FROM THE DIRECTOR

CEC continues forward! During the last week , we have seen no other option than to cancel or postpone many of our courses, events and meetings. This has been done with heavy hearts, but one positive side-effect is that it has given a snap-shot summary of the impressive number and richness of events rooted in and growing from CEC. The ambition now is make continued use of all this, letting as little as possible of all the hard work already carried out slip through our fingers and go to waste. We will do so by finding new forms to carry on as usual (see below about for example digital tools for teaching and meetings) and thus maintaining momentum of research, education, cooperation and, not the least, social contacts and networks. We are all responsible to contribute to this, but supervisors, group leaders, PIs etc are especially encouraged to make sure that the compass needle points in the forward direction.

The management group has worked on defining delegations and staff resources to ensure that CEC functions can be maintained also in case of increased absence. If you have questions concerning this, please talk to your line manager.
 

Best

Henrik

 

UPDATE COVID-19

The staff and students are urged to continuously follow updates from the university management on the university’s Staff Pages, where you also find a Q&A and practical tips.

Please, stay at home when you are ill! Even if symptoms are mild. And allow for additional days after you have recovered. Report sick leave. There is no ”karensdag” and you only need a doctor’s certificate after two weeks. It may be possible to work from home! Work from home must be approved by your line manager (at CEC: Yann Clough, Katarina Hedlund, Henrik Smith, Karin Hofvendahl). The following applies at LU:

• If you have symptoms such as a runny nose, cough or fever and stay at home, you are to report your sick leave as usual to your line manager and in Primula.
• If you have symptoms but feel capable of working from home, contact your line manager to discuss if this is an option.
  If you belong to a risk group or if you potentially have been in contact with persons infected with corona, contact your line manager to discuss the possibility to work from home.
• If you don’t have symptoms and want to work from home, contact your line manager to discuss if this is an option.

CEC and the university are following the Government and Public Health Authority’s recommendations regarding measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The university has therefore decided that education and examinations should be conducted using online alternatives (distance education) from 18 March.
Are you taking a course? Please contact your course responsible for updates.
Are you teaching on a course? Please see below for support and guidelines on how to use the university’s online tools for education.

Due to the current situation and people possibly falling ill, please be aware that parts of the administration staff might be unavailable due to illness. Please try to plan activities where you need administrative support with as much foresight as possible.

International business travel is prohibited. If you plan essential national business travel, please contact your line manager before making any travel arrangements!

The Government has decided to prohibit public gatherings and public events involving more than 500 participants. If holding a smaller event, make a risk assessment together with your manager and safety officer based on the Public Health Authority’s recommendations for events (in Swedish).

The university facilities will remain open until further notice, however you might need to use your LU card to get access to the premises. Also see updates from the biology library. The café in the Ecology building, Le Mani, will close from 14.00 as long as there is a reduced number of students and staff in the building.

There will be no Friday seminar or coffee, no fruit, milk, newspapers or group responsible for kitchen duties, until further notice. Please try to solve these practical issues in the best way possible.

ONLINE AND IT-SUPPORT

Education
The Canvas project management provides support for the switch to online education via the Canvas course Go online (Covid-19). For more information on Canvas, see Canvas info and Canvas blog (in Swedish).

The Division for Higher Education Development offers a drop-in workshop about teaching with Zoom during several occasions in March, see dates and info on how to join.

The online virtual support room in Zoom is now also open for all (including those of you who are not currently using Canvas) and will be staffed Monday to Friday between 8-17, see link to support room. The Canvas support team will do their best in answering your questions and helping you choose or test a digital tool.

Zoom should primarily be used for educational purposes. Zoom is under heavy strain due to many currently joining the platform. Please avoid using the tool during the hours of 10-12 when many people use the platform, if possible.

Online meetings

Everyone are encouraged to hold meetings online instead of in person. There are several options on tools for online meetings and conferences, see the university’s Staff Pages.

All staff of the university has access to Teams.

