Democracy researchers to participate in literature festival
22 March 2023
“It’s interesting to come into contact with another form of knowledge about democracy which literature has the potential to convey,” says Christina Kullberg, Professor of French.
War, crime and literature as a path to reconciliation is the theme of the Uppsala International Literature Festival on March 23–25. One of the organisers is the Democracy and Higher Education research programme at Uppsala University. Christina Kullberg, Professor of French, will give the opening address.
Why are you helping to organise the festival?
“Kholod Saghir, the driving force behind the festival, is actually an alumnus of Uppsala University, but above all this is a collaborative event. An important part of Democracy and Higher Education is about precisely that, collaboration; not only communicating research results but also collaborating and exchanging forms of knowledge. It’s interesting to come into contact with another form of knowledge about democracy which literature has the potential to convey.”
The theme of the festival is war and peace, with a particular focus on Russia and Ukraine, but authors from Turkey and Iran are also participating. What is Uppsala University's contribution?
“Democracy and Higher Education will participate in two events: the opening event on Friday and an event at Uppsala Art Museum on Saturday. In addition to my opening address, Maria Engström, Professor of Russian, will give a presentation on the “neo-Soviet myth” in Russian narratives today. On Saturday, the State Institute for Racial Biology in Uppsala will be the subject of a discussion between poet Burcu Sahin, author Ola Larsmo and Sven Widmalm, docent in History of Science and Ideas.”
You will give an introductory speech on what literature can teach us about reconciliation and democratisation. Is literature important for democracy?
“Democracy is not just a type of government or form of governance, but something that is shaped by all of society. Literature can shed a different light on such processes and highlight other perspectives. Historically, it is interesting that what we consider to be modern literature, that is, from the 17th and 18th centuries onwards, coincides with and paves the way for the development of our democratic society. So it's all connected, including the dark sides of our democratic society, such as colonialism.”
You are a project manager in the Democracy and Higher Education programme responsible for the theme “Universities and the global democratisation of nations”. What role do universities play in global democratisation?
“Higher education is not necessarily linked to democracy. Universities can be a conservative force, as they are often a public authority linked to a government. So, for example, it can be very difficult for dissidents in Russia today to operate within a university. They risk all sorts of sanctions unless they flee. It is the same in Iran, both for students and teachers.
At the same time, universities are a place where many people gather and where knowledge and ideas are shared. That creates the potential for questioning things. Another democratic force is the notion of ‘creating knowledge’ and critical thinking itself. We both manage knowledge and produce new knowledge for the benefit of society.”
The Democracy and Higher Education research programme was launched in 2022. Are your activities well under way?
“We have been running for about a year now, and our priority has been to allocate research funding to both senior and junior researchers at the University. We have had three calls for applications, with the third occasion producing a lot of applications. Things are starting to take off now, which is really exciting. We are interdisciplinary by nature and award grants to all the humanities and social science disciplines, so it is important for there to be a wide distribution.
We also work on events. Recently, a half-day symposium on the role of science in democracy and the use of expertise was held on the occasion of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU.”
News
-
New light cast on Scandinavia’s most important Bronze Age site
09 oktober 2018
Håga, Scandinavia's most significant Bronze Age site, is relatively unknown. But in a new book, archaeologists at Uppsala University have brought together what is known and placed Håga in a larger context.
-
New study shows virus traces in historical skeletal material
06 september 2018
A new international study shows the importance of studying historical skeletal material to increase knowledge about how viruses develop.
-
Large-scale whaling in north Scandinavia may date back to 6th century
13 juni 2018
The intensive whaling that has pushed many species to the brink of extinction today may be several centuries older than previously assumed. This view is held by archaeologists from Uppsala and York whose findings are presented in the European Jour...
-
Vice-Chancellor Eva Åkesson to receive King’s Medal
08 juni 2018
H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf has decided to award Uppsala University’s Vice-Chancellor Eva Åkesson and Johan Svedjedal, Professor of Literature, H.M. The King’s Medal.
