Research
Umeå University has a long tradition of gender- and, before that, women's studies. The first Nordic women’s university was founded in 1982 at Umeå University, the Centre for Women’s Studies was established in 1987 and the Graduate School of Gender Studies was founded in 2001.
Until 2009 over 150 gender dissertations had been produced at Umeå University (Graduate School of Gender Studies included), which corresponds to approximately 13% of the total amount of dissertations on gender in Sweden (Umeå’s share of the total resources for research is around 6%).
Founded 2008
Umeå Centre for Gender Studies was founded on January 1, 2008, as the result of the union of the Graduate School of Gender Studies and the Centre for Women’s Studies at Umeå University. UCGS is one of three research environments in Sweden appointed as a Centre of Gender Excellence by the Swedish Research Council.
Advocacy
Researchers at UCGS are frequently requested to participate as experts, advisors and consultants for different departments at the university and other organisations. One researcher from UCGS has been a consultant and project leader for the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority (Brottsoffermyndigheten) during 2009. Another employee was the university's representative in the Steering Committee for the Centre against Violence (Centrum mot våld) in Västerbotten.
Researchers from our unit form an important part of the Swedish gender research environment. One employee is editor in chief for NORA (Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research). She is also chairperson of the Swedish Gender Researcher Society (Sveriges genusforskarförbund). Our scientific leader was also the chairperson of the Swedish Research Council’s Committee for Gender Research (Vetenskapsrådets kommitté för genusforskning numera Expertgruppen för genus).
