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• 2025-12-22

  Licentiate thesis sheds light on support for children exposed to violence

  How can social services ensure that children who have been subjected to violence receive the support they need and are entitled to? This is the central question in a recently presented licentiate thesis in social work at Karlstad University.

  In her thesis, Leigh Ann Loebs, former doctoral student in social work at Karlstad University and now working in Kils municipality, examines how children suspected of having been exposed to violence gain access to interventions from social services, and how team leaders support social workers in identifying and counteracting biases and inequalities in assessments—particularly in relation to children’s gender and family background.

• 2025-12-22

  Mediatisation in focus: Karlstad University leads unique long-term study

  The collection of data in the project Measuring Mediatisation continues on 1 January 2026.
  – A time series covering the period 2017–2030 will give a unique insight into how our lives are affected by different forms of mediatisation and digitalisation, says André Jansson at Karlstad University.

  André Jansson, professor of media and communication studies, and director of the Centre for Geomedia Studies, where the project is based, how would you define “mediatisation”, and why is it important that we measure it?

  – Mediatisation is about how we adapt and shape our lives in relation to media and also how organisations and institutions, such as political institutions and the business sector, adapt their operations to how media work. It can involve new technical solutions as well as different genres and formats.

• 2025-12-19

  The Digital Health Innovation Initiative in Värmland Enters a New Phase

  DigitalWell Arena is now taking the next step in its long-term commitment to digital health innovation in Värmland. After several years focused on establishing a platform for research and collaboration, the work is now shifting towards the large-scale implementation and practical use of digital solutions.

  Research at Karlstad University has been a central driving force behind DigitalWell Arena since its launch in 2019. By bringing together around 60 researchers from six research groups and disciplines such as computer science, nursing, psychology, service research and gender studies, the university has built an interdisciplinary research environment for digital health innovation.

• 2025-12-19

  New Dissertation on High-Quality Steel

  In a study, phD student Katerina Chantziara has investigated what causes steel fatigue and what makes it break. The aim of the research is to contribute to improved durability.

  – I have studied different martensitic tool steels and examined what happens inside the material when it is subjected to stress, and what ultimately causes it to fracture, says Katerina Chantziara, PhD student in physics.

• 2025-12-19

  New Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering with Data-Driven Specialization

  Karlstad University Launches New Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering with Data-Driven Specialization.

  The new Master’s program in Mechanical Engineering – Specialization in Data-Driven Mechanical Engineering, set to begin in August 2026. This innovative program reflects the growing importance of data analytics and computational methods in modern mechanical engineering, preparing graduates to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0 and beyond.

• 2025-12-18

  Karlstad University among the founders of a national Game Development Research Centre

  Building a bridge between the needs of the Swedish game industry and academic research. That’s the main goal of the Game Development Research Centre. It is a five-year project that brings together four Swedish universities and major stakeholders within the Swedish games industry.

  To bolster Sweden’s position in the global game industry, the University of Skövde, Malmö University, Blekinge Institute of Technology and Karlstad University will establish the Game Development Research Centre (GDRC). The Swedish Knowledge Foundation is the main funder of the initiative.