Welcome to Karlstad University

News

• 2025-12-01

  Balanced budget with continued investment power for 2026

  The university board approved the 2026 budget at its meeting on 27 November. The forward-looking investments in Eunice, doctoral students and associate senior lecturers, which are financed through the university’s agency capital, will continue. The rest of the budget is expected to be balanced.

  The university’s finances are affected by various factors in society, the wider world and sometimes also by challenges within the organisation. In terms of inflation, the situation is somewhat less concerning than before. At the same time, the government’s budget proposal earlier this autumn did not include any new, major investments in the higher education sector. 

  In real terms, Karlstad University’s budget for 2026 is decreasing. This is primarily because the final temporary COVID-19 initiatives will conclude in 2026.

• 2025-11-27

  New research on strategic litigation as a tool for women’s rights

  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. This is also a way to hold governments accountable for upholding these rights, says Annika Rudman, professor of gender studies.

• 2025-11-27

  Hackerspace strengthens the student environment in computer science

  Since last year, the subject of computer science has had its own Hackerspace – a specially equipped room that has quickly become a natural meeting place for students interested in programming, cybersecurity, and technology. The space is also home to KAUotic Hacking Club, the university’s own community for ethical hacking.

  The club was started to fill a void, as many computer science students lacked a natural gathering place where they could deepen their interest in cybersecurity and hacking outside of regular coursework. Today, KAUotic arranges everything from workshops and lectures to hacker evenings, and it has quickly become an appreciated part of student life in computer science.

• 2025-11-25

  Green Materials Technology for Sustainable Packaging

  Researchers at the corporate research school Exact have developed a new cellulose-based nanomaterial. The density of this new material makes it a greener and more sustainable alternative, for example as a coating in packaging.

  The new cellulose nanomaterial has been created through a special process called Fenton oxidation. This process is based on hydrogen peroxide and iron ions reacting together, which breaks down cellulose fibers in a controlled way. When combined with mechanical treatment, the fibers become highly refined, almost as if they are “frayed” at the micron level.

• 2025-11-24

  Industry Days 2025 – A Clear Mark of Karlstad University’s Growing Role in the Development of Digital and Sustainable Services

  How will AI transform and shape the society of the future? That question was at the center when researchers and industry leaders met at Industry Days 2025 at the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University.

  On November 19–20, Karlstad University became a global hub for knowledge, strategy, and future visions as researchers and industry partners discussed tomorrow’s society during Industry Days 2025 – a two-day event focused on AI for a digital and sustainable future.

• 2025-11-24

  How to prepare for Black Friday – expert tips for smarter shopping

  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. Behind the sales lie psychological mechanisms that influence how we shop – and how we feel afterwards.

  “Black Friday creates an expectation that you should shop,” says Per Kristensson. “The sense that others are out hunting for bargains can create pressure to follow suit and justify our purchases.”

  He argues that the phenomenon today is as much driven by consumers as by retailers.