About the research programme

Democracy and Higher Education is a multidisciplinary research programme that started its activities in 2022. The programme is a 10-year project initiated and financed by the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences at Uppsala University.

The research program aims, through its innovative research, to contribute in-depth knowledge to the question of the relationship between democracy and higher education, and to help establish a new field of research. The program is thus tasked with creating the best possible conditions for the production of cutting-edge knowledge that advances the national and international research front. Democracy and Higher Education also aims to develop a strong and long-term sustainable multidisciplinary research environment at Uppsala University, which continuously secures external funding for research projects and programs from both national and international research funders.

The goals of the initiative are:

  • to enhance cutting-edge knowledge about the relationship between democracy and higher education.
  • to create synergies among researchers within Uppsala University through the program format.
  • to establish the program as a leading knowledge hub for research on the relationship between democracy and higher education.
  • to foster effective dialogue between research and the surrounding society.

The programme has two main thematic directions:

  1. Higher Education´s contributions to Democracy.
  2. University freedom, role and position in society.

The operational work of the research programme Democracy and Higher Education is led by a board consisting of a programme director. The programme director is appointed by the board for a period of 3 years and can be appointed for several periods.

Linda Wedlin, Programme Director, Professor of Business Studies.
Dag Blanck, Professor of North American Studies
Johan Boberg, Research Coordinator
Linda Isacsson, Project Coordinator

 

The board of the Democracy and Higher Education Research programme consists of four members from de the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences at Uppsala University, two external members and one student representative.

On April 9, 2025, the following members of the board were appointed. The term of office is April 15, 2025 - April 14, 2028.

The board of Democracy and Higher Education:

Farshid Jalalvand, Cultural writer, PhD in medical microbiology and author

Linn Svärd, Swedish National Union of Students

Astrid Söderberg Widding, Professor in Cinema Studies & Vice-Chancellor, Stockholm University

Göran Rosenberg, Journalist and Author

Johan Östling, Professor of History, Director of the Lund Centre for the History of Knowledge (LUCK) and Wallenberg Academy Fellow.

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