Although the European Union (EU) is a large organization with over 60 000 employees across its different institutions, only around 1 200 of them are Swedish. However, in Lund the situation looks different. The EU academy has grown rapidly in popularity, proving that there is a strong interest in the EU amongst students in Lund.
The EU academy is an independent organization founded in 2023 and run by the Global politics research group. The program is unique to Lund and offers students valuable insight into the work and institutions of the EU.
– We try to address the underrepresentation of Sweden in the EU, says Szymon Szacht, one of two co-executive directors of EU academy.
– I assume there are so few Swedes in the EU due to a lack of awareness. We are the only project in Sweden like this that tries to increase awareness.
The program is open to young professionals in Lund, mostly students, and has grown in popularity since it started. This semester, EU academy had over 100 applicants competing for the 30 available spots.
– We had to be a little more selective in the recruitment process and prioritized participants who had prior experience with EU affairs or foreign affairs in general, Szymon Szacht says.
Although the academy is interdisciplinary, a majority of participants study humanities, and the most common program seems to be the Master’s in European affairs. Given the competitive nature of the program, it’s difficult for people at other faculties to get accepted.
– We prioritize people within the broad social sciences, Isac Larsson says.
The program is composed of lectures, workshops, and visits. The academy does not have a lot of funding and lecturers from Brussels have traveled to Lund at their own expense to contribute to the program.
– We have high-quality speakers that give tricks and tips on how to get into EU institutions. The policy aspects of the program equip young professionals with skills that are valued and prioritized in the institutions, Isac Larsson, the second co-executive director of EU academy, continues.
Cecilia Malmström, former commissioner at the EU, and Morten Kjærum, former director at the European Union agency for fundamental rights, are two examples of past, and current, speakers of the EU academy.
– Once they graduate they have a range of speakers they keep in touch with or can refer to in the future. But the knowledge they gain, that’s the real reward, says Szymon Szacht.
Isac Larsson believes there are several reasons why students in Lund are so interested in the EU.
– First of all I think that the link we offer towards the institutions and future careers is something that people are interested in, that they are able to explore opportunities in the EU. I also think that given the new geopolitical landscape and the new world order emerging, the European Union has a stronger role and will continue to have that, Isac Larsson explains.
Szymon Szacht agrees that geopolitics do play a role and emphasizes that there aren’t many foreign affairs associations in Lund, which is why people may be attracted to EU academy.
– We are trying to offer something new, he says.
When selecting participants for the program, the academy looks for people who show their engagement and are eager to learn.
– One advice that I would give is to be authentic and to not use any AI-generated tools. If they do, we will probably know, Szymon Szacht says.
– If you don’t have a lot of experience I would really try to emphasize commitment and interest, Isac Larsson continues.
With a team of only five people, it is difficult to say what direction the EU academy will take in the future. Szymon Szacht hopes that the academy will grow and establish departments at other universities in Sweden.
– Much of our focus right now is this semester, which is a lot of work. However, long term, there is so much potential for the academy, Isac Larsson says.
