Major investment by the School of Physical Education and Sports in Skellefteå

A lot continues to happen on Campus Skellefteå - several new universities and educational actors are about to invest. The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, will establish itself from autumn 2024. GIH, known for its education in sports, physical activity and health, will offer a range of courses that include a three-year bachelor's degree in psychology with a focus on behavioral change.

Two of the upcoming courses in fall 2024 are 'Leading Change' and 'Physical Activity and Brain Health in Schools'. Both of these courses will have between 20 and 30 training places and focus on sustainable change management.

The psychology course is expected to start in the fall semester of 2025. It does not lead to a psychology degree but can be studied to work as a behavioral worker in HR or health care.

Maria Ekblom, professor of sports science at GIH, thinks that these are suitable courses for Skellefteå and she is enthusiastic about the opportunities offered by the collaboration with Campus Skellefteå:

- We strive to be a national and international player, and to do so through involvement in Skellefteå is a golden opportunity. Through our education and research, we want to positively influence the development of society, and Skellefteå is working on very important issues for our common future, especially in light of Agenda 2030. There is a huge process of change going on, and we want to be part of that transformation. It feels very relevant!

She herself has roots in Bureå and studied in Skellefteå when she was young. Like many others, she has observed the city's transformation in recent years:

- I have seen how Skellefteå has developed, especially with Northvolt of course, which is generating positive development not only for Sweden but for the whole of Europe. It is exciting to follow how the city handles this large-scale societal transformation. Such a challenge also requires a major training effort, says Maria.

One of the new courses, 'Leading in change', focuses on management support and change management:

- For new companies setting up, it is crucial to promote a good working environment, make employees feel comfortable and that they have made a good choice for themselves and their families. Knowledge and understanding of leading change and leading change through participation and involvement of employees will be important going forward, says Victoria Blom, licensed psychologist and head of department at GIH.

- It is about creating good health and well-being for the local population and offering good working conditions. It goes beyond just offering high salaries and also includes supporting individuals and families to thrive and develop. Local business must be a positive force that contributes to the well-being of the locality, rather than being perceived as a drain on its resources, says Maria Ekblom.

When it comes to the demand for such courses, Maria is convinced:

- Absolutely, there are many managers who need support in these matters. For a sustainable establishment, it is important to have knowledge of organizational psychology and change management. Such skills will be in high demand.

In the future, she also sees opportunities to integrate education with research and collaboration with the business community, something GIH in Stockholm already has experience of:

- To make this a successful venture, we want to find joint research projects and strengthen our presence in Skellefteå. Collaboration at different organizational levels is always wise for a sustainable implementation, she says.