Juliette, you have been student representative in the programme board last year. What kind of topics does the board discuss and decide about?  

The programme board determines the future of the Urban Studies programme by incorporating feedback from the Program Committee, the different faculties and staff involved in the programme and of course, by listening to students’ experiences and ideas. The board attempts to make the curriculum as relevant as possible and attempts to establish good connections with minor and master programs, so to make sure an Urban Studies degree is valuable. Furthermore, the board often represents the course within the faculty or university, and being a new program, we seek to strengthen our position within these broader institutions.

The board’s members are professors and staff members. Did you feel you had a say in these matters?

Absolutely! Everyone has an equal position in the board and I truly felt this too. The other board members often ask for your opinion. As a student, you are often more aware of specific problems students are facing, and might know more than has come through the official course evaluations. For instance, when the board is considering adding a new course to the curriculum, you can check with your fellow students how they feel about it. Is it relevant, interesting, and “urban” enough? And does it fill criteria for possible admission to certain master’s?

You will graduate soon and the board needs a new student member for 21-22. What do you see as the most important subject that your successor should focus on?

Given that Urban Studies still is a very young program, I think it is important for my successor to continue with making the program as “urban studies” as possible. The uniqueness of our programme being a collaborative effort between many faculties brings about challenges: not all courses are sufficiently focused on the urban context yet, but they definitely can be. 

How have you been able to combine the board membership with your studies?

 The board membership only takes a couple of hours per month. The most important aspect of being a member is carefully listening to the voices of your fellow students and inquiring when there is a serious problem. Therefore, it is important to establish some connections with students in other classes than your own, so you know what is going on there.

Board membership does add an interesting perspective to your studies, as you learn about why and how certain choices have been made regarding the curriculum and other things. The university is quite complex and making changes always needs time and consideration – learning the process behind this is very enlightening.

What will you do after your graduation?

I will continue with a master’s in Urban Planning in either Stockholm, Aalborg, or Roskilde in September. I have been accepted in the first two already, but will only hear from my first choice, Roskilde University, next week. So I will have one stressful week left and soon after that, I must start packing my bags already. I am enthusiastic to continue my urban studies path somewhere else and I am assured that my three years here provided me with more than a solid basis in the urban field. I hope I can continue to merge my interests of sustainability and humanities in the future, something which the three years of BA Urban Studies has provided me a solid basis in.