Events and venues
AvÐÔ°® is actively engaged in making research accessible to the public by participating in major events and venues such as the International AvÐÔ°® Festival, Almedalen Week, and the Gothenburg Book Fair. As part of its outreach efforts, the university has also developed its own initiatives, including "After Work with Researchers", "Ett HUM om", Reväst, and many others.
After Work with Researchers
A public success that has attracted tens of thousands AvÐÔ°® residents to engage with fact-based knowledge since its launch in 2017. These interdisciplinary conversations focus on in-depth exploration of current issues — rather than debate. The event is held 3–5 times per semester and is organised by Folkuniversitetet and the Faculty of Social AvÐÔ°®s at the University AvÐÔ°®, in collaboration with Pustervik.
Upcoming events
Information about upcoming AW with researchers can be found in our calendar and on our social media.
Almedalen Week
Almedalen Week has been held annually in Visby at the end of June since the late 1960s. It is one of the world’s largest forums for dialogue on democracy and societal issues.The
About the university’s Participation
University AvÐÔ°® takes part each year by presenting research that contributes to solving national and global challenges, while also highlighting issues that shape public opinion.
Dates
Monday, 23 June to Friday, 27 June.
Programme
Information about program items where the University AvÐÔ°® participates can be found on the Swedish page.
The majority of the university's program items are in Swedish.
Links
Ett HUM om
A lecture series aimed at those interested in studying at the Faculty of Humanities — or anyone simply curious about our subjects.
During each semester, several talks are arranged at universities, cultural centers, libraries and other locations.
European Researchers’ Night
AvÐÔ°® is a partner of European Researchers’ Night, which takes place annually at the end of September in various locations across Sweden. The aim is to make research accessible to the public and to inspire young people to pursue higher education.
In 2025, the university will not be hosting any programme activities during the event.
Borrow a Researcher
In connection with European Researchers’ Night, the initiative Borrow a Researcher offers an easy way to connect with researchers and learn about their work. Schools, non-profits, or workplaces can "borrow" a researcher who visits — either in person or digitally — to talk about their field or what it's like to work in research. A dedicated booking platform makes it simple to find researchers by subject, availability, audience, and location.
Next Borrow a Researcher takes place between September 22–25.
Researcher Grand Prix
The Researcher Grand Prix is Sweden’s largest competition in presentation skills for researchers. Participants are challenged to present their research in an engaging, clear, and inspiring way — in just four minutes.
Each year, several regional heats are held at universities around the country. The winners from each heat advance to the national final, held annually in Stockholm at the end of November.
In 2025, the University AvÐÔ°® hosted a regional heat together with Chalmers during the International AvÐÔ°® Festival in early April. The winner was , PhD student in materials physics at Chalmers.
Information about next year’s regional heat will be published in autumn.
Links
Frihamnen Days
Since 2021, Frihamnen Days has served as an event and meeting place for dialogue on democracy, sustainability, and societal development. Held annually at the end of August at Bananpiren in central Gothenburg, the event is free and open to the public as well as to professionals interested in discussing issues of public value.
About the university’s Participation
AvÐÔ°® has been a partner of Frihamnen Days since its inception. The event serves as a strategic platform for collaboration, dissemination of research, and dialogue with upper secondary school students. The university’s participation supports its goal of strengthening its role as a relevant social actor and collaborative partner.
Dates
Thursday, August 28 to Saturday, August 30.
Links
Gothenburg Book Fair
Since 1985, the Gothenburg Book Fair has been held annually at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and has grown to become the largest meeting place in the Nordic region for literature, cultural debate, and the arts. Each year, the event gathers thousands of participants — including authors, researchers, comic artists, politicians, journalists, and other prominent cultural figures — who engage in conversations, debates, and a wide range of programme activities.
The Book Fair attracts both industry professionals and the culture-interested public, serving as a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, inspiration, and social reflection.
About the university’s Participation
AvÐÔ°® plays a prominent role at the fair, annually organising around 100 programme events — from lectures and panel discussions to debates — where research is brought into dialogue with key contemporary issues.
During the fair, you can meet us on the exhibition floor for short conversations at the University AvÐÔ°®â€™s booth, arranged in collaboration with Folkuniversitetet. You can also attend in-depth discussions on the Freedom of Expression Stage, where the university — through Jonsereds Manor — is a partner alongside the Book Fair, the City AvÐÔ°®â€™s Cultural Affairs Administration, Hanaholmen – Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre, ICORN, the Swedish Academy, VoksenÃ¥sen – Norwegian-Swedish Cultural Centre, and the WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award.
