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News

• 2026-04-17

  Valborg Kicks Off on Monday!

  Walpurgis Night (Valborgsmässoafton) always falls on 30 April, but for students at Karlstad University the celebrations start as early as Monday 20 April under the collective name Legendarborg. It will be a packed period of events where both students and staff are welcome to take part!

  The Karlstad Student Union and the student association Kaulas have worked long and hard on the Valborg celebrations, which this year are being expanded with even more activities to suit all tastes.

  – For the past two years we have organised Festivalborg here in the car park behind Building 21, as construction work down in Haga meant that Gubbholmen was not accessible in the same way as before, explains Hilda Kläppe Hellström, Head of Student Social Affairs at the Karlstad Student Union. However, this year the students voted to move back down to the greenery at Gubbholmen again.

• 2026-04-17

  DHINO brought together academia, the public sector, and industry for dialogue on digital health innovation

  On April 14–15, DHINO hosted the annual Partner Days, bringing together around 30 representatives from academia, the public sector, and industry to exchange experiences and discuss the development of digital health innovation in healthcare.

  “The Partner Days are a recurring activity where we invite our collaboration partners to share good practices,” says Charlotte Bäccman, project manager for DHINO and associate professor of Psychology at Karlstad University.

  Jakob Trischler, deputy project manager and associate professor of Business Administration, continues: 

  “It is unique to bring together so many different areas of expertise in one place. This type of collaboration is essential for addressing complex societal challenges related to digital health innovation”.

• 2026-04-16

  Cybersecurity in focus during Ethical Hackarinas

  On April 8–9, the first Ethical Hackarinas event was held at Karlstad University. It was two intensive days that put ethical hacking in focus and contributed to increased knowledge and awareness in the field of cybersecurity.

  The program offered a mix of inspiring lectures and hands-on activities, with participants from industry, academia, and the public sector. The event was aimed at both beginners and individuals with a broader interest in technology, security, and issues related to inclusion and representation within tech. With a strong emphasis on practical elements, participants had the opportunity to try things out themselves, and no prior knowledge was required.

  Two of the attendees explained why they were interested in participating:

• 2026-04-15

  Spring Meeting of the EXACT Research School

  On April 14–15, the EXACT research school held its spring meeting, an opportunity for doctoral students and partner companies to exchange knowledge and experiences. Day one focused on leadership and entrepreneurship, while day two centered on the doctoral projects and the participating companies.

  Bernt Svensson, former Head of Products at Absolent prior to his retirement and a member of the EXACT board, gave a lecture on leadership and the difference between a leadership role and an expert role. The doctoral students reflected on these different roles and shared their concerns, including workload and relationships with colleagues, which make many hesitant to take on a leadership position. A survey by the trade union Ledarna on young managers highlights the same issue: many people aged 18–35 do not want to become managers, for the same reasons expressed by the doctoral students.

• 2026-04-13

  Major investment in school teaching

  Karlstad University and the University of Gothenburg are proposed to receive SEK 37.5 million from the Swedish Research Council within the strategic research area Excellence in School. The initiative is one of the largest in Sweden in practice-oriented school research. Its purpose is to develop teaching with the aim of improving student outcomes and increasing equitable learning.

  “It is incredibly exciting and a great honor, and a strong recognition of the expertise within the subject-didactic research environment at Karlstad University,” says Christina Olin-Scheller, professor of Comparative literature in Education and professor in Pedagogical Work at Karlstad University. “It is significant for our institution and especially important for teacher education, which is the foundation of this initiative.

• 2026-04-09

  From Bangladesh and Zambia to student life – and “fika” – in Karlstad

  What is it like to move across the world to study in Sweden? Two international programme students at Karlstad University share their experiences of studying, adapting to a new culture and discovering Swedish traditions – from ice hockey to Lucia.

  Every year, students from all over the world come to Karlstad University to begin a new chapter in their lives. For many of them, studying abroad is not only about education, but also about discovering a new culture, new people and a different way of life. Two of those students are Jannatul Yea, known as Jannat, from Bangladesh, and Bwalya Kabwe from Zambia.