Inaugural lectures 2026
On 6 November, the University celebrates Academic Ceremony. New professors are inaugurated into their new tenures and new doctors are conferred. On Tuesday, 3 November, and Wednesday, 4 November, the new professors will give their inaugural lectures and Honorary Doctor Hans Landström Pink, will give his honorary doctoral lecture.
Subject to change.
Programme
- Speakers and time: Please see schedule and presentations below
- Place: room S1002. Find your way on campus External link, opens in new window.
- Registration: N/A. Free entrance
Tuesday, 3 November
Facilitator: Jens Lerbom, Docent in History, Chair of the Recruiting Committee
From 8.30 breakfast is served
9.00–9.35: Introduction followed by Sara Högdin, Professor of Social Work
- Lecture title: Compulsory schooling, the duty to report, and moral dilemmas in school social work (the lecture will be in Swedish)
9.40–10.10: Fernando Alonso-Fernandez, Professor of Information Technology
- Lecture title: From pixels to people: teaching machines to recognise us
10.15–10.45: Henrik Barth, Professor of Innovation Science
- Lecture title: From making things to making a difference – innovation arenas for a changing world
10.50–11.20: Hans Landström, Honorary Doctor
- Lecture title: The establishment of an academic discipline – a story of the emergence of entrepreneurship studies at Halmstad University (the lecture will be in Swedish)
11.30: End of the first day of lectures
Wednesday, 4 November
Facilitator: Jens Lerbom, Docent in History, Chair of the Recruiting Committee
From 8.30 breakfast is served
9.00–9.35: Introduction followed by Edison Pignaton de Freitas, Professor of Autonomous Systems
- Lecture title: AI Applications in defense systems
9.40–10.10: Lars Eriksson, Professor of Design
- Lecture title: Industrial design, a positive experience of some kind (the lecture will be in Swedish)
10.15–10.45: Farzaneh Etminani, Professor of Machine Learning
- Lecture title: If we had known earlier, reimagining healthcare with AI
10.50–11.20: Pia Ulvenblad, Professor of Buisness Administration
- Lecture title: From growth intentions to value intentions – a journey of sustainable entrepreneurship (the lecture will be in Swedish)
10.25–11.55: Johan Söderman, Professor of Education
- Lecture title: Liberal education as a high-risk project in education, culture and society (the lecture will be in Swedish)
12.00: End of the second day of lectures
Presentation of Professors and Honorary Doctor
Fernando Alonso-Fernandez, Professor of Information Technology
How can we use eye, face and fingerprint recognition in areas such as mobile security and border control while ensuring that the technology complies with GDPR? Fernando Alonso-Fernandez, Professor of Information Technology, has been researching biometrics for more than two decades. In his new role, he continues to strengthen both research and education in the field.
Henrik Barth, Professor of Innovation Science
Henrik Barth is solution-oriented – to the extent that he has devoted his entire research career to tackling some of society’s most complex challenges. As a Professor of Innovation Science, with a heart that beats a little faster for passionate change-makers, integration, and the transition to a sustainable society, he is driven by a deep desire to create real change.
Lars Eriksson, Professor of Design
As a child, Lars Eriksson built small inventions at home with his father. Today, he is Professor of Design, researching how we experience surfaces and materials, and how design can contribute to both wellbeing and sustainable development.
Farzaneh Etminani, Professor of Machine Learning
Farzaneh Etminani is a Professor of Machine Learning. Her research lies at the intersection of AI and healthcare, focusing on how data and AI can contribute to better decision-making in healthcare. For her, being a professor also means taking responsibility for the next generation of researchers.
Sara Högdin, Professor of Social Work
What can schools do to prevent social vulnerability? How can social services work against violence in the everyday lives of young people? These are issues that are central to Sara Högdin, Professor of Social Work. Her research is about social work in schools, honour-based abuse, and different professional groups who interact with children in difficult situations.
The lecture will be in Swedish.
Hans Landström, Honorary Doctor
Professor Emeritus Hans Landström has been appointed Honorary Doctor in Innovation Sciences at Halmstad University. During the 1990s, Hans Landström was employed at the University and played a decisive role in establishing the fields of business administration and entrepreneurship at the University. In 1999, he was appointed as one of Halmstad University’s first five professors.
The lecture will be in Swedish.
How can autonomous systems and networked robotics help solve some of today’s most pressing societal issues? Edison Pignaton de Freitas, Professor of Autonomous Systems, works to create advanced systems that can improve both defence strategies and agricultural technologies.
Johan Söderman, Professor of Education
Johan Söderman is a Professor of Education. His research focuses on learning that takes place outside the formal structures of school – in music, civil society associations and other environments where people are driven by interest and engagement.
The lecture will be in Swedish.
Pia Ulvenblad, Professor of Business Administration
For Pia Ulvenblad, all research begins with people. She wants to understand what drives us, which values shape our choices, and how knowledge can be turned into real change. Her path to a professorship has led through several industries and a few glass ceilings – but also through a constant conviction: that everyone should have the opportunity to grow, regardless of background.
The lecture will be in Swedish.
