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• 2026-02-18

  The latest developments in system integration were presented at an international conference in Mexico

  The SII 2026 conference focused on system integration – how hardware, software, and various technical subsystems are combined into functional wholes. This is a central area within modern robotics, automation, industrial systems, and smart technologies, including applications in health, manufacturing, and energy.

  – I participated in this year’s conference as Program Co‑Chair, says Jorge Solis, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering. We received a record number of submissions: a total of 389 scientific papers and 49 Late Breaking Reports. More than 100 Associate Editors were assigned to review each submitted contribution.

  Based on the scientific peer‑review process, only about 73 percent of the submissions were accepted, resulting in a very high standard of presentations.

• 2026-02-17

  International Exchange within Physics Education

  Research and teaching environments were presented, along with good examples of teaching that promotes active learning and strengthens research‑based education.

  – Between 9 and 13 February, we welcomed a delegation from the Department of Physics at the University of Bucharest, Romania, says Andrea Muntean, Senior Lecturer in Physics. They visited us within the framework of Erasmus+ and as a continuation of a visit in 2025, when our colleague Lorena Solvang travelled to Bucharest. Our guests work at the Division of Matter Structure, Atmospheric and Geophysics, and Astrophysics, where Sandra Voinea serves as Prefect.

• 2026-02-12

  Elise's presentation won first prize

  At the Swedish Society of Paper and Pulp Engineers' Ekmandagar on January 27, 2026, Elise Meurs, a doctoral student in chemical engineering at the Exact Industrial Research School, won the first prize in the prestigious presentation competition.

   – The competition is conducted in Pecha Kucha format, a presentation format with 20 slides and only 20 seconds per slide, says Elise Meurs. 

• 2026-02-10

  Teacher Education Student Aiming for the Top of the World in Speed Skiing

  Cornelia Thun Sandström is studying to become a teacher at Karlstad University while simultaneously belonging to the world elite in speed skiing. Her everyday life is about balancing studies, training, and mental preparation—and about finding sustainable motivation in both worlds.
  – Having the opportunity to be part of the Elite Sports University has been incredibly important to me. I don’t think it would have been possible to study at the same time otherwise, she say

  Cornelia grew up in Kil and now lives in Karlstad, but still competes for her home club. At the same time, she is in her sixth semester of the teacher education program with a focus on grades F–3 at Karlstad University and is part of the university’s Elite Sports University.

• 2026-02-09

  The unexpected gift that makes customers buy more – and come back

  Small spontaneous gifts with no expectations of something in return can influence both purchasing behavior and customer relationships in powerful ways. Amie Gustafsson, PhD in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School and researcher at the Service Research Center (CTF), has had her work published in the prestigious Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

  Amie Gustafsson, what might such a gift consist of, and when is it given to the consumer?

  – It’s about small, unexpected gifts that are given without requiring anything in return. It might be a free accessory with a purchase, an extra product in the delivery, a gift when the customer walks into the store, or something included with their first online order. The important thing is that it’s not perceived as a reward that needs to be earned. We tested this with, for example, packages of coffee and chocolate.

• 2026-02-06

  New study provides unique insight into the work of registered nurses and nursing assistants in home healthcare

  A new study offers an in-depth and uncommon insight into how registered nurses and nursing assistants work with fundamental care for older people within municipal home healthcare services. The study shows that care work is significantly more complex and multifaceted than what is often reflected in guidelines, schedules, and care plans.

  “The study shows that everyday conditions have a major impact on care quality, and that fundamental care is more complex than what is often made visible in governing documents,” says Karin Sandberg, doctoral student in nursing at Karlstad University and one of the researchers behind the study.