Friday, 9 January, marks Quitters Day – the day when most New Year’s resolutions have already fallen apart. According to Per Kristensson, professor of Psychology at Karlstad University, these failures rarely stem from a lack of ability.
– We don’t fail because we are weak, but because we don’t change the situation we’re in, he says.
DigitalWell Arena is now taking the next step in its long-term commitment to digital health innovation in Värmland. After several years focused on establishing a platform for research and collaboration, the work is now shifting towards the large-scale implementation and practical use of digital solutions.
Research at Karlstad University has been a central driving force behind DigitalWell Arena since its launch in 2019.
Britt-Inger Keisu recently left Umeå University and joined Karlstad University as professor of sociology. Her research centres on power, collaboration and conflict, with a particular focus on Indigenous and minority rights in the Arctic.
– Knowledge about Indigenous peoples and Arctic minorities is limited.
Playing an instrument has always been a given for Jakob Rolandsson, as he comes from a musical family. The realization that he wanted to work professionally with music came after music high school and graduation.
Do you want to study voice with a focus on contemporary vocal expression and digital interactive musical instruments? This is possible if you pursue a master’s degree in classical singing at Ingesund School of Music.
Carl Unander-Scharin, Professor of Musical Performance with a specialization in classical singing at Ingesund School of Music, has developed instruments such as The Vocal Chorder, The Throat, and The Charged Room in collaboration with Åsa Unander-Scharin.
How can legal strategies change women’s life circumstances? A new research project at Karlstad University explores how strategic litigation is used to strengthen women’s rights and influence social change.
– Strategic litigation, that is, pursuing court cases to create change beyond the individual matter, is increasingly being used to safeguard women’s rights, such as the right to abortion, and protection against gender-based violence.
…you are enrolled in the Master’s Programme in Music and the Bachelor’s Programme in Music at Ingesund School of Music. This past weekend, you took home first and second prize in the prestigious Anders Wall Music Prize 2025. Congratulations! What do these achievements mean for your future careers?
"Winning Anders Wall’s Music Prize feels both fantastic and almost unreal, says Sebastian Iivonen, student in the Artistic Master’s Programme in Music.
Black Friday tempts us with limited-time offers and massive discounts. But how do falling prices and ticking countdowns affect our behaviour? Per Kristensson, Professor of Psychology at Karlstad University, explains and shares his best advice for making more mindful choices.
Black Friday has become a global shopping phenomenon, stretching over an ever-longer period and marked by steep discounts – both in physical stores and online.
Pianist Sebastian Iivonen is enrolled in the Artistic Master’s Program for Musicians at Ingesund School of Music. He has just completed a semifinal in the Solistpriset, Sweden’s foremost soloist competition and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music’s largest award for young musicians, presented every two years.
“I’m so satisfied and happy to have participated. I did my best and was well prepared, so I’m pleased with my performance.
Hello there, Dalian Dawody, World Champion in the 71 kg class in Muay Thai and student in the Business and Economics program at the Elite Sports University, Karlstad University...
...You’ve been nominated for Male Athlete of the Year at the 2026 Swedish Sports Gala – congratulations!The traditional question can’t be avoided: How does it feel to receive such recognition?
"It’s a mix of emotions.
Vulnerable children who may never have had a real chance—especially in school—are a heartfelt concern for Christel Sundqvist, newly appointed Professor of Special Education at Karlstad University.
How can we get sedentary children to move more? A new research study aims to find out in collaboration with children in grades 2 and 3 in primary school. The idea is to identify alternative activities to traditional sports that can be practiced after school.
Siri Jakobsson Störe has been awarded the Swedish National Committee for Psychological Sciences’ prize for outstanding young researcher in psychology 2025. She receives the award for her research on insomnia and how sleep difficulties can be understood and treated.
– I’m very honoured, says Siri Jakobsson Störe, senior lecturer in psychology at Karlstad University.
In a new project, researcher Nicklas Hållén will map the invisible paths of literature in Nairobi.
The project examines how literary expressions are shaped by people’s movements between different cultural forms – for example, from oral poetry, theater and music to literary publishing. The focus is on how “invisible” cultural practices, such as slam poetry in Nairobi’s less affluent areas, influence the “visible” literature that reaches magazines, bookstores and stages.
What research is being conducted in areas such as preschool, leisure-time centers, giftedness, and special education at Karlstad University? You can learn more on November 6, when the research center Educational and Sports Science Studies of Children and Childhood (UBB) invites you to a research festival.
– I want to shed light on the unseen – and the gaze that fails to see, says Markus Lundström, who conducts research on racism, nationalism and political action.
He is looking forward to contributing his expertise in historical sociology at Karlstad University, and dreams about creating an interdisciplinary forum for critical time studies.
Before coming to Karlstad University, Markus Lundström held a position at Mid Sweden University.
