The new presidium Rasmus Lindstedt and Elsa Berlin summarize the participation in Almedal Week 2024. A packed political marathon with panel debates, roundtable discussions and meetings!
Almedal 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 series of meetings and seminars on, among other things, financing of higher education, academic freedom, student housing and more. From SFS participated departing presidium Jacob Färnert and Klara Dryselius have joined together presidium Rasmus Lindstedt and Elsa Berlin. Sebastian Lagunas Rosén, director of social policy at SFS, and Mathilda Fredriksson, political secretary, were also present.
SFS seminars
We arranged four seminars this year. Together with Sweden's university teachers and researchers (SULF), Sweden's University and College Association (SUHF) and Sweden's Young Academy (SUA), we arranged the seminar Constitutional protection of academic freedom. The panel consisted of Jacob, SUA's chairman Sofia Lodén, SULF's union chairman Sanna Wolk, SUHF's chairman Hans Adolfsson, Tim Ekberg member of SUHF's expert group for analysis, former minister of education Anna Ekström board chairman of Umeå University and chairman of the constitution 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 the academy is central to the universities being able to educate, research and spread knowledge, and therefore constitutional protection is important.
The second seminar, Funding research, funding education: An unnecessary division of two tasks?, was organized together with SUHF. Jacob moderated the conversation, which began with Daniel Gillberg, director of planning at Uppsala University, very pedagogically explaining the resource allocation system. Afterwards, a panel consisting of SUA's chair Sofia Lodén, SLU's rector Maria Knutson Wedel and Elsa had to discuss the issue of collective funding; that is to say that the grant for research and education should not be separated. Here, Elsa highlights the importance of research connections in order to provide a good quality education, and that the universities themselves know best how to strengthen the quality of their activities 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 spokespersons for the Moderates, Josefin Malmqvist, and the Center Party, Anders Ådahl, had to give their views on the matter. We can state that they are not completely convinced, so we must continue to lobby on the issue!
Instant noodles and extra jobs - what do student unions think about students' financial situation? That was the title of our third seminar. Klara moderated and began by giving an overview. Then a panel consisting of the chairman of S students, Moderate students, Center students, Green students, Liberal students and the Christian Democratic Student Union was invited to answer both quick yes and no questions but also questions where they had to embroider. Topics on the wallpaper included the free amount, additional cost loans, part-time sick leave and students' housing costs. Fun and fast-paced!
Finally, we invited to the seminar Future competence supply - what can we expect from a university on the breaking point? This conversation was also moderated by Jacob. Martin Norsell, director general of the University Chancellor's Office, started with some statistics about the skills needs. Then Elsa gave the students' view of 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 the students' demand. A panel consisting of Paula Örn, Social Democratic Member of Parliament, Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Chancellor 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 education places and the need for independent courses, to girls' interest in STEM. The supply of skills will continue to be a highly topical issue for a long time to come!
All our seminars were very well attended and successful. Representatives from both politics, academia and business took part, which meant that the majority of perspectives were raised, which led to interesting discussions. More about our seminars you can read here!
We also participated in several other panels. Rasmus discussed New paths to higher education throughout the country - with quality investment in decentralized environments where he highlighted the value of student influence and the quality problems that await when the grant is cut in 2026. In the panel discussion Housing - a homeless question: How do we secure economic growth when the thresholds to the market are sky high? Rasmus struck a blow for an available housing allowance and investment support to stimulate the construction of student housing.
Klara attended Uppsala University Demonstrations or seminars? About student activism and democracy at universities and in the panel at FMSF rin-kind release about the spring student protests. In both panels, the importance of student influence, strengthened funding for the unions and the right to peaceful democratic expression on campus is highlighted. In the latter panel, the importance of academic freedom was also discussed.
Jacob participated in the panel Higher studies – for whose sake? about the role of the academy and where the issue of dimensioning came up again.
In addition to panels, incoming and outgoing presidiums participated in a series of round-table discussions on competence provision, the role of academia, conditions for postgraduate education and housing.
Meet with others in the sector and industry
Almedal Week is a very good opportunity for the outgoing Presidium to hand over contacts to their successors. It is relatively easy to arrange meetings with industry people and politicians as everyone is in the same place with the same purpose. Accession presidium has met the Construction Companies, Academic Houses and the Student Housing Companies. They have also had meetings with Riksdag politicians Anders Åhdahl (C), Lili André (KD) and Camilla Hansén (MP), as well as had meetings with Center students, Moderate students and S students.
The SFS delegation has also participated in a number of social gatherings where contacts were made with people in the sector. We had dinner with the Saco student council, traditionally had dinner with SULF and lunch with SUHF. Very nice and useful for raising students' interests and important questions! In all conversations, we have focused on raising the issues that are included in the business plan and are based on our opinion program, both decided by the members of SFSFUM.
Reflections
Wow! Almedal week is truly something unique. It is very useful for SFS's advocacy work and opinion formation that we are seen and heard in panels, but also that we build relationships through individual meetings. It's fun, educational and intense to say the least!
Do we have any scouts? Yay! Competence provision 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 the politicians agree that something should be done about the resource allocation system, but exactly what should be done is debated.
We incoming presidents are proud and happy to have been trusted to represent SFS and Sweden's students in the coming financial year. We are satisfied with our effort in Almedalen and are now taking the weekend to rest after a few hectic but very rewarding days. Pleasant summer!
Rasmus and Elsa
