2011 3 - LinTek

Becoming a
SwediSh maSTer
science students taking their masters are faced with two years of advanced
courses. However, students coming from abroad encounter more
challenges and problems other than the studying itself. Knowledge of the
swedish language is fortunately not a requirement, but new fees have
reduced the number of applying. litHanian’s stefan Friis met some of the
newcomers on their first day on campus.
i
had the opportunity to join the students
beginning their master programs in English
on their first day at Linköping’s University.
A part of these students are Swedes, some
coming from other universities to continue
their education in Linköping and some are
simply choosing to take their masters in English,
but the major part of the master students
comes from all around the world.
Until last semester, studying in Sweden was
free. Starting with this semester, however, students
from outside of Europe are charged with
a fee. Because of this fee, the number of master
students has dropped with 70 % compared to
last year. Kaveh Khajeh Zadeh Behbahani is
from Iran and one of the few paying students.
He explains:
- The fee was the main problem. With a salary
of 60 000 SEK a year in Iran, it took a long
time before I could afford the semester fee of
70 000 SEK and the trip to Sweden.
This didn’t stop Kaveh who arrived just three
days before the first meeting at the university.
He says the main reason for going here was
that he thinks Sweden is a calm, safe and civilized
country to live in.
ord StEfaN friiS Foto PhiliP EkStrömEr
Because of the lower number of master students,
says Dean Ulf Nilsson, Linköping’s
University will lose approximately 30-40
MSEK per year, though this year’s unusually
high number of students in the Swedish speaking
programs will help compensate the economic
loss.
”LiU will lose
approximately
30-40 MSEK”
The first day for the master students included
a lot of important study related information,
but also a brief introduction to Sweden, a welcoming
by the mayor Ann-Cathrine Hjerdt
and entertainment by the student orchestra
LiTHe Blås. After a long morning of information
beyond what anyone can handle in one
day, it was time for a tour around campus and
finally some games with peer students, who
also help the newcomers with their adaption
to the everyday life in Sweden.
reporTage
Rina Kojeanne from Japan tells me about
some of the differences from her home university
in Tokyo.
- In Sweden I feel that the state of woman and
man is equal. I was surprised when we talked
about equal opportunities the first day at LiU.
We never had the same care in Tokyo.
During Rina’s stay here in Sweden she wants to
learn more about clean tech. This is not a great
matter in Japan. She also has another goal with
her stay:
- I want to see an aurora borealis in
the winter!
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