To design a citizenship test has no bearing on our activities, it is a purely political task that universities should not be involved in, says rector Hans Adolfsson to Dagens Nyheter.
Stockholm University has, together with Gothenburg University, been given the task of designing partial tests in Swedish and social science, knowledge tests that those seeking Swedish citizenship will have to undergo.
But Hans Adolfsson claims that the boundaries for citizenship are not a matter for the universities, unlike, for example, the university entrance exam which is intended to select the most suitable for studies.
The task also goes against the principle of an arm's length distance between the state and the universities, Hans Adolfsson believes.
Minister for Migration Johan Forssell (The Moderate Party) is sticking to the government's plan.
It is the government that governs the country and our universities are government agencies that are subject to us, he says to DN.
The task is about designing a test that measures knowledge of the Swedish language and society, it is something they already do today, says Johan Forssell to DN.
Previously, the universities in Stockholm and Gothenburg have protested against the timetable. The universities have 1.5 years to design the first partial tests, which is too short a time, they claim.
