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Topics: International

Painting of Ivan the Terrible, by Viktor Vasnetsov (1848-1926). Tretyakov Gallery. Rights: Public Domain

Should we stop saying ‘Russia’?

Should the world stop using the name ‘Russia’ and go back to the old name ‘Muscovy’? The question has been raised by critics of Russia in recent years and in his new book “Russia reverts to Muscovy”, Stefan Hedlund, Professor Emeritus of East European Studies, highlights several arguments in favour of a change of name.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

World Cancer Day 2018: Better cancer care in focus at Uppsala Health Summit 2018

Thanks to advances in treatment options, the chances of surviving cancer are better than ever before. However, cancer incidence is increasing and new forms of therapy are expensive. As a result, resource management and priority setting face major challenges. How can we ensure equitable access to diagnosis and treatment? This topic is the focus of Uppsala Health Summit 2018, “Care for Cancer”.

Report Uppsala Health Summit: 100 years after the Spanish flu – how can we protect ourselves against new epidemics?

Warding off the threats of future epidemics will be difficult without better cooperation and contingency plans that allow us to act before a crisis hits. This is one message in a new report summarising the discussions of the Uppsala Health Summit on the theme of Tackling Infectious Disease Threats: Prevent, Detect and Respond with a One Health Approach, which took place in October last year.

Threats from infectious diseases on Uppsala Health Summit agenda

At the Uppsala Health Summit Tackling Infectious Disease Threats, due to start next week, experts and decision makers from ministries, academia, companies and voluntary organisations are meeting to discuss how jointly to reduce the risk of severe outbreaks.

Infectious disease threats in focus at Uppsala Health Summit 2017

Despite remarkable gains in health over the last century, infectious diseases remain a major threat. Alarming reports on outbreaks of Zika, Ebola or avian flu serve as reminders of the gravity of the situation. At the high-level meeting Uppsala Health Summit, international experts will gather from different sectors to discuss how to reduce the threats.

Credit: Anna Ileby/The Skytte Foundation

Amartya Sen awarded the 2017 Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science

Amartya Sen awarded the 2017 Johan Skytte Prize in Political ScienceThe Johan Skytte Prize annually recognises the most valuable contribution to the field of Political Science. This year’s prize is awarded to Amartya Sen, Thomas W. Lamont Professor at Harvard University.

Uppsala Health Summit 11-12 October: Pre-conference report

A report has been released for the upcoming Uppsala Health Summit on ending childhood obesity, outlining the challenges, including the effectiveness of the much debated sugar-tax, how to target interventions for immigrants and the role of industry. The report is produced to prepare the 200 delegates for discussions on concrete solutions.

Uppsala University to invest in Antibiotics Centre

​An Uppsala Antibiotics Centre is to be created at Uppsala University. This was announced by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Anders Malmberg at today’s opening of the Uppsala Health Summit conference. The goal is for this interdisciplinary centre to be a regional, national and international knowledge resource and forum in the area of antibiotic resistance.

Malaria testing yet to reach its potential

In a study published this month in Malaria Journal, researchers from Uppsala University and other institutions present a new model for systematically evaluating new malaria treatment programs in routine conditions across multiple countries.

Uppsala Health Summit publishes pre-conference report

For the upcoming Uppsala Health Summit on antibiotic resistance, 2–3 June, a report has now been published focusing on some of the most pressing issues and challenges. The aim of the meeting is to move the discussion forward, from the ‘what’ to the ‘who’ and ‘how’.

Understanding democracy and development traps using a data-driven approach

Why do some countries seem to develop quickly while others remain poor? This question is at the heart of the so-called poverty or development trap problem. Using mathematics on open data sets researchers now present new insights into this issue, and also suggest which countries can be expected to develop faster. The paper is published in the open access journal Big Data.

Individual metropolises now global political players

By providing the infrastructure that connects global flows and financial systems, major cities have increased their political power alongside the nation-states. In some cases, they are pursuing their own foreign policy in several areas. In her PhD thesis Kristin Ljungkvist, at Uppsala University, has studied the effects of this development and argues that certain risks should be heeded.

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.

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