For the first time ever, Uppsala is awarded the prize as the best student city.
Photo: Ergo/Lina Svensk
Lund failed once again when the award, Student City of the Year, was awarded Uppsala. The award was established by the Swedish National Union of Students in 1999 and has never been awarded Lund. Uppsala’s success is spelled cooperation and the campaign 7 krav.
“This is the result of a long-term project that has paid off. We want to attract students, but also have them stay in the city. We have the best university in Sweden and now we have proof that we have the best student city as well”, says Marlene Burwick, Social Democrat and the President of the Municipal Government, to the newspaper Ergo.
“A good cooperation”
“Uppsala wins because of the comprehensive picture. They work continuously with student issues and have a good relationship, which the campaign 7 krav shows”, says Rebecka Stenkvist, President of the Swedish National Union of Students.
Last year Trollhättan won partly because of the housing guarantee to the students. Uppsala builds too few housings and lack 2,000 every year. Why does Uppsala win?
“They have taken a step in the right direction regarding the housing issue and have initiated several projects. They received the award for showing a comprehensive picture and an active collaboration between the students, the municipality and the university.
In Lund, the Lund University Student Unions Association and the Municipality launched a new collaboration. Will Lund be awarded next year?
“If they can present how the cooperation has worked and show how they have improved the different students’ needs and backgrounds this would be an advantage. Of course we welcome an application but who will receive the award remains to be seen”, Rebecka Stenkvist says.
Read the motivation here:
Student Board’s statement
Uppsala distinguishes itself as a city that works for the welfare of the students. Student attendance is matter of course and a necessity in the discussions about how Uppsala is developing and growing as a city. Again, the university with its fine old traditions dares to think in new lines entirely, including exciting development efforts to strengthen the students’ possibilities of shaping their education.
In the municipality there is a conscious effort to bridge the great University City’s classic challenges and create environments that satisfy different student needs. The strong cooperation between the municipality, the two universities and the student unions strive towards the common goal to put the students at the center which makes it clear that Uppsala not only is one of Sweden’s oldest student cities but also SFS student city 2015/2016.
Text: Carl-Johan Kullving
Translation: Lars Jansson
