The universities and their relations to Swedish democratic institutions

One way that universities can influence democratic social institutions is by educating people who work in, and administer, these institutions. Moreover, independent research undertaken at the universities contributes to the knowledge on which well-informed democratic decisions are based. Universities subject social trends and ideas that dominate social debate to a scrutiny that traditionally is as independent as it is critical. Like independent media, universities should strive to foster well-informed decision-making, appropriate to an open society that strives to uphold democratic values. Despite the opportunities afforded by new digital media, in its association with ‘post-truth’, this technology poses a threat to such knowledge-based decision-making. Thus, the second focus area is intended to investigate these various trends from a range of perspectives to shed light on how universities influence the wider community and its democratic institutions, as well as how that community influences the universities.