Academic Pride

Academic Pride is a platform for knowledge, conversations and reflection. Through seminars, panel discussions, workshops and other forms, urgent issues concerning diversity, human rights, and HBTQIA+ perspectives are highlighted.

The event is open to staff and students at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers as well as to the interested public. Together we explore how we can contribute to a more inclusive study and work environment.

This year’s event will be held in both English and Swedish.

Programme 

13:00–13:20 Introduction – Welcome to Academic Pride 2026

Maria Elmquist, Deputy President, Chalmers University of Technology, and Pauli Kortteinen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for issues regarding education, University of Gothenburg, welcome everyone to the event.

Hosts for the event: Linnéa Aminoff, Student Welfare Officer, the Student Union at Chalmers 2026–2027; Astrid Ehrman, Student Welfare Officer, the Student Union at Chalmers 2025–2026.

Venue: Veras gräsmatta

13:30–14:15 Part 1: Two parallel items

Choose which of the following seminars you wish to attend.

Seminar 1) An Introduction to LGBTQI+

This lecture introduces the basics of LGBTQI+ identities, terminology and history. It also explores topics such as discrimination, laws and prejudice, LGBTQI+ rights, and how to create more inclusive and respectful environments. The course aims to increase awareness, challenge stereotypes, and help participants communicate and interact respectfully with LGBTQI+ people.

Participants: Agnes Rudbo, General Manager of West Pride.

Language: English

Venue: Vasa-L03

Alternative 2) Decreased Tolerance for HBTQI Persons – How Do We Reverse the Negative Trend?

In a recent report from The Living History Forum, it is established that an increasing number of young people hold negative attitudes towards HBTQI individuals than before. Due to these findings, we aim to investigate the experiences of HBTQI persons within the education system, at the undergraduate level as well as within higher education, and what risks and consequences the decreased tolerance can have on HBTQI persons in the elementary school, upper secondary school, and university. How does this development affect the society at large, beyond education? And how do we reverse this trend

Participants: Ylva Odenbring, Professor of Education (PhD), University of Gothenburg, and principal investigator (PI) of a research project that investigates mental health issues and violations among young HBTQI students in Swedish and Danish schools; Katharina Kehl, Senior Lecturer in Gender and Cultural Studies, University of Gothenburg, and editor for the journal lambda nordica. Recently arranged a symposium about the resistance that HBTQI individuals meet within academia, how to address these issues, and the possibilities for solidarity. Moderator: Astrid Ehrman, Student Welfare Officer, the Student Union at Chalmers 2025–2026.

Language: Swedish

Venue: Veras gräsmatta

14:15–15:15 Fika/coffee break/mingle

15:15–16:00 Part 2: Two parallel items

Choose which of the following seminars you wish to attend.

Alternative 1) The Political Climate & LGBTQI+

This lecture will focus on the global political climate and how polarization and cancel culture makes it even harder to make inclusive progress. The lecture will focus on studies surrounding the topic and also broaden the perspective of how one’s actions could help decreasing the polarization.

Participants: Agnes Rudbo, General Manager of West Pride

Language: English

Venue: Vasa-L03

Alternative 2) Queer Lives, Queer Books – Making LGBTQI Literature Visible and Accessible

Siska Humlesjö and Sebastian Lönnlöv from the University of Gothenburg presents the database Queerlit that collects fiction depicting same sex desire and overriding of binary gender norms – about the project’s challenges and conclusions, interesting works, the subject heading list QLIT and working with the Swedish translation of Homosaurus, an international queer thesaurus.

Participants: Siska Humlesjö, Research Engineer and systems librarian, University of Gothenburg; Sebastian Lönnlöv, PhD candidate in Comparative Literature, University of Gothenburg.

Language: Swedish

Venue: Veras gräsmatta

16:00–16:15: Rounding up and thank you for today

16:30 After Work

Everyone is welcome to continue the conversations at an After Work at the Student Union Building. JA Pripps (ölhallen)!