HAREC - Centrum för handikapp- och rehabiliteringsforskning

Current research in the fields of disability and rehabilitation at the universities in southern Sweden is extensive, diverse and exciting. It spans over a wide range of disciplines, and is conducted by highly qualified, senior researchers, as well as junior researchers who are at the outset of their academic careers.
In order to promote and co-ordinate these research efforts, the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Centre HAREC was founded in 1997. At the beginning of 2001, all five universities in southernmost Sweden joined forces in HAREC. With a total enrolment of more than 60,000 students, these institutions offer a great variety of academic courses and programmes. This has created even better conditions for interdisciplinary research, and for co-operation with players inside and outside the academic world. HAREC particularly wants to ensure active collaboration with the county and other authorities involved in habilitation and rehabilitation. In all, more than 80 researchers are associated with HAREC. Most of them conduct their work at their respective departments in the fields of medicine, social sciences and engineering.

HAREC promotes research on the conditions for persons with disabilities, and how habilitation and rehabilitation can be improved. We therefore place great importance on close co-operation with the disability movement, and have established a user-panel together with some of the leading disability organisations in southern Sweden. The panel one of several modes of collaboration between HAREC and the disability movement.

At HAREC we strive to increase our exchange with universities and research institutions in a global perspective. We participate in several international networks for research- and development, and run a number of EU funded research- and educational activities. In a Nordic context HAREC plays a leading role, e.g. as organiser of the Nordic Conference on Disability Research in 2000. And on the regional level, the exchange between researchers in southern Sweden and Zealand in Denmark is of particular interest.

HAREC is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board members represent a variety of disciplines and all of the universities involved in HAREC. Dr. Bengt Lindqvist, ex-cabinet mister and UN-rapporteur on disability issues, is Chairman of the Board. Professor Stig Larsson is Director of the Centre, and responsible for the daily activities. Our facilities are located at the Department of Community Medicine at Malmö University Hospital. HAREC's website offers a regularly updated list of researchers and projects. We also provide a bulletin board with news in the fields of disability and rehabilitation research, and links to important Swedish and international sites. Please feel free to contact us for further information.