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‘Sweden has been a springboard for me to launch my dream career’

Five NFGL members studying in Skövde share what it's like, and how studying in Sweden has inspired them to make change in the future.

'Sweden has been a springboard for me to launch my dream career'
Photo: University of Skövde

Sergey Redyuk:

A great advantage of studying in Skövde, that has been most beneficial to me, is that people here are always willing to help. You are always free to ask questions or share your ideas. Everything at the university is tailored to the students and the comfortable atmosphere and support is great motivation, helping me study at my best!

Life here is peaceful, but studies are challenging. The work can be hard but the support means we can tackle anything! There are a lot of international students so you can get acquainted with different cultures and make friends from all over the world. Plus, everyone speaks English so communication is no problem.

Sweden is a country rich in traditions and peculiarities. Equality, for example, is extremely important to Swedes – your professor is considered a colleague rather than teacher. And, of course, there is the great tradition known as FIKA! If you don’t know what fika is, come and figure it out!

Events are arranged by the students and everyone is encouraged to share their own point of view – collaboration and integration is key!

I am grateful for the opportunity to study here in Skövde and meet new friends.

Belinda Priscilla Achieng:

Skövde is a beautiful, calm and peaceful town, with friendly and open-minded people from all over the world. The university is located on a modern campus in central Skövde and offers an active student life.

The campus includes a large green area, a library, restaurants, the student union office, student support office and student affairs office. Most student accommodation is situated within walking distance from the campus. Faculty members too are always available to advise and encourage us, driving us to become great people.

Your friends and schoolmates are your family, you create strong friendships that you simply cannot forget; these are the people you study with, go shopping with, make trips and see new places with. It's an intensive and unforgettable experience that you will remember forever.

Studying and living in Sweden has forced me to adapt to things that are unfamiliar and unusual ranging from the weather to social life. I have become independent and open to new, exciting challenges that I would never have encountered in my home country.

Living in Sweden has given me the opportunity to learn and develop as a person. I have also been fascinated by the distinct cultural perspectives, incredible new foods, customs, traditions and social atmospheres. I have got a better understanding and appreciation for the Swedish people and history whilst also studying the Swedish language.

Josef Kirangwa:

Studying my Masters in Bioinformatics at the University of Skövde and doing thesis research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has been a “spring board” for me to launch my dream career.

To date, I look at myself and see a new immensely transformed person, ready to make scientific breakthroughs in the field of biomedical research using the bioinformatics skills and expertise I have gained. This is largely due to the quality of education, one-on-one mentorship and supervision, state-of-the-art equipment and interactions with international scientists from diverse cultural backgrounds at both universities.

I am greatly indebted to the Swedish Institute Scholarships for the great opportunity offered to me, and I endeavour to practice the excellent Swedish values instilled in me. I have enjoyed the great diversity and equality of people in various Swedish societies and their respect for the environment not forgetting “Fika” and “Lucia” together which have brought a new way of life pleasing and joyful. Long live Sweden.

Abdelhamid Yousef:

Studying in Sweden has been an outstanding experience. Before coming to Sweden I expected to gain a good experience by getting to know students from different parts of the world; I was curious and excited to interact with those from other cultures. My experience, in fact exceeded my expectations.

Not only did I get to know students from different countries, but I also made friendships that I believe will last forever. I gained new vocabulary from different languages that I still use everyday! It is simply amazing. I have become more open minded, and I’ve also gained discipline and independence.

I am grateful to have been able to study in Sweden and proud to be a part of the NFGL community.

Lutimba Stuart

I am pursuing my master’s degree in Molecular biotechnology at University of Skövde with support from Swedish Institute [Si].

My university experiences so far have been amazing. I have learnt and experienced so many new things in such a short period of time, and it has gone by so fast. The University of Skövde is a very welcoming place; I felt at home immediately. I have made many new friends from many different backgrounds. My classes are great and I enjoy every one of them, especially omics and data integration.

The depth and detail of what we are learning is far beyond my previous experience and has made me realize the beauty of, and the different applications of personalized medicine in disease diagnosis. It is just amazing to think that even the tiniest details on gene expression can have such a huge impact. Learning a new language is challenging but it is very rewarding. The course load is intense, so time management is key!