The Friend of Stockholm’s Students

The Friend of Stockholm’s Students is an award which SSCO hands out for valuable contributions to the Stockholm students and student unions, and for valuable promotion of Stockholm as a student city. The award has been handed out annually since 2002.

The right to nominate candidates for this prestigious award is given to member unions, elected representatives and personnel within SSCO, and bodies related to SSCO – such as foundations and companies.

Who can be nominated?

The award can be handed out to organisations, companies, authorities, municipalities or parts of these, and to individuals or groups. The recipient of the award shall have made efforts to:

• Improve the economic and social situation of Stockholm’s students;
• Generate debate and attention regarding important issues that affect Stockholm’s students;
• Facilitate and stimulate the work for Stockholm’s students within SSCO or their member unions; or
• In other ways improve Stockholm as a student city.

Previous winners:

• 2002 Ulf Adelsohn (Governor, Stockholm County)
• 2003 Svenska Bostäder (Student housing company)
• 2004 Tidningen Studentliv (TCO-owned student newspaper)
• 2005 Mariana Vodovosoff (Co-ordinator, Huddinge Municipality)
• 2006 Barbro Berg (Head of Activity, Stockholms Akademiska Forum)
• 2007 Mats Hellström (Former governor, Stockholm County)
• 2008 Studentskrapan (Student complex at Södermalm)
• 2009 Joakim Larsson (Housing company and suburban city commissioner, Stockholm city)
• 2010 Carin Jämtin (Opposition city commissioner, Stockholm city)
• 2011 Kåre Bremer (Principal at Stockholm University)
• 2012 Sten Nordin (Financial city commissioner, Stockholms stad)
• 2013 Nicke Grundberg (Chairman of SSCO 2009/2010)
• 2014 Maria Rankka (CEO of the Stockhom Chamber of Commerce)
• 2015 Riksbyggen (Initiator of Bopinion)
• 2016 The Albano project (1,000 new student and researcher homes)
• 2017 The Stockholm Traffic Committee and Quarnevalen (Ensuring the survival of the Quarnevalen event)
• 2018 Sten Wetterblad (Chairman, Sthlm6000+) and Eliza Cedervall (Nurse, The Student Health in Stockholm)
• 2019 Anders Lundgren (administrative manager, KTH)
• 2020 Karol Vieker (equality and diversity manager, SSE)

How is the winner determined?

SSCO’s board chooses the winner based on the nominations received. The winner will be contacted in April and is then presented with their award during the Walpurgis (Sw. Valborg) celebrations at Skansen.

What does the award entail?

The person or persons handed the award will forever carry the title The Friend of Stockholm’s Students, followed by the year of their award. For Stockholm’s students, student unions and SSCO this is a good way to highlight the many actors who actively work to improve the situation for Stockholm’s students and Stockholm as a student city. The award has always brought great appreciation amongst both winners and nominees.