On 23 October, the Stockholm Trio University Alliance hosted a seminar at Karolinska Institutet on how interdisciplinary research and education can contribute to sustainable development. The seminar was organized by Stockholm Trio for Sustainable Actions, an initiative within the alliance that supports Karolinska Institutet, KTH and Stockholm University in their work to contribute to the UN's 17 global goals.
During the seminar, interdisciplinary research projects were highlighted, where the three universities collaborate on sustainable development, with funding from the Stockholm Trio for Sustainable Actions.
A panel discussed the main challenges and opportunities in interdisciplinary research and education. The discussion emphasized the role of the Stockholm Trio in supporting collaborations between disciplines and universities, Stockholm University writes in a press release.
Advantage for interdisciplinary collaboration
Hanna Karlsson , associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, together with the other panelists, emphasised that the geographical proximity of the three universities is an advantage for interdisciplinary research collaborations within the Stockholm Trio.
"Not all the analyses that were done at KTH and Stockholm University could be done at Karolinska Institutet, so the geographical proximity between the universities that enabled the sharing of research material was very necessary," she said.
Petter Ljungman , cardiologist and expert coordinator at the Centre for Health Crises , Karolinska Institutet, urged the vice-chancellors of the universities to be proactive.
"The vice-chancellors must communicate a clear strategy, and if we want to scale up, we must invest the resources required to enable this," said Petter Ljungman.
The Stockholm Trio for Sustainable Actions has supported interdisciplinary research and education for sustainable development since 2023. A decision on the recipients of funding for collaborations during 2025-2026 is expected in November this year.
