The University of Kalmar is the main executing agency of the UNEP-led and GEF-funded Global International Waters Assessment, GIWA. Thus, the university hosts the GIWA Core Team and Co-ordination Office.

The University of Kalmar is a comparatively small university, but has already full university status in the field of natural sciences. Two of its chairs - in Natural Resources Management, and in Aquatic Ecology - are of particular relevance for GIWA.

The same holds true for the research and PhD programmes at the Natural Resources Management and Agenda 21 Research School (NRM&A21), and for the strong focus on research in environmental sciences, aquatic ecology, and marine microbiology.

Natural sciences and technology are priority areas giving the University of Kalmar a unique educational profile compared with the other small universities in Sweden. In addition, the goals set out by the UNCED 1992 Conference inspired Kalmar to start the new Agenda 21 research field. Research and education on issues linked to the concept of sustainable development are at the very heart of the activities.

The objective of education and research within NRM&A21 is to build interdisciplinary knowledge of and create insight into anthropogenic impact on environmental systems and natural resources. This includes analyses of measures currently suggested in national and international contexts and settings to mitigate the problems caused. These analyses, which range from the local to the global level, often start with a natural-science/ technological approach, increasingly bringing the societal and cultural dimensions into focus, in particular the aspects of international environmental institutions, environmental communication, and environmental ethics. The cross-disciplinary character of environmental issues places special emphasis on developing doctoral curriculums that bridge different sectors of society as well as of the academic structure.

In recent years, the University of Kalmar has also developed into an important centre for research on the Baltic Sea Region, including issues of environment, maritime affairs, tourism and democracy. The university works in close co-operation with Kalmar municipality and with local and national private enterprise. It also has well developed international networks in academia and institutions.