The induction of new students is in full swing on campus. Senior students are welcoming this year’s freshers to the campus, their chosen degree program, and the student community. This is a clear sign that the new term is about to begin.

The introduction program at KTH is an important part of the fine traditions that define student life here. Starting higher education is, of course, challenging. For many international Master’s students, it also means adapting to a new country and culture. A warm welcome helps students to lay the foundations for academic success and build a rich social network that will support them throughout their studies.

The time spent studying is a defining period in life, during which personality and knowledge develop together. Therefore, it is important that studies are not only about mastering a subject area, but are also characterised by inclusive, equal and democratic values. I firmly believe that our approach also conveys this important added value.

The number of eligible applicants to KTH has risen by 4.4 per cent this year compared with last year, whereas the national increase is just 1.3 per cent. However, we are admitting slightly fewer students this year, meaning that competition for a place at KTH has increased. The merit points required for admission have also increased for most of our degree programs. We are encouraged by the fact that we are an attractive and popular choice for many students, both from Sweden and from other countries.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you who have joined us, and thank you for choosing KTH! Finally, I would like to thank all the students and staff involved in organising the welcome event.

The Quarneval parade will pass through Stockholm on Saturday 16 May, starting from KTH at 14:08.

This student-run event takes place every three years, with a large number of students involved as organisers and participants. It’s also something of a public festival for both the general public and students at KTH and our neighbouring universities. So do take the opportunity to join in and experience the students’ creativity, playfulness and enjoy all the floats along the parade route, which starts and ends at the KTH Campus on Valhallavägen!

Student life involves hard work and a constant drive to achieve good academic results and, eventually, a degree. However, there are also plenty of opportunities to get involved in a wide range of other activities, such as through the student union and its sections, student revues, the freshers’ welcome and Quarnevalen, to name a few.

Everything that surrounds your studies helps to make your time as a student more fulfilling and enriching. Getting involved in student life also brings students together, fostering a sense of inclusion and security on campus and among the student body as a whole. We don’t always fully express our appreciation for the value that students create for each other, KTH and the future.

To everyone in Stockholm: Don’t forget to head into town and check out the Quarneval on Saturday!

On April 13, the spring supplementary budget was presented, including an injection of 14,4 million kronor into our educational mandate for 2026 and double that amount for the following two years. The argument is that the Swedish labour market needs more Masters of Science in Engineering.

This represents an increase of just under one per cent of our ceiling amount and provides us with the extra resources needed to fulfil our educational mandate. Otherwise, we have been struggling to reduce student numbers in order to adapt to a shrinking mandate.

While this will make the reduction somewhat less severe, it is, of course, still a reduction in the number of students on Master of Science in Engineering programme compared with the previous year.

Nevertheless, it is positive that the government is prioritising this issue. It demonstrates an understanding of the needs of our high level of applicants and the opportunities this presents in terms of providing more young people with the chance to pursue higher education.

In our budget proposal, we argued that the need was far greater than the 14,4 million SEK (or 28,8 million next year), but this is nonetheless a step in the right direction. I hope that this issue has now been raised and will result in more forward-looking decisions in future.