Social Policy at the Executive Board of ÅAS

As we are currently looking for a new board for 2027, this year’s board members will be writing short blog posts about their areas of responsibility and explaining more about what board work involves in practice. Read more and submit your application [here].

Hello! My name is Lina Kronström and this year I have been responsible for Social Policy in the Åbo Akademi University Student Union Executive Board. Today, it’s my turn to explain what I actually do as Social Policy Officer, also known as ‘sopo’. The role may be a little unclear, but in short, it focuses on issues related to students’ wellbeing, welfare, and finances.

The practical work of everyday life

Specific tasks included under this role are organising blood donation drives with the Red Cross, organising wellbeing weeks and attending meetings with FSHS and Kela. In addition to this, you also assist the other board members during your own quieter periods. The workload varies considerably. When major projects are coming up (such as blood donation drives or wellbeing weeks), there is quite a lot to organise and plan on a daily basis, but the rest of the year is usually quieter and consists mainly of various meetings.

Advocacy regarding students’ health and financial circumstances

Attending meetings and voicing your views from a student’s perspective is the main part of the role (which is one of my favourite things about it😊). You get to be part of the actual process of developing various services to make them, hopefully, better. It’s mainly meetings with FSHS that you attend regularly. But you also attend meetings with organisations such as Kela and TYS. This year, the meetings with FSHS have mainly focused on students’ wellbeing and their experience of the services FSHS offers, with a focus on how these can be developed.

A versatile and flexible post

The best and most interesting thing about this role is that you get to shape it very much around your own ambitions. Particularly during the wellbeing weeks, you get the chance to highlight topics that you consider important for students. You also get to decide for yourself how this is put into practice. It can feel overwhelming at first, but you quickly get into the swing of things once you’ve got the basics down. What’s more, I’ve been able to study full-time alongside my work, as the work involved in this role is easy to plan for in the long term and you can do a great deal of it in advance.

What you get from the post throughout the year

I have learnt an incredible amount over the past year and feel that this role has suited me very well, as I work best in an independent capacity. A large part of the work is carried out independently, and there are very few tasks that are shared with the other board members. Specifically, I have gained a better insight into how organisations function and how to make one’s voice heard. The work has been challenging at times but very rewarding. I’ve never regretted putting myself forward and challenging myself, as all the positives I’ve gained clearly far outweigh the difficult parts.

My favourite part has been taking part in all the meetings with FSHS, as that’s where I feel my voice has had the greatest impact. During the meetings, I’ve had the opportunity to highlight the shortcomings that I and other students experience with their services, particularly regarding mental health support and services for Swedish speakers. Both are issues I feel very strongly about, and having the chance to work towards them has been incredibly rewarding.

Lina Kronström

Member of the Executive Board, Social Policy

The Student Union of Åbo Akademi University