Uppsala University turns 550 – be part of the celebrations

Whether you have a fully planned activity or just a rough idea, the Anniversary Office will help you to, among other things,

• choose a date and avoid clashes,
• find the right format (lecture, discussion, exhibition, workshop, ceremony, etc.),
• consider the target audience and scope.

Send an Email to 550@uu.se.

The University Library as a meeting point

Uppsala University Library is taking this opportunity to renew its programme of events in the run-up to and throughout the anniversary year. The focus is on strengthening and highlighting Carolina Rediviva as a venue for dialogue between researchers and the wider community, as well as between researchers with different perspectives.

The format – one or more researchers, a moderator, an audience – and the venue are at the heart of the discussion series and what holds it together. The discussions will serve as a space where the university and the city meet, and where the university engages with itself.

We aim to contribute to relevant, socially significant dialogues linked to the anniversary, the university, the library, and the students and researchers of today and tomorrow.

Do you have any suggestions? Please contact us to discuss ideas, topics and more.

Contact: Viveka Stolt

Once you have finalised an event, add it to the university calendar and send a link to 550@uu.se. Events that meet the criteria will then be marked as anniversary events.

All approved events will then be published on the anniversary website, uu.se/en/550.

The Anniversary Office is responsible for:

• joint marketing across key channels
• campaigns ahead of February, the summer and October 2027

The organiser is responsible for delivering materials on time.

Uppsala University Development Office can provide you with contact details for alumni within your disciplinary domain. Please contact info@alumni.uu.se for further information.

You can apply for a small grant to support your project.

For events taking place during the spring term of 2027, the deadline for applications is 30 September 2026, and for events taking place during the autumn term of 2027, the deadline for applications is 29 January 2027.

Examples of what can be funded:

• production of materials
• technology and venue
• participants
• exhibition costs

Applications should be sent to 550@uu.se.

In your application, please provide a description of the activity, the amount of funding requested and how the funds will be used. Notification of which activities will receive funding will be issued by 23 October 2026 and 19 February 2027 respectively.

Anniversary events must in some way relate to one or more of the following perspectives:

The Past: What can we learn from history?

Focus: We aim to highlight the leading role that Uppsala University has played, and continues to play, in the creation and dissemination of knowledge both nationally and internationally. We wish to demonstrate in various ways that the University is driven by passionate people who contribute to its development in different ways.

Examples of content: Retrospectives, groundbreaking discoveries, the history of ideas, and the University’s role over the years.

Objective: To strengthen the University’s identity and credibility by highlighting its history, heritage and constant renewal.

The Present: The University’s relevance today

Focus: Highlight current research issues, global challenges, interdisciplinary work and the university’s role in society today. Foster optimism for the future by highlighting research and education as society’s most important tools for a sustainable world. Inspire politicians, the general public and young people to see research and education as the key to a sustainable future.

Objective: Demonstrate the University’s relevance and value here and now – in education, research and community engagement.

Future: The University’s renewal

Focus: Vision and innovation. Forward-looking in science, education, etc. Highlight and illustrate the importance and opportunities of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. Highlight Uppsala University’s commitment to challenge-driven and cross-disciplinary research, as well as Uppsala University’s role as part of international networks when the challenges are global.

Objective: To foster optimism about the future and position the university as a driving force for tomorrow’s society. To shape public opinion and foster dialogue in order to establish research and education as the obvious path to a sustainable future.