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Topics: Design

Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena wants to spark transformational processes in design museums. Photo: Jens Persson

Feminist design strategies for transforming design museums

In a world where design is often celebrated for its role in advancing humanity, it is important to also question this narrative through a critical lens. In her doctoral thesis, Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena investigates the role design has played in sustaining discriminatory and patriarchal systems.

National school for cancer research to be started in Umeå

With support from Cancerfonden, the Swedish Cancer Society, Umeå University will start a new cancer research school in the spring of 2025. The programme, which is unique in Sweden, is aimed at doctoral students throughout the country.

Heinrich Zaunschirm’s design project explores low-cost DIY technologies for a new generation of accessible and functional prosthetics. Photo: Heinrich Zaunschirm

Democratised AI and low-cost prosthetics at UID24

On 28 May, a new crop of young designers reveal their 40-plus design concepts to the world. At UID24 | Design Talks & Degree Show, an intriguing collection of innovations – ranging from farming tools in the age of climate change, to youth activism in the digital realm, to tactile music listening – will be unveiled.

© Elias Crespin, Circualineados 248, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

Elias Crespin / Chronomorphosis

Elias Crespin's mobile sculptures move slowly and gracefully in intricate, precise formations, seemingly floating freely in the air in a mesmerising exhibition on Bildmuseet’s top floor. Chronomorphosis opens at Bildmuseet on 15 March during Art Friday with Littfest – Umeå International Literature Festival.

Photo: Ive van Krunkelsven

Arctic research grows and strengthens international cooperation

A new report by UArctic highlights the growing diversity and number of research activities across the Arctic. UArctic is a collaboration between academic institutions and other organizations with an interest in northern regions. The report demonstrates a high degree of international cooperation and presents Arctic research trends.

Amanda Wallgren´s concept redefines what role digital devices might have in our homes, and what needs they might cater to in the future.

Dancing smart homes and personalised diets at UID23

On May 30th, an international crop of young designers will reveal their 30-plus design concepts to the world. At UID23 | Design Talks & Degree Show, an eye-catching collection of innovations – ranging from dance-inspired communication with our smart homes, to neonatal support in refugee camp, to wearable tech for personalised diets – will be unveiled.

The future evolution of design must be driven by multiple perspectives shaped by various positions, places, practices and cultures, Nicholas Torretta suggests in his thesis. Foto: Cris Velasque

Design evolution through the martial art of Capoeira

Could an ancient martial art created by African slaves in Brazil unlock new perspectives on design? For his doctoral thesis, defended at Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University, Nicholas Torretta drew upon his native culture to shine a light on the oppressive and consumeristic power structures that still permeate industrial design thinking.

Prognosis of cancer patients improved through significant discovery

Prognosis of cancer patients improved through significant discovery

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in male in Sweden. Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have now discovered a faster and easier way to determine who has an aggressive form of cancer, and who has not.
“This may have great implications on precision medicine when treating prostate cancer, and on more cancer groups alike,” says Maréne Landström, Professor of Pathology at Umeå

Anna Baranowska-Rataj, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, Umeå University. Foto: Przemysław Chrostowski

Premature children do well in school

When looking at school grades, researchers did not find any negative effects of being born moderately preterm. Only those born extremely preterm had poorer school grades. But for children born extremely preterm, going to schools in the top decile of school districts made them perform as good as full-term children in an average school district.
How do preterm birth effect children’s school grade

Natalia Ikebara, graduating from the MFA Programme in Advanced Product Design, designed a holistic therapy concept for children with motor disabilities.

Playful child therapies and honest AI vehicles at UID22

And we’re back! For the first time since 2019, the real-life grad show is returning to Umeå Institute of Design. At UID22, the next generation of designers will uncover concepts covering a wide range of topics; from AI in autonomous vehicles, to playful therapies for children, to a device for managing your crypto assets.

Get a glimpse of tomorrow as the next generation of designers showcase their visionary grad projects. The selfdriving taxi boat is one of the projects. Photo: Lars Welten

Self-driving taxi boats for a flooded future and a tasting box with edible insects at UID21

Get a glimpse of tomorrow as the next generation of designers showcase their visionary grad projects. This year's degree show at Umeå Institute of Design offers up a unique collection of innovations - ranging from autonomous taxi boats in the year 2086, to a crisis device for producing your own electricity, to a culinary tasting box with edible insects.

With nature as the client students at Umeå Institute of Design have explored new perspectives in design and forestry.

Ecocentric design for future forestry

Recently, students from Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University, Sweden, completed a unique project in collaboration with the Cluster of Forest Technology along with several major stakeholders in the forest industry. But the intended client was not industry, but nature.

Liquid gel in COVID patients’ lungs makes way for new treatment

In some patients who died with severe COVID-19 and respiratory failure, a jelly was formed in the lungs. Researchers have now established what the active agent in the jelly is and thanks to that, this new discovery can now be the key to new effective therapies. This according to a new study at Umeå University, Sweden.

One of the new exhibtion is a Faith Ringgold retrospective with works from the 1960s to the 2000s. Photo: Mikael Lundgren.

Bildmuseet reopens with Ringgold, Sansour and Cyrén

Three new exhibitions are installed when Bildmuseet opens its doors: The first retrospective in the Nordics of the acclaimed artist and civil rights activist Faith Ringgold; Larissa Sansours evocative and thought-provoking Heirloom, Denmark's contribution to the Venice Biennale in 2019; and Swedish Picture Book of the Year / Marathon by Karin Cyrén.

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Umeå University

Umeå University is a comprehensive university and one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with around 38,000 students and 4,600 staff. We have a diverse range of high-quality educational programmes and research within all disciplinary domains and the arts. Umeå University is also where the groundbreaking CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool was discovered, starting a revolution in genetic engineering that led to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The University has an international atmosphere and centres its work around core academic values. Our tightly knit campus makes it easy to meet, collaborate and share knowledge, something that encourages a dynamic and open culture where we celebrate each other’s successes. Umeå University prides itself in offering a world-class educational and research environment and expanding knowledge of global significance, where the sustainable development goals of Agenda 2030 inspire and motivate. We have creative and innovative research environments that offer the best potential for taking on the challenges facing society. Through long-term collaborations with organisations, industry and other higher education institutions, the University is helping northern Sweden become a knowledge region. The societal transformation and the massive investments currently occurring in northern Sweden create complex challenges but also opportunities. Umeå University is focused on conducting research about and within a society in transition and continuing to offer academic programmes for regions that need to expand quickly and sustainably.

Campus Umeå and the Umeå Arts Campus are close to the city centre and next to one of Sweden’s largest and most renown university hospitals. Education is also provided in several other towns, including Skellefteå, Örnsköldsvik, Lycksele and Kiruna. Umeå University is home to the highly ranked Umeå Institute of Design, the environmentally certified School of Business, Economics and Law, and the School of Architecture, the only one in Sweden with an artistic profile. Next door is Bildmuseet, which is Umeå’s contemporary art museum, and Curiosum, Umeå’s science centre. Umeå University is one of Sweden’s five national sports universities, has an internationally leading Arctic Research Centre, and has Várdduo, which is Sweden’s only research unit for Sámi research and indigenous research.