New presidium Rasmus Lindstedt and Elsa Berlin summarize the participation in Almedalen Week 2024. A packed political marathon with panel debates, roundtable discussions and meetings!
Almedalen Week is a unique meeting place where politicians, organizations and stakeholders from all over the country gather to discuss social issues. Large parts of the higher education sector were present, as were many others in the student movement and from politics. SFS has participated in a number of meetings and seminars on, among other things, the financing of higher education, academic freedom, student housing and more. The outgoing SFS member presidium Jacob Färnert and Klara Dryselius have, together with the incoming presidium Rasmus Lindstedt and Elsa Berlin. Also present were Sebastian Lagunas Rosén, head of social policy at SFS, and Mathilda Fredriksson, political secretary.
SFS seminars
We arranged four seminars this year. Together with the Swedish University Teachers and Researchers (SULF), the Swedish University and Higher Education Association (SUHF) and the Swedish Young Academy (SUA), we arranged the seminar Constitutional protection of academic freedom. The panel consisted of Jacob, SUA chair Sofia Lodén, SULF chair Sanna Wolk, SUHF chair Hans Adolfsson, Tim Ekberg, member of the SUHF expert group for analysis, former Minister of Education Anna Ekström, chair of the board of Umeå University, and chair of the Constitutional Committee Ida Karkiainen (S). As the title suggests, it was about constitutionally protecting academic freedom. Today, only the freedom of research is constitutionally protected, but not the freedom of higher education or the independence of higher education institutions. We strongly believe that the freedom and autonomy of academia is central to the ability of higher education institutions to educate, research and disseminate knowledge, and therefore constitutional protection is important.
The second seminar, Funding research, funding education: An unnecessary division of two tasks?, was arranged together with SUHF. Jacob moderated the conversation, which began with Daniel Gillberg, Director of Planning at Uppsala University, explaining the resource allocation system in a very educational way. Afterwards, a panel consisting of SUA's Chair Sofia Lodén, SLU's Vice-Chancellor Maria Knutson Wedel and Elsa discussed the issue of a combined grant; that is, that the grant for research and education should not be separated. Here, Elsa highlights the importance of research connections in order to provide good quality education, and that the higher education institutions themselves know best how to strengthen the quality of their operations and should therefore distribute the funds. SLU currently has a combined grant and is satisfied with the system, while SUA advocates a three-part grant. Finally, the education policy spokespeople for the Moderate Party, Josefin Malmqvist, and the Center Party, Anders Ådahl, were given their views on the matter. We can conclude that they are not entirely convinced, so we will have to continue lobbying on the issue!
Instant noodles and part-time jobs – what do student unions think about students' financial situation? That was the title of our third seminar. Klara moderated and began by giving a situation overview. Then a panel consisting of the chairmen of S-students, Moderate students, Center students, Green students, Liberal students and the Christian Democratic Student Union were invited to answer both quick yes and no questions but also questions where they were allowed to elaborate. Topics on the agenda included the free allowance, additional cost loans, part-time sick leave and students' housing costs. Fun and fast-paced!
Finally, we invited to the seminar Future skills supply – what can we expect from a university on the verge of breaking point? This conversation was also moderated by Jacob. Martin Norsell, Director General of the University Chancellor's Office, began with some statistics on the skills needs. Elsa then gave the students' perspective on the whole thing and highlighted, among other things, the quality deficiencies that exist due to the lack of resources and that the dimensioning of higher education should be based on student demand. A panel consisting of Paula Örn, Social Democratic Member of Parliament, Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, President of Luelå University of Technology, Tobias Brännemo, Chief Economist at Unionen, and Jonas Hagelqvist, CEO of IKEM, then discussed the topic. There was a broad discussion about everything from the number of training places and the need for independent courses, to girls' interest in STEM. The supply of skills will likely continue to be a highly topical issue for a long time to come!
All of our seminars were very well attended and successful. Representatives from politics, academia and business participated, which meant that several perspectives were raised, which led to interesting discussions. You can find out more about our seminars read here!
We also participated in several other panels. Rasmus discussed New paths to higher education throughout the country – with a focus on quality in decentralized environments where he highlighted the value of student influence and the quality problems that await when the funding is reduced in 2026. In the panel discussion Housing - a homeless question: How do we ensure economic growth when the thresholds to the market are sky-high? Rasmus struck a blow for an accessible housing allowance and investment support to stimulate the construction of student housing.
Klara participated in Uppsala University's Demonstrations or seminars? On student activism and democracy at universities and in the panel at FMSF rrelease of information about the spring student protestsBoth panels highlight the importance of student influence, strengthened funding for student unions, and the right to peaceful democratic expression on campus. The latter panel also discussed the importance of academic freedom.
Jacob participated in the panel Higher studies – for whose sake? about the role of academia and where the issue of sizing came up again.
In addition to panels, incoming and outgoing presidencies participated in a series of roundtable discussions on skills supply, the role of academia, conditions for doctoral education, and housing.
Meet others in the sector and industry
Almedalen Week is a very good opportunity for the outgoing presidium to hand over contacts to their successors. It is relatively easy to arrange a meeting with industry people and politicians as everyone is in the same place with the same purpose. Incoming presidium have met with the Swedish Construction Companies, Academic Housing and Student Housing Companies. They have also had meetings with parliamentary politicians Anders Åhdahl (C), Lili André (KD) and Camilla Hansén (MP), as well as meetings with Centre students, Moderate students and S students.
The SFS delegation has also participated in a series of mingles where contacts were made with people in the sector. We had dinner with the Saco student council, had dinner with SULF as usual and lunch with SUHF. Very nice and useful for raising students' interests and important issues! In all conversations we have focused on raising the issues that are included in the operational plan and are based on our opinion program, both decided by the members of SFSFUM.
Reflections
Wow! Almedalen Week is truly something unique. It is very useful for SFS's advocacy work and opinion-building that we are seen and heard in panels, but also that we build relationships through individual meetings. It is fun, educational and, to say the least, intense!
Do we have any insights? Yes, indeed! The supply of skills is high on the agenda and everyone agrees that higher education has a key role. It is also clear that both the higher education sector and politicians agree that something should be done about the resource allocation system, but exactly what should be done is debated.
We, the incoming presidium members, are proud and happy to have been entrusted with representing SFS and Sweden's students in the upcoming academic year. We are satisfied with our efforts in Almedalen and are now taking the weekend to rest after a few hectic but very rewarding days. Have a nice summer!
Rasmus and Elsa
