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Topics: Politics

Per Ekman, Doctor in Political Science, Uppsala University

How Soviet legacy has influenced foreign policy in Georgia and Ukraine

The legacy of the Soviet Union’s collapse plays a greater role in the foreign policies of Georgia and Ukraine than previous studies have suggested. Conducting foreign policy in former Soviet countries can be a major challenge as the Russian state does not accept the new order. These are the findings outlined in the thesis of political scientist Per Ekman from Uppsala University.

Metal worker during the 1950s. Stock photography: ALVIN.

Consensus is far from the whole story

20th century Swedish labour market policy was not solely shaped by inter-class cooperation, but also by tough conflicts. Industrial rationalisation and investments in new technology were met with protests from workers. A new doctoral thesis reveals parallels between technological changes during 1920-1950 and the transition we face today with, for example, artificial intelligence and automation.

UCDP: record number of armed conflicts in the world

UCDP: record number of armed conflicts in the world

Never before have there been so many armed conflicts across the globe. This has been shown by new statistics from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, UCDP, at Uppsala University. In 2023, the number of conflicts involving states totalled 59, the highest number ever since the data collection’s starting point in 1946. Previous peaks were seen in 2020 and 2022, each with 56 conflicts.

Professor Karen Brounéus, Department of Peace and Conflict Research. Photo: Chris Chau

Women vulnerable in peace processes

New research: Post-war peace processes are a dangerous period for women, who are forced to live close to men who committed serious abuse during the war, which can be stigmatising. Women safety is not a political priority after war. There is great potential for improvement, if the UN were to start making more space for women’s perspectives, writes peace- and conflict researchers in PLOS One.

"Violence against female politicians disturbs the functioning of democracy", says Sandra Håkansson, Department of Government, Uppsala University, Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt

Violence against female politicians disrupts democracy

Leading female politicians are more exposed to violence every year, than their male colleagues. The gender gap in targeting increases with the level of power: the higher up in the political hierarchy a person is, the greater the difference between women and men. Violence against politicians disturbs the functioning of democracy, is the conclusion in a new doctoral thesis in political science.

Queues negatively impacted voter turnout

Turnout in the general elections in 2022 fell more sharply in electoral districts that had long queues to the polling stations than in comparable districts without queuing issues. Queuing can only explain a small part of the decrease in turnout between the years 2018 and 2022, however. 87 percent of the population voted in 2018, which fell to 84 percent in 2022.

Stacy VanDeveer new professor in Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University

Stacy VanDeveer new Zennström Professor of Climate Change Leadership

Stacy VanDeveer, professor in Global Governance and Human Security at the University of Massachusetts Boston becomes visiting professor in Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University. The ten-years series of visiting professorships is financed by a previous donation to Uppsala University by alumnus Niklas Zennström and Catherine Zennström through their foundation Zennström Philanthropies.

Professor Kristina Edström, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Uppsala University and Director Battery 2030+ . Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt

€220 million to sustainable battery research

Horizon Europe, the European Union's research initiative, announces €150 million funding for Battery 2030+, an initiative for developing advanced green battery technology. This signifies a renewed confidence in Battery 2030+ coordinated by Uppsala University, Sweden, with the goal to make Europe the world leader in the development and production of green batteries.

Hand-wringing characterised debate around begging

It was the inability of both the political right and left to see and take responsibility for the systemic failures of the welfare society that led to the so-called “begging debate” in the early 2010s. This inability meant that they gave a free pass to the Sweden Democrats, who were alone able to formulate both the problem and their solution.These are some of the conclusions in a new monograph.

UCDP: Number of deaths in armed conflicts has doubled

At least 237,000 people died in organised violence in 2022. A new report from UCDP at Uppsala University shows that this is a 97 per cent increase compared with the previous year, and the highest number since 1994. UCDP is the world’s main provider of data on organised violence. Its definition of armed conflict has become the global standard of how conflicts are systematically defined and studied

Uppåt (Upwards) Part of light and sound installation at Odarslöv Church (2018). Artist and photographer: Jesper Wachtmeister

From living heritage to zombie churches

Churches are preserved by an antiquarian system that risks killing them instead of keeping them alive. The Swedish State and the Church of Sweden therefore need to define new joint visions and goals to enable the ecclesiastical cultural heritage to be used and developed. This is shown by historian of art Henrik Lindblad in a new doctoral thesis from Uppsala University.

PRESS INVITATION: Inauguration of the Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament

PRESS INVITATION: Inauguration of the Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament

Uppsala University is inaugurating the Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament, a national centre for global knowledge on disarmament issues. UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu will address the inauguration ceremony remotely, while speakers attending the event include Beatrice Fihn, ICAN, recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.

The vulnerability of surrogate mothers in a global market

A new dissertation on surrogacy highlights Thai women's experiences of having acted as surrogate mothers. The dissertation shows the women's vulnerability in a global surrogacy industry, but also provides a more nuanced picture of what makes women seek surrogacy and how they relate to the process.

The Johan Skytte Professorship is the oldest active chair in political science in the world, founded in 1622.

400 years of political science in Uppsala

It is 400 years since Johan Skytte founded a professorship in eloquence and political science. His intention was to strengthen the state administration that Sweden needed to maintain its position as a European great power. The Johan Skytte Professorship is the oldest active chair in political science in the world. To mark the 400th anniversary, lecture and panel debate will be held 1 October.

Municipal housing policy influences refugee reception

Municipalities can use their local housing policy to influence the intake of refugees and the extent to which refugees are able to settle in the municipality in the long term. While certain municipalities offer refugees permanent housing contracts, others only provide temporary contracts that make it difficult for individuals to stay and establish themselves in the municipality.

Christiana Figueres and Agnès Callamard will speak in Uppsala University’s Aula Magna.

Press invitation: Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture with Christiana Figueres and Agnès Callamard

On 17 September 2021, the annual Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture will take place at Uppsala University’s Aula Magna. This year’s event features both the 2021 Lecture by Dr. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, and the 2019 Lecture by Christiana Figueres, chief architect of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was previously postposed. Journalists and representatives o

​Consensus and continuity determine Swedish foreign policy

The Swedish Government was able to undertake and justify Swedish military involvement in Afghanistan 2002–2014 by describing it as a traditional Swedish contribution while differentiating it from American military operations in the region. Both consensus and a sense of continuity in foreign policy formulation are required to achieve broad support, finds a new dissertation from Uppsala University.

Married in Sweden – but single in another EU Member State?

A same-sex marriage entered into in one EU Member State may not be recognised in another. The argument is often that such a marriage is too different from the country’s own laws and policies. In a new dissertation on private international law, Laima Vaige analyses how this application of the law compares with the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law.

New Centre for Nuclear Disarmament for Uppsala University

Today, the Swedish Government decided to assign to Uppsala University the task of setting up a new national knowledge centre for research on nuclear disarmament. With an interdisciplinary approach and researchers in fields including peace and conflict research and nuclear physics, the incipient Alva Myrdal Centre will conduct research with the goal of contributing to a safer world for humankind.

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Uppsala University - quality, knowledge, and creativity since 1477

Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest university in Sweden. With more than 50,000 students and 7,500 employees in Uppsala and Visby, we are a broad university with research in social sciences, humanities, technology, natural sciences, medicine and pharmacology. Our mission is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to society on a long-term basis. Uppsala University is regularly ranked among the world’s top universities.

Uppsala University

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