Nedan följer Alexandra Bokström Niflis avslutningstal från Stiftelsen Flemingsberg Science Sommarfest den 10 juni 2025. Enjoy!
"First I would like to say thank you to the foundation for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf of the students at Campus Flemingsberg.
I want to focus on a simple but important fact:
Today, there are 24,000 students at this campus.
That’s 24,000 people investing years of their lives here. People who are not only studying, but living, growing, and shaping the future of this area. One could say, they are the heartbeat of this campus.
Because no matter how advanced the research, how modern the buildings, or how innovative the projects — a campus is defined by its students.
It’s one of the few places in Sweden where future police officers, biomedical scientists, economists, artists, teachers, and entrepreneurs study side by side — within walking distance of each other.
But numbers and proximity aren’t enough.
Today, Campus Flemingsberg is home to several universities and colleges — but in practice, it often feels like a group of separate islands. Each with its own traditions, its own networks, and its own student life.
If we want to build a stronger, shared campus, we need to create real opportunities for students to meet beyond their own institutions.
Right now, for the everyday student, there’s a clear gap: we lack shared spaces and activities that bring us together as one campus.
Not just for formal events or academic seminars, but for everyday life – places where conversations start naturally, where ideas can cross boundaries, and where campus life exists outside the lecture halls.
Without that, it’s hard to talk about a shared campus identity.
I’d like to end with a short story.
Some time ago, I held a workshop with high school students from this area. We talked about higher education, what they were curious about, what felt difficult, and what they hoped for.
Most of them were unsure, asking about grades, housing, student life and what programes there were. But one student stood out. When I asked him what he wanted to do in the future, his whole face lit up and he pointed through the window towards the building across the street and said:
“There, that’s where I’m going – I’m going to be a neurosurgeon.”
That moment reminded me of why this place matters. This place is not just buildings, lectures, or numbers in a marketing pitch. It’s a place where dreams become real.
Where students not only study, but where they find their future.
And it’s our job – as students, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders – to keep building a campus – a shared community - where those dreams can grow.
Because the fact of the matter is, there is no campus without its students. Thank you."