19 September 2025

Did you think that LiU’s 50-year birthday celebrations were already over? Then think againThe Kalas event kicked off the autumn term, and the next few months will see concerts, conferences and another academic ceremony, to name but a few events.

Photographer: Charlotte Perhammar

Following an intense spring with much internal as well as external celebration of Linköping University, the batteries are now fully charged again and it is time for the second act of the LiU 50 show.

“There will be no royal visit during the second half of our celebration, but there will be many events, such as the conferences ‘From idea to benefit’ and ‘Shaping the future through freedom of research’. The first one is a golden opportunity for inspiration and examples of how LiU creates social benefits. The second invites upper secondary school students interested in research,” says Kent Waltersson, in charge of the LiU 50 initiative.

In September, LiU has a programme during Preparedness Week and participates in European Researchers’ Night and Culture Night in Norrköping. Then follows the inauguration of professors, which has been moved from the academic ceremony in the spring and is now co-hosted with the Alumnus of the Year Award, the Onkel Adam Prize and the Ingemar Ingemarsson Interdisciplinary Prize.

Historical nostalgia and “visit” theme

Looking ahead has been a prominent feature of this year’s celebrations, but on 30 September we will take a close look back in ”The year was 1975” - an initiative of historians at the Department of Culture and Society (IKOS). In November, they will also organise a university history symposium on the occasion of LiU turning 50.

The symposium has a “visit” theme with Visit your colleague – a week when teachers are offered the opportunity to learn from each other. More exchanges will take place during Visit your kårhus (student union house) that same week, when student union houses will be open not only to students but also to employees.

“It will be a wonderful mix of events that take place off campus and events that we organise ourselves. The closer we get to the end of the year, the more music there will be, including Christmas and Lucia concerts such as Dark Lucia,” says Sophie Dufwenberg, project manager for LiU50.

Another event during the autumn is Malmstens’ anniversary exhibition, which will tour the campuses Valla, Norrköping and US. And maybe the library’s Book Feast in Studenthuset will become a new LiU tradition? Our own book fair, offering opportunities for enjoyable conversations about books and education.

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