hallén, Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for education and quality at Halmstad University.
Extended investment in AI
At the same time, the Government is extending its ongoing investment in short courses in artificial intelligence. Halmstad University will receive SEK 3.3 million in 2026 to continue developing AI courses.
Halmstad University is the only university college among the seven higher education institutions included in the initiative.
This work builds on the Government assignment awarded to the University in 2025, under which around ten short AI courses for professionals are being developed.
“That the Government has chosen to extend the assignment confirms our strong expertise in AI and shows that our courses are in demand”, says Malin Hallén.
From 2027, the Government plans to expand the initiative nationally to SEK 40 million per year.
Senior Lecturer Jonas Bäckman will coordinate the work at Halmstad University. He will also produce a strategic basis for how the University can further develop its range of short courses for professionals.
Text: Anna-Frida Agardson
Photo: iStock
