Swedish National Union of Students The Swedish National Union of Students ( Sveriges Förenade Studentkårer , SFS ) , is an umbrella organisation of students ' unions at higher education facilities in Sweden . The organisation was founded in 1921 . Today it has around 70 affiliated students ' unions , gathering around 320 , 000 students . The large number of organised students can in part be explained by the fact that membership in the official local students ' union is mandatory for students at universities and university colleges in Sweden . The local students ' union is , however , free to decide whether to join the National Union of Students or not . Although a wide majority of the students ' unions are members , some have opted to stay out , including several organising business , law and medicine students . Occasionally , afilliated unions choose to leave the organisation , but often rejoin at a later date , a pattern followed by both the Stockholm University Students ' Union and the Uppsala Student Union . The latest case of a large local students ' union withdrawing from the Swedish National Union of Students is The Stockholm University Students ' Union , in 2005 . The organisation works to represent the interest of its members on a national level , towards the Government , the Swedish Parliament , the political parties and the government agencies concerned with higher education . The organisation is also active on the international arena , particularly within the National Unions of Students in Europe , ESIB . At the annual national conference representatives from the member students ' unions meet to decide on the policy framework of the organisation and to elect a national board . The board has 23 members , including the President and two or three Vice Presidents . The President and the Vice Presidents work full time at the head office in Stockholm during their term . Several former student politicians in Sweden have moved on to high-level national party politics . One of them was Olof Palme , who served as President of the Swedish National Union of Students in 1953 . Recent Presidents and Vice Presidents Office Name 2005-2006 Niclas Sigholm ; Maria Noleryd , Kristoffer Burstedt , Lotta Ljungquist 2004-2005 Tobias Smedberg ; Nina Gustafsson Åberg , Kristoffer Burstedt , Lotta Ljungquist 2003-2004 Ignacio Vita ; Karin Björklund , Anna Karlsson , Per-Anders Strandberg 2002-2003 Sofia 'Fia ' Karlsson ; Jens Christian Berlin , Erik Bromander , Jimmy Magnusson 2001-2002 Peter Dahlgren ; Johan Almqvist , Anna Lasses 2000-2001 Kathrin Österlund ; Sara Stavås , Martin Willén 1999-2000 Peter Arvebro ; Maria Jonegård , Johan Mårtensson 1998-1999 Claes Nyberg ; Magnus Mörck , Helena Söderlind 1997-1998 Veronika Rundkvist ; Helena Kaså , Sara Winnfors ( now Bjursell ) See also Nations at Swedish universities External link Swedish National Union of Students - Official site Categories : Organizations based in Sweden | Groups of students ' unions In other languages : Svenska 