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• 2026-06-23

  Can a New Study Help Increase the Number of Engineers in Sweden?

  How can gifted students be both challenged and supported in developing their skills in technology studies? A new study at Karlstad University shows that the subject of technology has strong potential to meet gifted students’ needs through modeling using digital tools. This may, in the long run, help increase the number of future engineers—something that Swedish industry currently faces a shortage of.

  The study consists of three parts that highlight different aspects of the technology subject. The first focuses on how models and modeling are used, particularly with the help of digital tools such as CAD (computer-aided design). The second examines what gifted students need in order to thrive and develop in technology education. The third investigates what makes teaching more or less complex – that is, how challenging and development-oriented it is.

• 2026-06-18

  Meet Elite Student Athletes During SM Week

  It’s time for SM Week to take over Karlstad. The event is a public celebration featuring world-class sports, experiences, and opportunities to connect. This year, not least with the Elite Sports University at Karlstad University. Come and meet several of our students, world-class elite athletes on Västra Torggatan!

  For many years, Karlstad University has been an elite sports-friendly university, meaning it welcomes top-level athletes competing at national team level who can pursue their studies alongside their athletic careers.

• 2026-06-17

  Bioeconomy and innovation

  On 16–17 June, researchers, companies and clusters gathered for the BioEco Valley Summit 2026. This year’s theme, lignin, fibres and optimised circular processes, highlighted how the bioeconomy can contribute to the green transition.

  The conference was opened by County Governor George Andrén, who emphasised the strong position of Värmland within the forest-based bioeconomy and underlined the importance of collaboration between academia, industry and the public sector in addressing challenges such as climate change.

• 2026-06-16

  From #MeToo to TikTok – how feminist activism takes shape on social media

  Hashtags, algorithms and platform features influence how feminism is expressed and circulated on social media. This is shown in Lisa Lindqvist’s thesis, in which she has studied movements such as #MeToo, #Kvinnostrejk and #WomenInMaleFields on Twitter/X, Instagram and TikTok.

  – I have examined how the features and infrastructures of social media platforms shape feminist activism and what new forms of resistance emerge in these spaces, says Lisa Lindqvist, who has recently been awarded a doctoral degree in sociology.

• 2026-06-11

  Teaching About Controversial Social Issues Is Essential

  This autumn, Sweden will hold elections, and it is time for the country’s citizens to take part in one of the privileges of living in a democracy. This is especially true for young people who may have the opportunity to vote for the first time. However, leading discussions in a classroom within the subject of social studies can be challenging in a turbulent political climate marked by increasing polarization. A new study examines how student teachers can be prepared to teach controversial social issues and what opportunities and challenges arise when they plan and carry out such teaching during their school placements (VFU) at upper secondary level.

  Previous research shows that teachers often avoid teaching controversial social issues due to uncertainty about how to conduct such lessons and concern about emotionally charged classroom situations. In this dissertation, written by Victoria Williamsson, a subject-didactic planning model is developed to support work with contested, emotionally charged, and political issues.

• 2026-06-11

  New thesis on how AI can make apps more user-friendly

  How can apps and digital health services become easier to use for older adults and people with motor impairments? In his doctoral thesis, Bilal Maqbool in Computer Science has developed an AI-based method that can imitate user interactions and has investigated why usability testing is often a challenge.

  ”To create user-friendly systems, developers need to test their products with real users. This can be difficult, especially when the target group includes people with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, reduced motor function, or other health challenges. Recruiting participants, obtaining ethical approvals, and conducting repeated tests require both time and resources”, he says.

  AI that learns from people