Working groups in Teams are currently being created for the most common and known working groups at CEC. If you have been included in a group you should have received an invitation to the group via email. Just click the included link to start using the group/platform for meetings, chatting, sharing of documents etc.

If you need assistance in creating a new working group, contact Stina Johannesson.

How to book an online meeting in Teams: Click Calendar in the left menu and then New meeting in the upper, right corner. Book the meeting, which is then synced with your Outlook calendar, and invite participants. All participants get an invitation via email through which they can join the video meeting (using regular web camera and microphone).

IT SUPPORT

For support on the online tools for education and meetings (Canvas, Zoom, Teams etc.), contact LU Servicedesk.

For additional IT support (e.g. computers, orders, hardware service to students and staff, printers, adding people to Z folders etc.), contact helpdesk [at] biol [dot] lu [dot] se (helpdesk[at]biol[dot]lu[dot]se). 

STAFF NEWS

Ludwig Bengtsson Sonesson has been announced as one of Sweden’s Sustainability Top Talents by Aktuell Hållbarhet, all under the age of 33.

Secondary employment should be reported by all teachers no later than 31 March, see previous newsletter for more info or contact My Geborek.

Will you hire fieldworkers or other temporary employees during the coming period? Please check the instructions and info on the CEC Staff Pages.

EVENTS AND DATES

For an updated list of events see the CEC calendar (English version). Below the most relevant events during the coming two weeks. But please be aware that thing might change, keep updated at the webpage of the respective event.

Most parts of the CEC Spring Conference are cancelled due to Covid-19 (Corona), see the conference webpage for updates. Three sessions will instead be available via digital channels.

Sustainability Forum and the Municipality of Lund have decided to cancel the Sustainability Week 2020, due to Covid-19 (Corona). See Sustainability Forum’s webpage for updates.

On March 23-26 PhD students, postdocs and researchers are welcome to attend a Neutron Imaging doctoral school organized by LINXS. Read more and register here.

This year’s CEC PhD students spring meeting will take place in Lund on May 14 to 15. In a two-day event format, CEC PhD students will present their current work via oral and poster presentations. It will be an event open for anyone to attend, but registration is required. It is an excellent opportunity to get to know on-going research at CEC, and an excellent arena to get friendly feedback from other researchers and students at CEC.

CEC IN MEDIA

Below you can find an example. You can find the total coverage here, but only in Swedish. To read the full newspaper articles for free, search in the Media Archive available via the LU Library portal here.

Spring has arrived earlier than before and several LU researchers, e.g. Johan Ekroos, explain how this affects nature, see the CEC newspage.

Two of the CEC alumni in environmental science have received a scholarship from SYSAV, Sydskånes avfallsaktiebolag, for their essays on recycling of soil and plastics, see the CEC newspage.

The Swedish Climate Policy Council (Klimatpolitiska Rådet), of which Markku Rummukainen is a member, has evaluated the government’s climate politics and agreed that the politics lack impact assessments, time planning and division of responsibilities for implementation, see the CEC newspage.

GOOD TO KNOW

Because of Covid-19 (Corona), many funders are extending or evaluating the extension of calls. Please, check the call websites for updates on deadlines.

And finally, an update and best wishes from the high school students and teachers joining the premiere of the “CEC high school days” in early March: https://twitter.com/cec_lund/status/1238140875252928518?s=20

PICTURES AND VIDEOS DURING YOUR TIME AT CEC – GDPR

During your time at CEC there will be pictures taken and videos shot at staff meetings etc. If you do not wish to appear in photos, videos etc. please notify anna_maria [dot] erling [at] cec [dot] lu [dot] se (anna_maria[dot]erling[at]cec[dot]lu[dot]se) or stina [dot] johannesson [at] cec [dot] lu [dot] se (stina[dot]johannesson[at]cec[dot]lu[dot]se). See more information about data protection at Lund University.

ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER

The CEC newsletter is sent to employees and those that are associated with CEC. The newsletter is sent out on Thursdays every second week. If you have anything you would like to add to the newsletter, please send your information to Karin Hofvendahl, no later than Tuesday the same week.