The foyer of Stena Center at Chalmers was filled with excitement and aspiration as members of Engineers Without Borders Sweden (EWB-SWE) gathered from across the country over the weekend of April 25-26. Students and professionals met for the annual meeting and member days, to discuss the organization's mission and deep-dive into the strategic insights that will shape our path forward.

A vivid program

The program provided inspiring seminars, workshops and discussion forums led by volunteers –inviting members to reflect on our common mission and role as an organization, as well as our path forward.

On Saturday, the event started with the formal annual meeting, followed by an interactive session on a new strategy led by board member Pontus Bengtson. The strategy session invited members to discuss and give feedback on five new strategic directions and goals for the upcoming two years as well as brainstorming ideas of how to put ithem into actions. The strategy will set the course for what EWB-SWE may do to grow stronger for the future.

The afternoon followed with presentations on our international projects; Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; and local student groups. The first day was crowned with a delicious buffet from a local Indian restaurant.

On Sunday, volunteers from the Local Student Group at Chalmers led inspiring workshop sessions on privilege, circularity and sustainability. In the session “Privilege for Sale”, participants were divided into groups with different amounts of money to “buy” from a list of life privileges. In a sobering realization, participants explored the paradox of resources: the more financial means we possess as individuals, the more we tend to overlook basic neccessities.

– Privilege in itself is not a bad thing. The solution is not to eliminate privilege. It is what you do with it that matters, said Solomon Manzi, member and master’s student in civil and architectural engineering.

– I have had the privilege to live through this whole list, but this activity got me to go back to the basics. For me, number one was being able to breathe clean air, said Hans-Olov Olsson, member and former CEO of Volvo Cars.

For an organization like EWB, the concluding remarks of the workshops served as a critical reminder of what we do – and maybe more, how we do it. Our engineering solutions must not be born from a bubble of abundance, but from real-life needs and a deep understanding of varied life experiences.

Ylva Lagesson, newly elected board member.

Changes in the board

During the formal annual meeting, a new board was elected. We are thrilled to welcome Ylva Lagesson to the board, whose expertise will be vital as we continue to grow the capacity of our organization. Ylva Lagesson is a long time civil engineer who decided to become a teacher and strengthen education in socioeconomically underserved communities. Today, she is working with the leadership program at Teach for Sweden.

– My commitment to Engineers Without Borders Sweden stems from the ability to make a tangible impact—particularly for vulnerable children and families—while contributing to a broader narrative for the engineering profession, says Ylva Lagesson.

– I believe the world needs more engineers who recognize that technology is never just technology. To remain relevant, we must be able to calculate, build, and solve, but we must also listen, understand context, and collaborate with people whose lived experiences differ vastly from our own, Ylva concludes.

The organization extended a heartfelt thank you to Salman Rahman and Ellen Andreasson for their dedicated service as they now resign from their positions as board members. Their contributions have been instrumental in bringing EWB-SWE to where it stands today.

Board 2026-2027
Jan Burenius, chairperson, re-elected
Jan Byfors, deputy chairperson, re-elected
Pontus Bengtson, re-elected
Petter Wihlborg, re-elected
Ylva Lagesson, newly elected
Nomination committee 2026-2027
Ellen Andréasson
Carl-Johan Carlberg
Kristina Gabrielii
Authorized auditor
Karin Westlund, Forvis Mazars AB, audit and advisory firm, re-election for one year.

Strength in diversity

This weekend served as a reminder that one of our greatest assets remains our "borderless" nature. With a tapestry of nationalities, backgrounds and professional expertises, EWB-SWE operates at a unique intersection of global perspectives. Together, we solve technical problems and create accessible and sustainable solutions that respect the nuances of the communities we serve.

Lastly, the message of the weekend was clear that we are an organization that is not just growing, but strengthening. Through the power of coming together, we have refined our focus and fueled our motivation to engineer a world that works for everyone.

Thank you to everyone who participated and made this event a weekend to remember!