Text 2. Swedish university of agricultural sciences (slu)

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a university with a clearly defined role in society: to take responsibility for the development of learning and expertise in areas concerning biological resources and biological production. This responsi­bility stretches over the wide-ranging fields of agriculture, forestry and the food industry to environmental questions, veterinary medicine and biotechnology.

The university activities are spread between 70 depart­ments in three faculties: Faculty of Agriculture, Landscape Planning and Horticulture, Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. A total of 3500 people are employed at the University. The students are the future of the University. More than 3500 under­ograduates and 850 postgraduate students are enrolled at SLU. SLU offers a broad spectrum of vocational and ge­neral educational programmes. They are under continuous development, and new programmes that exploit the unique competence at the University are regularly introduced. Many of the students today design their bachelor's or master's degree from a choice of over 400 single subject courses. A Bachelor’s degree requires at least 120 credits, including 60 credits in the main subject. (See Supplementary, text 3.) A Master’s degree requires 160 credits, including 80 credits in the main subject.

The faculty of forestry is Sweden’s main centre for higher education and research in forestry, and it is represented at several places in Sweden. The main locations are Umeå and Uppsala. The departments of ecology and environmental research, forest ecology, forest economics, forest genetics and plant morphology, forest management and products, forest resource management and geomatics, forest soils, silviculture, wood science and some others offer courses at all levels for Swedish and international students. The faculty has also several research stations throughout the country.

Strong competence in basic aspects of natural sciences, technology, economy and land­scape planning form the basis of the applicability that characterizes research at SLU. A comprehensive viewpoint, inter-disciplinary approach and applicability are keywords in SLU's research and teaching and in the intensive contacts with industry and society.

SLU has an international character, with extensive and fruitful exchange of learning in a network spanning the whole world. SLU is also engaged in several interna­tional education programmes for students. Many courses, both for undergraduate and postgraduate levels, are therefore offered in English.

The attitude to the fields, forests and the rest of living nature has changed dramatically during recent decades — even during the short time SLU has existed as a university. The keyword in 1977 was «high productivity», at the time when Sweden combined the resources for research and higher education in agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine to a new university. Today the keyword is «sustainable production» instead. Biological production in forests and arable land, controlled by man, must be in harmony with nature, not at nature's expense.

Primary strate­gic requirements for success include continuous develop­ment of knowledge about biological life and a continuous supply of highly competent people for basic production.

SLU is the only university of its kind in Sweden. It carries out one third of all biological research in Sweden. It plays a major role in supplying knowledge to a range of basic areas, from agriculture and forestry to livestock manage­ment. With the modern attitude to nature and biological production, it has also become a university for the environment, a vital source of learning for nature conservation, landscape planning and a sustainable society. Today, collaboration between research, business and industry means that advanced biotechnology is imple­mented quickly in new and improved products.

Answer the questions:

1. In what fields is the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences developing education?

2. Is SLU a large university, do you think? Try and prove your point.

3. How many credits are required for the Bachelor’s degree? And for the Master’s degree?

4. What departments are there at the faculty of forestry? Do they provide the courses for the Master’s degree?

5. Is the university engaged in interna­tional education programmes?

6. How has the attitude to the biological resources and biological production changed since 1977 (when SLU was established)?

7. What does collaboration between research, business and industry mean?

Make up a list of topical vocabulary.