Gender studies department closed down after internal conflicts

The Department of Gender Studies at Lund University is being closed down after 45 years, due to extensive work environment problems and internal conflicts. The department will instead be integrated with the Department of Sociology at the end of the year.

The Department of Gender Studies at Lund University in Sweden was founded in 1978 and over the years has received both praise and ridicule. The last few years have been particularly turbulent with increased conflicts, internal problems and intrigues.

The Faculty Board has therefore decided to close the department and continue its activities as a division within the Department of Sociology. The restructuring is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

An internal document from the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences describes how the department has been plagued by organizational problems and strife in recent years.

“The organization has struggled with a lack of legitimacy for prefects, which has led to health and safety problems and risks to the business“, the document says.

History of work environment problems

Sydsvenskan reports that union representatives were officially informed of the planned closure at an MBL meeting the other week. The current management of gender studies will remain in place until mid-year, after which the head of the sociology department will take over responsibility.

This is not the first time Lund University has been forced to close a department due to work environment problems. In 2022, the Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics was closed for similar reasons.

According to the plan, the transition to shared premises for the Department of Sociology and other units will take place already in August, while the formal decision on the closure of the Department of Gender Studies is expected to be taken by the Faculty Board in September.

The closure is part of a broader strategy to reduce the number of units within the Faculty of Social Sciences and create larger, more cohesive units. There are currently 11 departments in the Faculty, but by 2029 the number is planned to be reduced to around half.