About Us

Our Aim

As project partners, we are working together to design and test methodologies for the Rock It Cafés, Labs, and the Rock It Map. While each university applies these tools locally, we collectively reflect on their outcomes, learn from each experience, and continuously refine the materials. This shared process strengthens the project’s impact and generates insights that can inspire other institutions to adopt similar approaches, fostering creativity, collaboration, and societal engagement across the higher education sector.

The Team

Behind Rock Your Research is a transdisciplinary team of 6 institutions from across Europe, united by a passion about reimagining how knowledge connects with society. We come from different walks of academia, art, and civic engagement, but we share a common mission: to turn universities into cultural hubs of knowledge and societal interaction.

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Linnaeus University

Linnaeus University is a creative and international knowledge environment with more than 40,000 students and 2,200 employees. Its leading research is driven by Linnaeus University Centres, covering fields from ecology and bioscience to integration, postcolonialism, and big data.
The university has a rich tradition of blending art and science in innovative ways. It hosts its own artist-in-residence program, where artists from various disciplines collaborate with researchers and research groups, fostering creativity and new perspectives. As the lead partner of the project, Linnaeus University brings extensive experience in art and science initiatives. The RYR project is strongly connected to Open Science at the university, with one of the project leaders also serving as a senior advisor within RYR.

Växjö and Kalmar — Sweden

Kerstin Brodén

General Editor And Coordinator at the Cultural University

I am passionate about making our research accessible and creating real impact through art, engaging society in meaningful dialogue, and collaborating with artists to bring new perspectives to our researchers. Working at the intersection of art, science, and society—together with European colleagues—offers an exciting opportunity to co-create and exchange knowledge in new and valuable ways.

Helen Hägglund

Operational Manager at the Cultural University

In this complex web of contemporary life, the University is one thread that is woven together with others as we work for the development of society. We operate on the basis of a view of knowledge in which art and culture are part of the academic formation of knowledge that challenge ideas and sparks innovation. Co-operation with cultural creators and artists can contribute to an open science system with situated knowledge in the public, and thereby also contribute with relevant questions and a critique that develops science and research.

Vetenskap & Allmänhet

Public & Science Sweden (Vetenskap & Allmänhet, V&A) is a non-profit membership organisation that promotes dialogue and openness between researchers and the public. Its members include around 100 organisations, authorities, universities, companies, and associations from across Swedish society. Public & Science serves as a national hub for science communication, citizen science, public engagement, and open science, with extensive experience in co-creation, dialogue, and participatory processes.
In Rock Your Research, V&A is responsible for mapping existing art-science initiatives, developing engagement methodologies for the Rock It Cafés, and supporting Linnaeus University in Sweden-based activities.

Stockholm — Sweden

Helen Garrison

Project & Communications Manager

I'm passionate about creating meaningful connections between science and society, and believe that art is a powerful catalyst for dialogue, reflection, and inclusion. Rock Your Research offers an inspiring opportunity to explore new, creative ways of engaging diverse publics in shaping science together.

Lena Söderström

Project Manager & Press Officer

At Public & Science Sweden, we are passionate about encouraging and finding new formats for dialogue between researchers and the public, for the benefit of both. Rock Your Research offers an exciting opportunity to explore how art can offer innovative forms for this engagement.

Universidad de Málaga

The University of Málaga (UMA) is a leading Spanish institution with over 35,700 students, 2,500 faculty, and a strong international presence. UMA supports 309 research groups and 575 projects across disciplines, with active global partnerships and a commitment to innovation. UMA aligns closely with Rock Your Research’s mission through its Vice-Rectorate for Research and Scientific Dissemination, which promotes science communication and public engagement. The university also integrates art as a tool for knowledge exchange, offering spaces like the Rectorate’s exhibition hall, the Faculty of Arts’ galleries, and the Cultural Container. Lastly, Link by UMA, an innovation and entrepreneurship hub, supports knowledge transfer, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of transversal competencies, making UMA a key partner in the Rock Your Research project.

Málaga — Spain

Eugenio Rivas

Role Associate Professor of Arts

Rock Your Reasearch is an opportunity to bring knowledge closer to society through creative strategies. This initiative highlights the power of artistic practices as a tool for social transformation, promoting a collaborative vision based on community support networks.

