Student-run and professional – this is how we work! 

Stockholm University Student Union (SUS) is Sweden’s largest student union, with around 10,000 members per semester. We work to improve education and study conditions at Stockholm University.

On this page you will find information about our work, current issues, and how SUS is governed.

Want to know more? Contact SUS’s Cheif Operating Officer or SUS’s Presidium.

SUS’s presidium 2024/2025, President Hermela Embaye and Vice President Victor Nygren.

The Representative Assembly

The Representative Assembly is the highest decision-making body within SUS and consists of student representatives who are elected annually through the student union elections and of selected councils and associations. These representatives are responsible for making decisions about the student union’s budget, the operative plan and long-term goals. Here, as a student, you have a direct opportunity to influence which issues we should prioritize. 

As a member of SUS, you have several ways to make an impact:

  1. Vote in the Student Union Election – By voting in the election, members can influence who will represent them in the Representative Assembly.

  2. Run as a Candidate – Members can run for a seat in the Representative Assembly themselves.

  3. Submit a Motion – Members have the right to submit motions to propose ideas to the Representative Assembly. A motion must be supported by at least 10 members to be submitted.

The Representative Assembly meets four times a year, two in the fall and two in the spring.

  • 1.

    Held in May. Decisions are made on the Chairman for the term, the Student Union Board, the Election Committee, the Nomination Committee, auditors, the operational plan, the framework budget, and membership fees

  • 2.

    Held in September. This is an opportunity to influence decisions through motions and interpellations.

    How to write a motion (in Swedish).

  • 3.

    Held no later than November 30. Decisions are made on the annual report, approval of the income statement and balance sheet, discharge of liability for the Student Union Board, and the student union election period.

  • 4.

    Held in February. This is an opportunity to influence decisions through motions and interpellations.

    How to write a motion (in Swedish).

SUS’s other building blocks

  • The Student Union Board implements decisions made by the Representative Assembly and is responsible for driving the union’s work forward. The board is led by the Union President and Vice President, who form the SUS Presidium and focus on issues affecting education, student rights, and study conditions. They also engage in continuous discussions with the university’s leadership to represent student interests.

    As a SUS member, you can influence the board’s work by:

    • Nominating Board Members – You can nominate yourself or another member for a position on the board.

    • Submitting an Interpellation – Members have the right to submit an interpellation to raise questions to the board, which will then be addressed during a Representative Assembly meeting.

  • The Student Union Office ensures the daily operations of SUS run smoothly. Staff and elected student representatives work here on everything from student influence and supporting student councils to membership services and event planning. The office also manages communication with the University and external partners and supports the Student Union Board in its work.

  • Student councils exist at every department, faculty, and on a central level within Stockholm University (SU). These councils serve as platforms where students and PhD students can discuss and work to improve their education and study environment.

    The councils also appoint student representatives who advocate for students’ voices in around 366 groups at SU, where educational matters are discussed or decided. Within their respective councils, students identify issues, influence the university, and raise concerns that matter to them.

  • SUS’s partner associations are student-run and offer a wide range of activities and events, from social and cultural gatherings to academic and professional networking opportunities. Joining a partner association gives you the chance to get involved, participate in social activities, and expand your network.

SUS’s prioritized Advocacy Issues 2024–2025

After the student union election, the parties in SUS’s representative assembly accept the strategic operating plan, which establishes the directions and goals for SUS’s work during the next three years. They also agree on a number of prioritized advocacy issues that will be part of the organization’s work in the coming year.

  • Students feel worse than professionals of the same age and with the increased uncertainty in the outside world and the growing threat picture, many students feel worried. It is important that Stockholm University has sufficient routines to handle threatening situations and that these routines are clearly communicated to the students. It includes SU to prepare a crisis plan, to ensure that students are safe and student associations can run their activities without them being violated. SU must be an open university where everyone is welcome.

  • It is important that SU has spaces for the students to enjoy and be educated in. It is therefore important to ensure functioning student and doctoral influence in matters relating to the work environment, this includes the possibility of exerting influence in English. High rents in academic buildings mean that departments cannot afford lecture halls and many university buildings are in need of maintenance or equipment. Often there is also a lack of exam halls. SUS must put pressure on Akademiska hus to lower rents and increase the quality of the buildings, and on the university that spaces must be available for student-run activities.

  • SU should create a central database of searchable courses for PhD students, to facilitate the process of finding courses that are most favorable for research studies.