Academic freedom has come into focus at a time when research and facts are increasingly being questioned. The Government therefore proposes a new provision in the Higher Education Act to promote and protect academic freedom. At the same time, the government proposes that large research resources be set aside to meet five major societal challenges in climate and the environment, health and welfare, digital development, skills supply and working life as well as a democratic and strong society. This means that there are potential friction points in research and innovation policy.
The academic platform Making Universities Matter (MUM) and Vinnova invite to a seminar to talk to leading researchers about research and innovation policy from an international perspective. The seminar is based on the research and innovation bill that the government presented in December, Research, freedom, future - knowledge and innovation for Sweden. Please note that the meeting is digital and will be held in English.
Read the research and innovation bill
Programme
- Welcome by moderator Pauline Mattsson, Lund University
- Introduction: Joakim Appelquist, head of division, Vinnova
- Theme 1: How can academic freedom be protected when universities meet external eligibility requirements for strategic measures and priorities? Introduced by Ulrika Bjarne, KTH
- Theme 2: How do we create support structures that pave the way for research to contribute to broader societal development, in addition to business and commercialization of research? Introduced by Eugenia Perez Vico, Lund University and Halmstad University
- International panel: Susana Borras, Professor, CBS, Denmark; Taran Mari Thune, TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo and NIFU; Michael Stampfer, VD WWTF, Austria
- Closing comments: Sverker Sörlin, KTH