-
This year’s Distinguished Teaching Award winners chosen
04 juni 2018
The 2018 Distinguished Teaching Award winners at Uppsala University teach subjects related to art history, informatics and media, pharmaceutical biosciences and information technology. The free Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to Senior ...
-
Human diversity as a research area
29 maj 2018
Human diversity abounds in language, culture and biology. An understanding of this diversity is central to a lot of research, but it is important to address the ethical issues raised by this research. The Human Diversity Research Network takes an ...
-
Shared meals important for wellbeing
29 maj 2018
How, where and when we eat are key issues for human health and wellbeing. A multidisciplinary research network at Uppsala University aims to deepen knowledge about the significance of meals.
-
Is citizenship necessary for being part of a democracy?
26 april 2018
Nowadays, civil rights are usually connected with citizenship of a country. But how do growing globalisation and more mobility affect this?
-
Mobilising for research on higher education
26 april 2018
Remarkably little research is conducted on higher education in Sweden, but a large share of existing research on the subject is at Uppsala University. Through a research network for research on higher education, researchers are now mobilising to d...
-
Two Uppsala researchers elected at American Academy
25 april 2018
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences recently elected new members. Two Uppsala researchers were elected as international honorary members.
-
The Well-Laden Ship: Viking exhibition soon to reach America
11 april 2018
In late April, a ship will reach New York bringing the exhibition “The Vikings Begin” which will embark on a two-year tour of the US. On display will be a selection of 1,300-year-old items from the pre-Viking Age. Usually in storage at Gustavianum...
-
Art historian receives award from Vitterhetsakademien
09 april 2018
Every year, Vitterhetsakademien (The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities) confers prizes for outstanding scholarly achievements. PhD Hedvig Mårdh at Uppsala University was one of the 2017 prizewinners.
-
New Oscar Prize winners announced
21 december 2017
Uppsala University’s Oscar Prize for young researchers has been awarded to Eric Cullhed, Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Linguistics and Philology and Oskar Karlsson, Doctor of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences.
-
New thesis on 21st-century Swedish crime fiction: A Market of Murders
20 december 2017
Why have Swedish detective stories become so immensely popular in our century? What murder motives and weapons are most common in the genre, and why? And is it true that Swedish crime fiction is characterised by social criticism? A new thesis from...
-
Collaboration for new knowledge in culture and society
09 december 2017
Uppsala University is aiming to develop new research collaborations spanning different research subjects. The newly created Centre for Integrated Research on Culture and Society at the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences will fac...
-
Ola Larsmo and Quentin Skinner new honorary doctors
16 oktober 2017
Author Ola Larsmo and Professor Quentin Skinner, University of London, have been appointed new honorary doctors at Uppsala University’s Faculty of Arts.
-
Equal Opportunities Award goes to Anita Hussénius
12 oktober 2017
Anita Hussénius, head of the Centre for Gender Research, has received the 2016 Equal Opportunities Award for her gender-equal and inclusive leadership.
-
Exhibition: Viking Age patterns may be Kufic script
03 oktober 2017
What was previously thought to be typical Viking Age, silver patterns on woven silk bands, could in fact be geometric Kufic characters. As part of an exhibition at the Enköping Museum, ongoing research is presented where a textile archaeological a...
-
First genetic proof that women were Viking warriors
08 september 2017
New DNA evidence uncovered by researchers at Uppsala University and Stockholm University shows that there were in fact female Viking warriors. The remains of an iconic Swedish Viking Age grave now reveal that war was not an activity exclusive to m...
-
Gustavian style – a Swedish style?
05 juni 2017
Why has the neoclassical Gustavian style become so prominent in the Swedish self-image? A new dissertation from Uppsala University shows how researchers in art history, along with museums, commercial enterprises and the monarchy, have contributed ...