A warm welcome for KI’s new students
Ahead of the autumn term 2026, KI’s new students were welcomed with a week filled with inspiration, community and engagement. As early as the week before the start of term, new students had the opportunity to get to know both KI and each other through lectures, activities and meetings with different parts of student life.
During the week, lectures were offered on topics such as study techniques and student wellbeing, while the student unions organised social activities including picnics and a pub crawl.
For the first time, a Nobel tour was also organised, led by Thomas Perlmann, Secretary of the Nobel Committee. The lecture gave students an insight into how the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded at KI, and they also had the opportunity to see the premises where the prize is announced each year.
Inspiration and insights during the ceremony
The introduction week concluded with welcome days for all new programme students at Aula Medica, where they were invited to a ceremony and fair. During the ceremony, the students were welcomed by KI’s vice-chancellors and enjoyed music, entertainment, movement sessions with KI Health Hub and a student panel sharing their best “KI hacks”.
KI’s President Annika Östman Wernerson gave the opening speech and shared her own memories from her time as a new student.
“I remember very clearly what it was like to be a new student myself, even though it was quite a while ago! I remember the first day. I thought everyone else looked so clever, and I really wondered whether I would cope with the studies.”
She did – even though the studies sometimes felt challenging. Drawing on that experience, KI’s President also encouraged the new students to support one another and make their time studying something to experience together.
“Studying together, exploring the campus and Stockholm, sharing knowledge and opinions, and above all having fun together. Because who knows – the person sitting next to you right now might become your closest friend for the rest of your life.”
Meeting different parts of KI
After the ceremony, the day continued with a student fair where different functions within KI introduced themselves and spoke about the support and services available during students’ studies. The fair gave students the opportunity to ask questions and discover new aspects of KI’s wide range of student activities.
Statens servicecenter took part in the international student fair for the first time. There, students could get answers to practical questions, including how to obtain a personal identity number and open a bank account as a newcomer to Sweden.
With a week filled with knowledge, community and new encounters, the new students joining this autumn had the opportunity to get to know different parts of KI, meet other students and take part in fun activities organised by the student unions.
A warm welcome to Karolinska Institutet!