Dear Jönköping Municipality,

The latest results from SCB [Statistics Sweden] revealed how many students stay and work in the city after their studies are completed. Jönköping, you did not just do bad, you came in last place.

You scored the lowest out of all the university cities and kept only every fifth student last year. Länk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. This clearly shows a bigger problem experienced by your students.

It is sad to see so many students who upon finishing their education with friends, want to move away since they do not feel opportunities exist here. If you look at business students, only 11% stay. Regardless of education, the highest number of students leaving belongs to you, Jönköping.

It starts of course, with the alarming housing situation for new incoming students, when they receive a poor welcome from the city. The first thing they experience is resistance, frustration and hopelessness. So much in fact, that prospective students even turn down a spot for an education and a future at JU because they cannot find anywhere to live in the city.

Where is the effort made by the municipality to try to provide opportunities for the students here? Last year we had a around 11 000 students. They study here to graduate with a degree to work and upon completion, where can they turn?

This is where you need to step up and show what opportunities do exist, and create new opportunities for the citizens who study here.

Post studies, where is the ambition to keep the brilliant and motivated students who are finished with their education in Jönköping? How will you change these horrible statistics? Will you give poor political diplomatic excuses or will you admit to a problem and strive to change?

I hope and I want to believe that you want to change. I hope that this sets off alarm bells within the bureaucracy and you see this as a wake up call to change! I hope you can admit to the problem and take the necessary steps towards fixing it. When you do, we will be right here with you.

We can help you change the direction of your city. But first, change how you view our students, so that they see Jönköping as their home and not just a temporary stop on the road!

Hoping for a better tomorrow,

Jacob Wassén, President at Jönköpings Student Union