Mikael Sevä is Teacher of the Year 2026

Mikael Sevä has been named Teacher of the Year 2026 by the Luleå Student Union. The award was presented during the end-of-year ceremony, Islossningen, on May 23.

Mikael Sevä is a political science professor and teaches a wide range of courses in the field, including international politics, Swedish politics and public administration, comparative politics, democratization, political governance, local democracy, political science theory, and thesis supervision. This means he meets with students every semester of the program.

“Perhaps the best part of my job is that I get to follow the students the entire way, from when they start and have a rudimentary understanding of what political science is, to when they’ve learned the basics and begin to stand on their own two feet, and finally, in their senior year, start to master the subject so well that they can ask really sharp and critical questions. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that progression,” says Mikael Sevä.

As a teacher, he wants to spark the same interest in political science in his students that he himself feels. He makes a point of making difficult theoretical concepts understandable through examples and aims to be more of a coach than an authority figure. Having the students with him throughout the entire program makes it easier for him to build a relationship based on mutual trust.

“I hope my enthusiasm for political science is contagious. Political science is about how society is governed and how we are affected by that governance. It’s about power and influence, and sometimes about how the little guy gets caught in the middle. That’s why I personally find the subject so exciting.”

Political science at Luleå University of Technology can be studied entirely online. Mikael Sevä is used to giving lectures to up to 100 students remotely.

“I give my lectures live. I don’t want pre-recorded lectures because it’s important to me to be able to interact with the students.”

Thesis on street-level bureaucrats

Even when he began his doctoral studies in 2009, he was teaching 20 percent of the time. Nowadays, he teaches virtually 100 percent of the time. He defended his dissertation in 2015 on how municipalities implement the EU Water Framework Directive through the interpretations of officials at the bottom of the decision-making chain, the so-called street-level bureaucrats, of the directive and other regulations.

Today, Mikael Sevä devotes almost no time to research, instead dedicating his entire workday to teaching. He enjoys this, but administrative issues remain a major interest.

“Even though we have formal political governance, officials will interpret the rules differently, even if that is not their intention. Are we then equal before the law?”

Recently, criticism has been directed from certain quarters at how the Swedish administration functions. Experts hired from academia and other institutions, as well as bureaucrats in the administration, have been accused of being activists.

“In a modern welfare state, the administration wields considerable power. We rarely encounter politicians, but we interact with all sorts of bureaucrats, such as teachers and municipal case workers. Citizens’ perception of democracy and the state is shaped through the administration.”

In Sweden, citizens’ trust in the public administration is generally high, although there are exceptions within certain groups. The most important explanation is simply that the Swedish public administration usually delivers high-quality services to citizens.

“The administration must, of course, follow politicians’ decisions. But our bureaucrats are obligated to follow the Constitution and the rules of their profession. They are obligated to point out when politicians make decisions that conflict with these. Conversely, politicians should not shift the responsibility to the administration to make decisions on politically sensitive issues. When politicians question the administration’s impartiality, they undermine confidence in our system of government and, by extension, in democracy.”

Justification

The Luleå Student Union’s rationale for naming Mikael Sevä as Teacher of the Year reads:

“Mikael uplifts and encourages his students with care and high hopes, while his drive and commitment inspire through his effective guidance, motivation, and willingness to go out of his way to reduce stress during their studies, as well as his ability to make his students feel seen.

Mikael demonstrates his exceptional pedagogical skill through his informative lectures, engaging presentations, and course designs that contribute to the progression of students’ learning. He also has a knack for making even the most complex topics both understandable and interesting.

With a deep understanding of his field, he imparts knowledge rooted in his own experiences, thereby fostering an environment that nurtures students’ curiosity and optimism about the future.

For his genuine commitment, his pedagogical skill, and his ability to ignite a spark in students to want to learn, the Luleå Student Union has named Mikael Sevä Teacher of the Year.”

• Political Science, Bachelor's Degree