Jonas Gustavsson, deputy chair of the StuFF student union, wonders whether the chocolate balls will be enough when the Ukrainian students arrive. The order looks a bit small.
"We are not really sure how many of them there will be. I will pop down to Café Baljan and buy some more," he says.
Now the cake stand looks better. Although it does not matter. The students immediately start talking over one another. They laugh. They scroll on their phones. They show photos and share their experiences of Sweden and Ukraine. They compare and talk about teachers, courses and all sorts of ordinary things.
Another side
A darker side of reality is constantly present. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been ongoing since the 24th of February 2022. The city of Dnipro is roughly the same size as Stockholm and lies about one hundred kilometres from the front line. The universities in Dnipro must operate largely at a distance. This is what Adelina Diakova explains. She is studying Germanic languages at master’s level with a focus on translation.
"I am in my fourth year and I have not met many of my classmates in real life. Of course it is not the same. But the desire to study is stronger," she says.
Meeting Ukrainian students right now
feels incredibly valuable
Representatives from the student organisations FLiNS, StuFF, Consensus and LinTek give a presentation on student influence, that is, how students can shape their education and their time at the university. They also explain how democratic processes work within the student unions and within student associations at LiU.
The students give a tour of the campus and even open up the workshop where the LiU Formula Student association designs and builds small racing cars.
Ulrik Svedin
The visit from Dnipro takes place within the STREAM-U project, funded by the Swedish Institute. The purpose is to strengthen local governance in Ukraine through collaboration. The project aims to improve democratic processes and cooperation between civil society and local authorities. It also works to develop innovation projects. The intention is to ensure effective and inclusive services and institutional reforms.
Develop civil society
Ulrik Svedin
Elin Wihlborg, professor of political science, notes that the cooperation with Dnipro is important from both a human and an academic perspective.
Academic cooperation
"We have been working together for a long time and publish studies jointly. But it is in these meetings between people who are fighting for peace and academic freedom that the real value lies. It is mutual learning. We develop knowledge together," says Elin Wihlborg.
The project places particular emphasis on strengthening civil society and gender equality in the midst of the ongoing conflict.
"The researchers and teachers in the group have, among other things, met Deputy Vice-Chancellor Karin Axelsson and had the opportunity to discuss how LiU uses artificial intelligence in teaching.
We will need to rebuild
society from the ground up
The programme also includes a study visit to one of Linköping University’s robotics laboratories. Here, various forms of drones are tested. The so‑called robot dog, which can move across difficult terrain, both impresses and triggers bursts of laughter inside the lab.
Yevgeniy Borodin, professor of public administration at Dnipro Tech, steps aside for a moment and talks about the next generation of institutions in Ukraine.
A strong partner
"We must think about our young people," he says, glancing towards the students. "We will need to rebuild society from the ground up. And we should not do it the way it was done before. We must ensure democratic processes and resilience, trust and cooperation between public authorities and civil society."
"LiU is a very strong partner with many areas of specialised expertise. We have the opportunity to make contacts here and discuss future academic plans across different disciplines."
What do you need?
"Right now, our sovereignty is the most important thing. We need to mobilise resources for our defence so that we can stand up for Ukraine. Many of those taking part in this trip are young students and representatives of civil society. They are the future. They will live in Ukraine for a long time to come. They need knowledge and skills for life."
The City Hall
The study visits follow one another. When the group arrives at Linköping City Hall, they meet Mayor Mikael Sanfridsson. Several public officials explain how democracy works at the municipal level and how the city works with vulnerable areas, LGBTQI issues and cooperation with voluntary organisations.
Ulrik Svedin
"We must never forget that knowledge is also a form of defence, one that endures."
