Brilliant Mentors of the Future
In the reversed mentorship program “Brilliant Mentors for the Future,” the person with the longest career history does not always hold all the answers. For Karin,the Director of culture and sport activities at Linköping Municipality, and Lukas, an IT engineering student at Linköping University (LiU), the program has become an arena for philosophical discussions, site visits, and a deep dive into what actually makes young talent choose to stay in the city.
Before the program’s midterm meetup we sat down with Karin and Lukas to reflect on their journey. What began as a formal mentorship quickly evolved into a series of rewarding conversations where topics moved freely between AI, leadership, community involvement, and societal structures.
Breaking down hierarchies through dialogue
One of the core pillars of the program is reversing traditional roles. For Lukas, the role as a mentor initially brought a sense of responsibility for creating structure.
“In the beginning, I felt the weight of being a mentor, but once you actually meet, you connect on the same level. There is no hierarchy, you meet person to person,” Lukas explains.
Karin agrees and emphasizes the value of moving away from established power structures:
“By flipping the perspectives, you avoid the given hierarchy – which is actually quite uninteresting”
From theory to reality
To keep the conversations dynamic, the duo chose to leave the office environment. They have visited Gamla Linköping and the university, with future plans to visit 4H farms and Valla Folkhögskola. Karin notes that a change of scenery is essential to avoid getting stuck in the same mental tracks.
“If we had only stayed at my office, I would have remained in my professional role. Instead, we have been very free and found different contexts.”
Insights for the future of Linköping
For Karin, the mentorship has provided valuable insights for her work at Linköping Municipality . Through Lukas, she has gained a window into a generation that views the city with fresh eyes, something invaluable for the strategic work of retaining talent.
“What makes students want to stay in Linköping, settle down, and buy a house? These are things we wonder about strategically, and it has been very interesting to hear the perspective of someone from that generation,” Karin explains.
“A very good match”
Despite coming from different backgrounds, an IT student from Gotland and the Director of culture and sport activities at Linköpings kommun, they found common ground in their shared interest in history and community engagement. They both agree that they would recommend the program to others.
“It has been a very good match. They really succeeded with the pairing,” Karin concludes with a smile.
Are you interested in joining the journey? The next application period for companies opens on 13 April 2026. Keep an eye on our website for more information and to submit your application.
