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• 2025-10-06

  Naturally Fast-Growing Spruce Trees Have Many Long Fibers

  Rapid height growth may positively influence fiber length in Swedish spruce wood. A case study investigated wood samples from 38-year-old of Norway spruces (Picea abies) at one of Sweden’s most naturally fertile forests.

  – Long fibers produce strong paper and cardboard products due to an increased number of bonds, says Björn Sjöstrand, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Karlstad University. The advantage of increased strength broadens the range of applications, and the same strength can be achieved with less material.

  The hypothesis for the study was that trees with fast height growth may have longer fibers, and thus provide longer pulp fibers, compared to lengths previously reported in Sweden.

• 2025-10-06

  This Year’s Academic Celebration Is About Trust

  Karlstad University lives by the motto Sapere Aude — dare to be wise. Daring requires a generous dose of curiosity and courage. And to be wise in academia means always being prepared for critical scrutiny. It is of utmost importance to be able to trust knowledge — this has never been more vital. That’s why the theme of the 2025 Academic Celebration is trust.

  On October 17, we will honor those who have undergone the most rigorous trials, reached the highest positions, or received the most prestigious distinctions in academia. We will confer degrees upon new doctors and honorary doctors, and install our new professors. We will also recognize this year’s associate professors, adjunct professors, and distinguished teachers.

• 2025-10-06

  Autumn Meeting with AI Theme

  The autumn meeting of the EXACT industrial graduate school offered two days filled with discussions and workshops. This time, the theme was AI — its possibilities, but also its ethical aspects.

  – It’s always a pleasure when the industrial graduate school can bring together PhD students, supervisors, and company mentors to discuss project progress, says Jörgen Samuelsson, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of the graduate school. Our autumn and spring meetings are important opportunities to exchange experiences and discuss ongoing research. It’s also a chance to talk about shared challenges in doctoral work, and this time we focused on AI.

• 2025-10-02

  Welcome to This Year’s Docent Lectures at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

  On 15 October, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Karlstad University invites you to this year’s open docent lectures. Staff, students and the interested public are warmly welcome.

  Newly appointed docents will present their research in areas such as digitalisation, welfare services, gender, migration and much more. The lectures are popular-science in nature and open to all. No pre-registration is required.

  “The docents appointed during autumn 2024 and spring 2025 are invited to present their research,” says Dean Martin Grimberg Löfgren. “In addition to being a fine tradition where we honour our new docents, it is also a way of offering insight into the diverse research being conducted here at the faculty, presented in a popular-scientific way.”

• 2025-10-01

  Between ideals and reality – why sustainable consumption is harder than we think

  What does it actually mean to be a sustainable consumer? And why is it so hard to live up to the ideals, even when the willingness is there? In her doctoral thesis, Anne-Charlotte Paas, who recently completed her PhD in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School, wanted to know more about why it is so difficult to lead a sustainable life despite the threat of our planet’s collapse.

  The doctoral thesis “Of Course I Want to Be Sustainable, but… : A Qualitative Study on Sustainable Consumption and Identity Construction” highlights the challenges of making everyday life as sustainable as possible. Household waste needs to be sorted, cycling or public transport should be the first choice, electronics should be switched off when not in use and food should ideally be organic. There is a lot to stay on top of to keep a clear conscience. These are the challenges that Anne-Charlotte Paas wanted to explore in her doctoral thesis.

• 2025-10-01

  The hedgehog is a garden friend in need

  The hedgehog is one of our most beloved garden visitors, but the species is under threat. A new red list for 2025 is underway, and preliminary findings suggest that the hedgehog may be moved from its current status of “Near Threatened” (NT) to “Vulnerable” (V). Petter Sjöström at Karlstad University is analysing thousands of observations from across the country as part of this year’s Hedgehog Awareness Week, initiated by WWF and Nordens Ark.

  – I wanted to write about something that truly matters, says Petter Sjöström, master’s student in biology. People care about hedgehogs, but this is also about biodiversity. By protecting the hedgehog, we protect many other species as well.

  Citizen research in practice
  
  Thousands of individuals reported their hedgehog observations and whether the animals were present (alive or dead) or absent to WWF and Nordens Ark between 11 and 17 August. Petter is now analysing this comprehensive amount of data as part of his degree project.