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The Centre for Medical Humanities and Bioethics (CMHB) is an interdisciplinary research environment at Linköping University, bringing together scholars from the humanities, social sciences, medicine and health sciences. Its aim is to deepen our understanding of the human condition in medical contexts, focusing on ethics, experience, culture and society.

Photographer: Jenny Widén

Medical humanities – a necessity for the future of healthcare

Among the invited speakers were Eivind Engebretsen, Professor at the University of Oslo, and Stine Willum Adrian, Professor at the University of Tromsø. Both emphasised that medical humanities should not be seen as a complement to medicine, but as a prerequisite for understanding complex questions about health and technology.

“During the pandemic, it wasn’t only about vaccines and health systems – it was equally about trust and narratives. Culture and values are central to solving global health challenges,” said Eivind Engebretsen, who highlighted the concept of narrative preparedness – building trust through stories as part of preparedness work.

Photographer: Jenny Widén

The ethical boundaries of technology

Stine Willum Adrian researches reproductive technology and its social consequences. She argues that every technological innovation brings new ethical and existential questions.
“Technologies that help people have children are remarkable, but they also raise new challenges. How do we navigate relationships after sperm donation, or DNA tests revealing hundreds of genetic relatives? These are questions medicine cannot answer on its own,” she said.

Translating between worlds

A central question of the day was how the humanities and medicine can meet in practice. Eivind Engebretsen sees translation as a key metaphor.
“The humanities can contribute to better translation of medical knowledge by understanding the languages and cultures involved. Knowledge is never transferred directly – something always happens along the way,” he said.

A day for reflection and community

For Kristin Zeiler, Director of CMHB, Visionary Day is an opportunity for reflection and inspiration within the research community.
“Visionary Day is a time for us to reflect together on what we have achieved so far and what we want to do next. Our hope is that the day will be both inspiring and team-building, and provide an opportunity to learn more about developments in the field,” she said.

She explained that this year’s theme focused on Norway.
“ We wanted to strengthen relations with our closest neighbouring countries, particularly in light of our similar yet partly different healthcare systems. Last year, colleagues from Denmark presented their research, and this year Norway was in focus. It was truly fascinating to learn about the work being done there,” she said.

Photographer: Jenny Widén

Perspectives on the field’s development

Liucija Adomaite, doctoral student at the Department of Thematic Studies and member of CMHB, appreciated the opportunity to discuss the field’s identity and future.
“It’s inspiring to see how our Scandinavian colleagues work. The discussion about how much medicine and how much humanities there is in Medical Humanities shows how dynamic the field is,” she said.

She particularly highlighted the conversations on Translational Medical Humanities and how interdisciplinary collaborations open new research horizons.