Update 17 March
At a press conference today, 17 March, the Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven announced that the Government recommends that universities and other higher education institutions switch to distance teaching as from tomorrow 18 March. In light of this recommendation the entire IIIEE will from tomorrow morning (18.3.2020) only operate on distance basis.
From 18 March employees are to work from home. Likewise, students are to study from home. This of course implies that no one can organize any meeting, social gatherings or events at the institute. This decision will be in force until it is explicitly changed. At the moment we expect the institute to be closed for at least a month.
We do this not just because it is the recommendation by the Swedish government, we also do it because it is the right thing to do. At this time, when the coronavirus is spreading fast it is natural that we all primarily think of our own health risks and the risks of our families and friends. However, we all also have a responsibility to do our best to hinder the virus from spreading. This is essential in order to ensure the possibilities of the healthcare system to treat patients in need and protect risk groups from getting infected. Based on the evidence so far, the best way to limit the spreading of the coronavirus is social distancing. Hence, we should do all we can to limit any physical interactions.
Even though we close the building the work of the IIIEE continues. Various measures have already been taken to ensure we operate in the best possible way. All courses will be given as planned even though the format (and for certain learning activities the schedule) will be adapted due to the extraordinary circumstances. The same goes for our research projects. We will continue doing our utmost to produce and share actionable knowledge for climate-neutral and resource-efficient economies.
For updates on the Coronavirus and how Lund University respond to it, please see the staff pages