Student culture in Vasa at ÅAS

As we are now recruiting a new Board for 2027, this year’s Board members will be writing short blog posts about their areas of responsibility and sharing what being a Board member involves in practice. Read more and submit your application here

Please note that ÅAS uses Swedish as its working language! Applicants should have a good knowledge of Swedish. Other language skills will be seen as a strength.

Student Culture in Vasa – and Everything in Between!

Hi! My name is Nicole Sten, and throughout this year I have served as a Board member of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University (ÅAS), based in Vaasa. My main areas of responsibility have been higher education policy and international affairs, but as the only Board member in Vaasa, I have also been involved in a wide range of other tasks. A big and, above all, enjoyable part of the year has been student culture!

Student Culture Across University Boundaries

Vaasa is a student city with several higher education institutions and a vibrant student culture. One of the most enjoyable parts of my work has been collaborating with other student unions and student organisations to organise joint events.

During the year, I have, among other things, helped organise Fastlaskiainen together with Novium and SSHV. In the spring, I was also involved in organising VasaVappen together with the other student unions in Vaasa.

Of course, organising events involves much more than simply showing up on the day of the event. It includes everything from planning meetings and practical arrangements to marketing and making sure everything runs smoothly. The preparations can sometimes be very stressful, but all the hard work feels worth it once the event is underway. The best part is the atmosphere during the event and the feeling afterwards, when you can finally take a breath and see students from different universities and universities of applied sciences coming together, socialising and creating memories.

A Diverse Role in Vasa

Although the theme of this blog post is student culture, it would be difficult to describe my year without mentioning everything else that comes with the role. As the only Board member in Vaasa, I have had to be a bit of an all-rounder. In addition to my main areas of responsibility, I have participated in meetings with the City of Vaasa, collaborated with various organisations and represented ÅAS in several different contexts.

An important part of the work also involves staying in contact with student associations and Student Union members. Listening to students’ needs, bringing their opinions forward and trying to find solutions are central parts of the Student Union’s activities.

During the year, we have, among other things, organised student advocacy coffee meetings together with the student associations in Vaasa. The idea has been for the associations to act as my eyes and ears among students, as they often have close contact with their members and know which issues are currently important to them. This allows them to raise wishes, challenges and problems that I can then bring forward and work towards finding solutions to.

Independence and Responsibility

What perhaps best describes the work of a Board member in Vaasa is the variety. One day, you might be planning a fun event, and the next, you could be sitting in a meeting with the Rector discussing issues that affect students’ everyday lives.

Being the only Board member based in Vaasa also means that you need to be able to work independently and take initiative. At the same time, it offers great opportunities to shape your own work and get involved in issues that you personally find important.

Even though I have been the only Board member in Vaasa, I certainly haven’t been working entirely on my own. Collaboration with other student unions, student associations, students and ÅAS staff has been an important part of my everyday work.

A Year of New Experiences

Throughout the year, I have had the opportunity to meet many new people, develop my skills in event planning and collaboration, and gain a broader understanding of how the Student Union operates.

At times, the workload has been very heavy, and there have been periods when it has been difficult to find enough time for everything. At the same time, this has meant taking on a great deal of responsibility, making independent decisions and learning how to prioritise when everything cannot be done at once.

In other words, the year has been challenging, stressful and educational. Although it has not always been easy, I am taking many valuable experiences with me, and above all, a better understanding of just how much work goes on behind the scenes to keep the Student Union running.

Nicole Sten
Board Member 2026
The Student Union of Åbo Akademi University