I had just left from work when I heard about the terrible tragedy in Örebro that shook us all. A school shooting, the worst in Swedish history. My feeling that society is heading in the wrong direction has grown stronger in recent years. At the same time, I see that I have a choice: either I lament and continue living in my bubble, keeping the developments at a distance, or I consider what I can do to contribute to positive change.

In relation to what is happening around the world, democracy and inclusion are increasingly important to protect. Student unions and legally mandated student influence are good and can contribute, but my experience, and that of many colleagues, is that we are lucky if we get a 30 per cent response rate on student surveys, and it can be difficult to engage student representatives to participate in program and departmental boards, at least at Stockholm University, where I work. This means we need to find other ways. Imagine if higher education could be a place that not only gives students opportunities for influence but also systematically works to give them practical experience of democracy!

“Imagine if higher education could be a place that not only gives students opportunities for influence but also systematically works to give them practical experience of democracy!”

Since nearly a quarter of all 18-24-year-olds spend several years in higher education, there is a great potential to really do something that affects them during that time. We have the opportunity to give them tools that they take with them wherever they end up in the future so that they dare to take a stand and use their knowledge and voice.

But this means that we must also have a pedagogical idea of what we want. A few Swedish institutions, such as Uppsala University, have a so-called Pedagogical program. It states that ”The program’s emphasis on students’ active participation in education is central.” I think this active participation can manifest in many different ways. If we socialize students so that they learn that they can influence, that they have a voice that counts and is sought after and important, maybe our society still has a good chance to go in the right direction.

For this to happen, we need to review how we welcome students, how we include students in various contexts, and even how we view students and what teaching methods we choose to engage them in.

I envision that we university teachers increasingly use democratic working methods, such as dialogue seminars, the fishbowl method, or other formats where students are trained to listen to each other, formulate their thoughts, and hear their own voice. We need to make more effort to ensure that students develop team competence when they work in groups, so that the focus is on actively inviting different perspectives, listening, showing flexibility, and respect. In this way, students’ perspectives are sought after while we show that they participate in a meaningful exchange between people, but also that students, just like us teachers, must take responsibility for such working methods to work. Education is something we do together, and to succeed, we must dare to step outside our comfort zone.

“We must dare to see each student as an individual with the potential to influence our common future.”

We must dare to see each student as an individual with the potential to influence our common future. By creating an inclusive and engaging educational environment, we can give them the tools to become active citizens who contribute to a sustainable and democratic society and hopefully prevent brutalities like the one in Örebro from being repeated. It is our responsibility as educators not only to impart knowledge but also to inspire and support our students to make a difference. For if we don’t do it, who will?