NEWS How is an including society created? What can be done about increasing obesity? Will there be sufficient food in the future? How can peace be reached worldwide? These are topics covered at Kunskapsnoden 2016, organised by Umeå University at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, where researchers Lotta Vikström, Helena Edlund, Stefan Jansson, Åke Sellström, Anna Jarstad and Lars-Fredrik Andersson participated.
Umeå University annually organises what is called Kunskapsnoden – an event where knowledge and thoughts are in the focal point of dialogue and collaboration. At this year’s event that took place on 26 January, the headings were “The stigmatised human being – now and in the past” and “Peace, democracy and the outlook on people” and some of Umeå University’s most prominent researchers took part.
“Fresh ideas and cross-disciplinary research, committed and competent individuals are required to meet the great challenges that we are faced with. Kunskapsnoden offers people from various fields, business areas and cultures a chance to meet and discuss essential and topical issues important for all of us,” says Lena Gustafsson, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.
One of this year’s speakers was Åke Sellström, who for instance led the investigations on the use of chemical weapons in Syria in 2013. He talked about how the Swedish academy can contribute to strengthening the role of the UN. Another participating researcher was Anna Jarstad, who conducts her research on the correlations between democratisation and peacebuilding, and Lars Fredrik Andersson who studies how post-war immigration has contributed to economic growth and strengthened the Swedish finances.
Another part of the programme was also the historian Lotta Vikström, who held her talk about vulnerable members of society such as for instance disabled individuals, in the 17th century society. Helena Edlund spoke about the effects of these days’ obesity on the number of diabetes patients. Plant researcher Stefan Jansson’s speech revolved around future crop and trees, which for instance can be produced using the, recently all in the rage, genetic scissors CRISPR-Cas9.
“The research conducted at Umeå University revolves around many of the great challenges in society these days. That’s what makes it especially exciting to present this group of researchers from such various fields at this year’s edition of Kunskapsnoden,” says Lena Gustafsson.
Over the course of the two weeks of focus on Västerbotten at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, the 30th anniversary celebrations of Epidemiology and Global Health at Umeå University were begun in an event to share the progress of their research. Another event at the Västerbotten Weeks, is “Framtidens skog” (English: “Future of Forest”) on 27 January where Umeå Institute of Design as well as Pro-Vice-Chancellor Anders Fällström are participating.
Editor: Anna Lawrence