Bruksort 2.0 (Industrial town 2.0) is an innovative project that aims to strengthen Hagfors through social development, citizen participation and focus on mobility. The subjects of Business Administration and Media and Communication Studies at Karlstad University are part of the project.

Hagfors in Värmland is a town characterised by the steelworks Uddeholm AB – an industry founded in the 17th century that has contributed to the municipality’s development and community, providing job opportunities and attracting more people to live there. Uddeholm AB has been the lifeblood of Hagfors for a long time. However, a declining population, along with high demands on skills supply, are big challenges for the community of Hagfors today.

For the past 15 years, the Service Research Center (CTF), with funding from the Knowledge Foundation, has generated world-class research on service innovation, servitisation and customer experiences. Lars Witell, professor of business administration, is the editor of a new book titled Service Innovation and Management.

– We have also had the opportunity to develop ISE – a competence development programme for professionals in these areas, says Lars Witell, professor of business administration at CTF and Karlstad Business School. In the book, we have tried to create knowledge that is tailored for professional development training.

You are a PhD student at the University of Santiago de Compostela and a teacher at the University of Vigo in Spain. You have been teaching law at Karlstad Business School as a part of the Erasmus+ program.

– I was invited by the coordinator of the Law Program at Karlstad University to teach in the course International and European Union Law as part of the Erasmus+ program, says Natalia Seco. I have had the opportunity to teach students about the main legal advances in the fight against violence against women, as well as to conduct a comparative study on this situation in Sweden and Spain.

Within the framework of the ongoing work on Karlstad Business Schools AACSB accreditation, colleagues gathered to share and learn from experiences from effective teaching, student learning and meaningful examinations. Marie-Therese Christiansson, Head of Karlstad Business School, welcomed the participants with some examples of frameworks used to ensure student learning (Assurance of Learning) in various programs where students are expected to understand, use or develop AI.

As part of the ongoing work with Karlstad Business School’s AACSB accreditation, the staff was presented with an overview of how AI is impacting teaching in various ways. Marie-Therese Christiansson, head of Karlstad Business School, shared that there are many AI-related tips and exercises on the AACSB website.

AI in teaching

Niklas Jakobsson, professor of economics at Karlstad Business School, opened the day by turning up as an avatar. After a brief introduction, the real Niklas took over and explained how you can create your own avatar and use it in teaching.

Megagames are a mix of role-playing games, board games and simulation. Karlstad University organised a megagame on the theme: Can Sweden reach sustainable consumption by 2045?

Our society is based on economic growth. With growth comes increased consumption, higher energy costs and use of resources. Without growth, unemployment goes up. With technology comes greater efficiency, convenience and security. The downside of technology is that it is resource-intensive and leads to forced behaviours. How can society find a balance in all of this? It is a big task. The game board is even bigger. Not to say enormous.

Olle, could you tell us about your background before joining Karlstad Business School and the Service Research Center (CTF)?

– I have a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from Karlstad Business School, where I studied the master's program in Innovation and Service Development. During my time at Karlstad Business School, I also taught mathematics to first-year students, which was both fun and educational. I have also been an exchange student in Austria, which gave me perspectives on education and research in an international context.