Rafael Ventura

Professor of Entrepreneurship

Innovation is the creative process that inspires me the most and brings me the greatest satisfaction in my work. In this case, the Rock Your Research project represents a challenge that involves creating new formats to facilitate scientific dissemination. It is fascinating to tackle this challenge through the possibilities offered by artistic creation.

Juan Aguilar

Associate Professor of Arts

As an arts and design professional, I am interested in the transfer and exchange of methodologies and the application of creative and speculative processes, one of the main objectives of my professional activity.

Sofía Louise Martínez

Postdoctoral Researcher

I find the Rock Your Research proposal extremely original. Scientific dissemination has rarely experimented with creative and artistic techniques to make research accessible to a broad audience. I like that the project's outcome may encourage scientists to discover new ways to interpret their research and that it could inspire universities to design their own knowledge transfer and scientific dissemination strategies

Universidad de Granada

The University of Granada (UGR) is a leading public comprehensive research university in Spain, offering a wide range of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs across all disciplinary fields. UGR is committed to excellence in education, research, and the transfer of scientific, technical, and artistic knowledge to society. MediaLab UGR – Research Laboratory for Digital Culture and Society – is the unit responsible for implementing this project at UGR. As a dynamic citizen laboratory, MediaLab UGR specializes in innovation and participation methodologies, digital culture, open science, and social innovation, generating knowledge through collaboration with diverse social groups. Its interdisciplinary team brings expertise in public engagement, experimentation, and methodologies for social participation, which are central to the aims of the project. UGR, via MediaLab UGR, will lead local project activities, including Rock It Cafés, resource mapping, and coordination of Rock It Labs. It will also support documentation, dissemination, and outreach, drawing on its expertise in social innovation and public engagement.

Granada — Spain

Daniel Torres Salinas

Member of Medialab UGR – Social Impact Coordinator

As a researcher deeply committed to fostering collaboration between science and society, I am passionate about creating spaces where knowledge, creativity, and diverse perspectives converge. This project perfectly aligns with my belief that open, transdisciplinary dialogue—especially through art and citizen participation—is essential to generating meaningful social impact and advancing responsible research.

María Eugenia Rubiño

Member of Medialab UGR – Citizen Science Coordinator

As Citizen Science Coordinator at MediaLab UGR, I am passionate about connecting citizens with research processes to foster mutual learning and shared knowledge creation. This project strongly resonates with my commitment to open, participatory science and my belief that collaboration between artists, researchers, and society is key to achieving real social transformation.

Esteban Romero-Frias

Vice-Rector for Social Innovation, Employability and Entrepreneurship

As Vice-Rector for Social Innovation, I thrive on shaking up the traditional boundaries between academia and society. For me, nothing is more exciting than unleashing creative chaos—bringing researchers, artists, and citizens together to spark new ideas, break rules, and build a more innovative, inclusive future for all.

ACEEU

ACEEU is the world’s only quality assurance body dedicated exclusively to recognising engagement and entrepreneurship in higher education. Through our accreditation services, we help universities embrace the Third Mission and boost their societal relevance and impact.
In the Rock Your Research project, ACEEU brings its unique expertise in community engagement to help shape a strategic and culturally grounded approach to connecting universities with society.
As the project’s quality lead within Rock Your Research, we ensure that all outcomes are practical, scalable, and transferable—ready to inspire other universities looking to bridge the gap between research, the arts, and the public.
Additionally, supports the project’s long-term visibility, designing communication strategies that extend the project’s reach beyond its funding period.

Münster — Germany

Angela Hernandez

Community & Creative Engagement Specialist

Rock Your Research resonates with my personal and professional journey, where art has consistently been a tool for connection, reflection, and social understanding. My passion for co-creation and experience in promoting access to education and culture makes me eager to contribute to a project that brings communities and institutions together through the arts.

Lina Landinez

CEO

Science communication is about creating connections and facilitating innovation. For me, it is a passion rooted in the belief that when people truly connect, new ideas emerge and better solutions become possible. Through Rock Your Research, I am excited to help bridge the gap between research, creativity, and community, with the aim to transform knowledge into opportunities that benefit everyone.