What’s the purpose of a Student Union? 

It is probably since humankind started existing that people asked themselves time and again the age old question of meaning and purpose in life – from the ancient greeks to modern scientists – a lot of theories have been postulated and stories have been passed down hundreds of generations through oral history within collective memories of cultures pondering over philosophical Why’s and How’s of life. 

When someone hears the words “Student Union” it’s theoretically quite easy to pinpoint the exact purpose behind it, it’s supposed to be an alliance among the students, an alliance that will guard their rights and ensure that their university is making the right decisions when it comes to their education. 

”So when someone wants to hear our opinion on what exactly is the purpose of the Student Union Malmö. we would simply say Guardians of the Student Life….”

Which is what we partly do here in the Student Union Malmö, we attend all the meetings in both faculty and central level, ensuring that the students have good conditions in their courses and the university building in general. Yet, at the same time, the Student Union Malmö wants to make sure that the students, no matter if you are a member or not, feel comfortable to approach us to discuss any type of problem that arise during their student life. We hope you feel confident that no matter what, we are going to try our best to solve the problem in the best way possible. 

Simultaneously though, we also know that the University life can be lonely for the students, especially those who moved from another part of the country or from another part of the world itself, which is why the Student Union Malmö invests almost equal time on creating fun events for the students (eg music pub, lunch quizzes) and on helping students find people outside of their course who still share similar interests as them via the associations (like SUM, ESN Malmö, FAMUS etc).  Because this way, the students can create their own little bubble, a family that connects them via more than just blood but with common interests, beliefs and a university life. 

So when someone wants to hear our opinion on what exactly is the purpose of the Student Union Malmö, we would simply say “Guardians of the Student life”, as we are supposed to guard the students rights and ensure they have the best experience possible in Malmö University.

Konstantina Klonari
Vice President Student Union 2021/2022