The Centre for Gender Research celebrates its 40th anniversary

This year, we're celebrating that the Centre for Gender Research, or the Centre for Female Researchers and Women's Research, as it was previously called, has existed at Uppsala University for over 40 years!

The Centre for Gender Research was established in 2003 and has, according to instructions from the Vice-Chancellor, a commitment to carry out research and teaching within the field of gender studies, which includes different perspectives on sex and gender, as well as critical perspectives on how sex and gender interact with other dimensions of power. But already in 1982 the Centre for Female Researchers and Women's Research was established as an independent unit within Uppsala University. You can read more about the history of the Centre here. 

So, it is now just over 40 years since research and education within the field of gender studies found a home at Uppsala University, and 20 years since the Centre for Gender Research was established in its current form – and this is cause for celebration! During 2023 the Centre is offering a range of different activities in order to shine a light on, discuss and reflect on gender research and gender studies as a subject.

Jubilee conference 12-13 October

The culmination of our celebrations was the Jubilee conference, which was held 12-13 October 2023, focusing on the breadth and diversity within current gender research. Keynote speakers were: Elizabeth Wilson, Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Emory University, USA; Katarina Pirak Sikku, artist from Jokkmokk, Sweden, and Ann Phoenix, Professor of Psychosocial Studies at UCL, UK. The various active research groups at the Centre also presented ongoing research at the conference. 

Festschrift for the Centre for Gender Research

In conjunction with the conference, a Festschrift for was published in recognition of the Centre's anniversary: 40 years of Gender Research! Festschrift for the Centre for Gender Research. It features contributions from various people connected to, or active at the Centre; researchers at different stages of their academic careers, permanent staff as well as guest researchers, current and past researchers, teachers and PhD students. The volume offers a set of texts (some written in English, and some in Swedish) on topics ranging from personal histories of the Centre and of gender research, to reflections on working life at the Centre/as a gender researcher, to research articles on different subjects, that in themselves testify to the lively and diverse research environment at the Centre for Gender Research.

The Festschrift is Open Access and can be downloaded here.
If you would like a physical copy, please contact us.