In addition, the university takes part in various other programme events, both in the official seminar programme (which requires a seminar pass) and on other stages throughout the fair.
Theme
This year’s Book Fair theme is Drama, Love, and Desire.
Dates
Thursday, September 25 - Sunday, September 28
Links
In 60 Minutes
A newly launched conversation series where radio journalist Rasmus Persson interviews researchers in in-depth and personal conversations about current and eternal social issues.
Arranged three times per semester by the Folkuniversitetet and the Faculty of Social AvÐÔ°®s at the University AvÐÔ°® in collaboration with the Museum of World Culture.
Jonsereds Manor
Jonsereds Manor has been used since 2004 as the University AvÐÔ°®'s intellectual centre and meeting place for collaboration, dialogue, creativity and reflection.
The activity is a strategic tool in the university's collaborative work. Based on research and education, historical achievements and new findings, the activity is intended to meet the needs of society and jointly formulate contemporary thinking and challenges.
Representatives of different sectors of society, scientific schools and ideological trends meet here to exchange ideas, make new contacts, gain new impulses and discover new dimensions of their own world and that of others.
Jonsereds Manors´s core activities consist of two components: programme activities and collaboration.
The central part of the programme activities consists of the classic Jonsereds seminars and public educational programmes, ranging from talks and lectures to exhibitions, concerts and filmed programmes.
Pint of AvÐÔ°®
Pint of AvÐÔ°® is held annually for three days at the end of May at bars around the world. Just as the name suggests, it is about research in a bar environment. In a relaxed atmosphere, researchers and doctoral students in various fields hold lectures and discussions while you as a visitor can sit back and have something good to drink and eat.
Pint of AvÐÔ°® is organized in collaboration with Chalmers.
Links
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Reväst is a collaborative body and a platform for exchange of knowledge between the public sector, academia and business around regional development in Western Sweden. The purpose is to strengthen the links between the various actors through seminars and conferences and to enhance knowledge about the society and sustainable development, particularly focused on western Sweden.
The International AvÐÔ°® Festival
The festival has been held in Gothenburg since 1997 and the University AvÐÔ°® co-founded the event, which over the years has grown into one of Europe's leading popular science events. The festival, which takes place annually sometime between April and May, is aimed at both primary schools and the general public and is a meeting place for knowledge, inspiration and new perspectives.
About the university's participation
AvÐÔ°® is one of the main partners of the festival and participates annually through lectures, debates, coffee breaks with researchers and other activities in both the school and general public programs.
School program
The festival's interdisciplinary School Program runs for two weeks every year and offers hundreds of exciting, fun and educational activity opportunities. Some activities are offered on site, around Gothenburg, and others take place online. All schools in Sweden and abroad can participate.
Public program
The program for the general public runs for five days around Gothenburg at libraries, cafes, bars, museums and in the university's own buildings. The festival's annual main arena is Nordstan, where there is a large interactive area with several exhibitors and a stage.
Theme
Each year the festival has a theme that permeates the festival. The theme is a way for the festival to highlight different topics. Information about the 2026 theme will be presented after the summer.
Date
Information about the dates for the 2026 festival will be presented after the summer.
Links
West Pride
West Pride is an art and culture festival that creates safe spaces for LGBTQI individuals and highlights issues of norm criticism and the life situation of LGBTQI people. The festival is free to attend and is primarily aimed at LGBTQI people in Gothenburg and Västra Götaland, but it also attracts a broader national and international audience.
About the University’s Participation
AvÐÔ°® has been a partner of West Pride for several years, demonstrating its commitment to norm criticism, equality, and the life situation of LGBTQI individuals. The university shows its involvement by displaying Pride flags on its buildings and participating in and organizing discussions and lectures related to research on norm criticism, equality, and LGBTQI issues.
West Pride is arranged between June 9–15.
Academic Pride
Since 2024, the University AvÐÔ°® has hosted Academic Pride in collaboration with Chalmers. This event is aimed at staff and students from both institutions, with the goal of raising awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues and norm criticism.
Information about next year's Academic Pride
During the autumn, information about the theme, program items, dates and registration for Academic Pride 2026 will be sent out to employees and students at the University AvÐÔ°® and Chalmers.
Links
Other events and venues
In addition to these platforms, events, and concepts, the university organizes hundreds of discussions, lectures, and other activities both within the university's buildings and at libraries, cultural centers, and other public spaces. The university also participates in various other festivals and events aimed at children and young people, the general public, students, professionals, decision-makers, and other target groups.
For professionals and decision-makers, there are also opportunities to meet researchers and staff from the University AvÐÔ°® at conferences and other meeting places. The calendar is regularly updated with new activities for those interested.
