Being a student representative means participating in Uppsala University's preparatory and decision-making bodies. There you actively present the students' perspective on the topics that are up for discussion, whether it is the course literature for a specific course, the employment of professors or the long-term plans for the development of our campuses. This is the key to ensuring that students are being heard and that our student life becomes better. This is simply one of the most important things you can do for your fellow students. However, it has not always been a given that students should have an influence.

 

In the rest of the world outside the Nordic region, students have little influence over their education at the university, the same was true in Sweden during the 60s. Prior to that, the students had no or very little influence on central and local issues at the university. This changed as students gained access to the University board meeting on October 28, 1968 after a series of student demonstrations around Europe. The chancellor quickly decided shortly afterwards that the students were not welcome at these meetings and the announcement was met by loud protests which ended with students knocking on the large door to the ongoing University board meeting on December 2 of the same year until it opened.

 

Since then, student influence has been formalized to the level that it is now where students are given the right to participate in preparatory and decision-making bodies within universities by the swedish law. The student influence was given to us by the brave students who knocked on the door to the corridors of power and we must preserve the opportunity we have been given.