The platform builds on research environments at the university that are already well established, both nationally and internationally, in the field of memory studies. It continues the work initiated within the framework of the major research program Time, Memory and Representation (2010–2016), supported by the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences (RJ). It encompasses social scientific, humanistic, and aesthetic perspectives, and seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers engaged in memory studies across a wide range of disciplines: archaeology, cultural studies, aesthetics, ethnology, philosophy, history, gender studies, history of ideas, art history, literary studies, media and communication studies, and political science.

A particular emphasis is placed on aesthetic expressions and artistic creation in relation to critical explorations of the past. Oral history is another central focus, as are memory technologies—including the study of writing, archives, and digital systems.

The platform aspires to become a national and international hub for memory studies by building networks for research collaboration both within the university and with other institutions. It organizes seminars, guest lectures, conferences, and public debates, and initiates reports and educational initiatives. Collaborations with museums and other memory institutions are also an integral part of its work. The goal is to generate new research—empirical, theoretical, and methodological—that contributes to this rapidly growing field. At the same time, it seeks to serve as a platform for public dialogue on how the past is managed and how it shapes people’s understanding of both the present and the future.