Together for a More Inclusive and Hopeful Society!
On March 11, the Imagine Summit was held at the Town Hall in Kristianstad. Various sectors of society gathered to discuss challenges and ideas related to inclusion, addressing issues such as lack of knowledge, language barriers, social inequalities, politics, prejudice, unconscious biases, and fear.
A total of 29 organizations were represented by the 65 participants.
Eva-Marie Hagström, Head of Business and Communications at Kristianstad Municipality, opened the conference alongside the other organizers:
– We see a growing need for collaboration and knowledge in these areas and therefore want to join forces with businesses and other societal actors. This is an important issue for us.
Concrete Results from Previous Imagine Summits
One of the event’s inspirational speakers was Eyobel Samson, who shared his journey from DJ dreams in Eritrea to working as a DJ in Sweden, running his own business, and leading the organization Youngstival.
Eyobel Samson, Youngstival.
Last year, he participated in Imagine Summit, where his group discussed loneliness among the elderly and the lack of a sense of future among many young people. They identified a need for more intergenerational meeting opportunities. This discussion led to a project that now connects young and elderly people. In the fall, this initiative will collaborate with the senior café at Kristianstad Österlen Airport.
Youngstival, one of the co-organizers of this year’s Imagine Summit, has engaged around 1,200 young people since its launch in 2019. The organization collaborates with multiple partners on youth entrepreneurship, health, sports, and various projects with the university.
Workshop on Inclusion
In the morning, Fredrika Braw, Innovation Strategist at Kristianstad University, together with Cássandra Winther, Lecturer in Public Health at Kristianstad University, led a creative workshop on inclusion in society.
In the afternoon, the ideas generated during the workshops were presented. A recurring theme was the need to create physical and digital meeting spaces to spread knowledge and connect people across different backgrounds. There is a clear gap between those involved in societal development and those who are excluded from it. However, the discussions also emphasized the importance of highlighting existing efforts. Another key takeaway was the need to showcase role models and the positive impact they can have.
Ulrika Hasselgren, CEO of Krinova Incubator & Science Park.
Ulrika Hasselgren, the newly appointed CEO of Krinova Incubator & Science Park, another co-organizer, highlighted the importance of the forum:
– This is a crucial platform not just for discussion but for achieving tangible results for society as a whole. These challenges exist at the municipal level, in Skåne, and across the country. From Krinova’s perspective, it is a privilege and a fantastic opportunity to act upon the collaboration we see here.
Development Projects in the Region
–Our goal is to create development projects where businesses, academia, the public sector, and non-profit organizations can collaborate to drive progress in our region," said Fredrika Braw, Innovation Strategist at Kristianstad University. "I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed their time, energy, and commitment—together, we are making the future a reality!
Imagine Summit 2025 was organized as a CoLab within the European University COLOURS network. On May 15, all nine universities within COLOURS are invited to a digital CoLab as a follow-up, where participants will be presented with the development projects and given the opportunity to provide input.