The Birth of the University College of Sundsvall | 1971 |

In 1971, Göte Högbom began as a chemical engineer at the School of Higher Education in Sundsvall. Back then, it was not a proper university college, but it was called the Systematized Decentralized Academic Education (or SYDAKUT in Swedish). The education was run by a course management and it was not a branch of Umeå University, as some people think.

– In the autumn term of 1971, we started programmes and courses in chemistry, physics and mathematics. The physics education was held at the school of Västermalm, and for the chemistry education, a pavilion was built – where Metropol is located today. At the same time, the social science education started at Alléskolan, Göte tells us.

Göte and his colleagues certainly started from scratch and there was a clear pioneering spirit. They received a lot of help from teachers in Umeå in terms of what purchases to make and he remembers when the first supplies arrived.

– I literally began with a crate of some office materials. And now that I can look back on the whole history – from nothing to a full university – it’s a very special feeling, says Göte.

Quite soon, it was time to consider the issue of premises, especially when the school was formally made a university college in 1977. Being spread all over town was no longer an option and soon, the activities were centralized in the old mental hospital of Västhagen. In 1987, the premises of the current Metropol were added.

Footnote: Göte began as a chemical engineer, but has since then worked both as HR manager and property manager at Mid Sweden University.