HOGSKOLAN FOR LARANDE OCH KOMMUNIKATION I JONKOP AB

Their core work

The School of Education and Communication at Jönköping University is a Swedish higher education institution specializing in media studies, communication research, and education sciences. Their H2020 work focuses on how citizens — particularly underrepresented groups — engage with media, democratic discourse, and science education in community settings. They bring expertise in qualitative and participatory research methods, examining how digital communication shapes civic participation, gender equity movements, and school-community relationships.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects starting between 2020 and 2021, the timeline is compressed, but a thematic shift is still visible. Their earlier involvement (MOST) centered on science education, environmental citizenship, and school-community partnerships — practical, pedagogy-oriented work. The later projects (EmPoWer, MEDIADELCOM) pivot firmly toward media studies, democratic communication, and the politics of civic engagement, suggesting a deepening focus on how communication systems shape public discourse.

They are moving from education-focused community projects toward critical media and communication research, positioning themselves at the intersection of digital citizenship, democratic discourse, and social justice.

How they like to work

HLK operates as both a coordinator and a partner, having led one project (EmPoWer, an MSCA Individual Fellowship) and joined two larger consortia. With 42 unique partners across 22 countries from just 3 projects, they work in broad, pan-European consortia rather than tight clusters. This suggests they are comfortable in large, multi-national research teams and bring specialized social science perspectives to diverse groups.

Despite only three projects, HLK has collaborated with 42 distinct partners across 22 countries, indicating participation in large European consortia with wide geographic spread. Their network is notably broad for their project volume, spanning most of the EU.

What sets them apart

HLK sits at the intersection of education science and critical media/communication studies — a combination that is relatively rare among Swedish universities in H2020. Their EmPoWer project, where they served as coordinator, demonstrates particular strength in micro-level qualitative research on how marginalized groups use digital tools for civic mobilization. For consortium builders, they offer a Swedish social science partner with strong expertise in participatory methods, gender-sensitive research, and European media policy analysis.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EmPoWer
  Their only coordinated project and largest grant (EUR 240K), an MSCA fellowship examining gender justice mobilization through everyday digital communicative practices — a distinctive niche topic.
• MEDIADELCOM
  Large-scale RIA mapping media risks and opportunities for deliberative communication across Europe, with policy analysis ambitions — positions HLK in a high-profile European media research network.