History

"Gothenburg University College" was established in 1891 with the help of private donations. The first classes were held by seven professors teaching seven subjects to twenty-one students, four of whom were women.

In 1907 it became an independent university college with the same status as the two national universities of Uppsala and Lund. The University of Gothenburg was formally founded in 1954 through the amalgamation of this college with the Medical college, which had been established in 1949.

 

During the 1950s and 60s, the University expanded rapidly, moving from 500 students in the late 1940s to approximately 21,000 in the late 1960s.

Over the years a number of previously independent colleges have been incorporated into the University, the most recent being the College of Health. Today the University of Gothenburg offers the most comprehensive range of courses and degree programmes in Sweden.

A century ago, it was easy for everyone to be housed under one roof. Today, the University of Gothenburg has about 50,000 students, a staff of well over five thousand, and almost as many part-time teachers. There are approximately 60 departments in all, many of which rent facilities in old stone buildings and other properties in the centre of town. Several new university buildings have increased our "centralisation", and most of the departments are now located in the city centre. This has made the University of Gothenburg a truly urban university.

The Board of the University of Gothenburg has decided to delegate the responsibility for undergraduate and postgraduate studies and research to eight Faculty Boards. Each Faculty Board is responsible for a number of departments. The faculties of Medicine, Odontology and Health and Caring Sciences are part of The Sahlgrenska Academy, established on July 1, 2001.

The faculty of Health and Caring Sciences, created in connection with the establishment of the Academy, is the only one of its kind in Sweden.

The work of the University is carried out at the level of the departments, each of which is responsible for teaching and research in a specified area of study.

During the past 15-20 years the University has constructed new buildings for virtually all its fields of activity, and in doing so has become a conspicuous part of the city centre. The proximity of departments to one another helps promote interdisciplinary cooperation.

The University also combines renewal with tradition. The main building, from 1907, with its square granite pillars and a monumental flight of steps flanked by two bronze lions, has been declared a historic building by the National Heritage Board. One of its functions today is to house public events under the auspices of the University.