Sara Svensson

Sara Svensson is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at Halmstad University's School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. She serves as Programme Director of the Transformation, Innovation and Norm Sciences (TRAINS) Research Programme. Her academic work focuses on European cross-border regions, policy formation, and governance structures, with publications appearing in prestigious journals including Eurasian Geography and Economy, Journal of European Integration, and Journal of Borderlands Studies. She holds editorial positions as Associate Editor of the Peace and Democracy Section of Frontiers in Political Science and Regional Editor of Journal of Borderlands Studies.

Education:

• PhD in Public Policy/Political Science from Central European University (Budapest, Hungary)
• MA in Political Science from Central European University (1999)
• BA in Journalism from Stockholm University (1997)

Sara Svensson's research interests center on policy formation and governance structures in European cross-border regions, with particular attention to border dynamics, European integration, and democratic governance. Her work explores how cross-border regions navigate challenges of integration, re-bordering, and democratic backsliding, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. She has developed significant expertise in the functioning of European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) and cross-border governance mechanisms. More recently, her research has expanded to include disinformation and conspiracy theories, as well as the impacts of climate change on cross-border regions.

Sara Svensson teaches in the 'Samhällsanalys och Kommunikation' program, which combines political science approaches to public policy with communication studies. She also teaches courses on European integration, public policy, qualitative methods, and regional development at BA, MA, and PhD levels. She currently serves on the supervision committee for Dimitra Kiousi's split-site PhD cooperation with Portsmouth University.

Research Projects:

• B-Shapes: Border shaping perceptions of European Societies
• Transformation Innovation and Norm Sciences (TRAINS) Research Programme
• Intercambio: Interventions to promote mental and physical health in changing working environments
• RE-DACT – Research on Disinformation and Conspiracy Theories
• Democratic and intercultural dialogue
• Local food for a better climate