Tiina’s journey in Lund University

I am writing this blog on a rainy and warm Saturday at Espresso House, next to Lund
Town Hall, sipping Cafe Latte. The morning began in a new dormitory in the kitchen. I
prepared next week’s lunches, vegetable soup and pancakes. Classes begin on
Monday at the university and lunches must be brought to the school. I arrived in August
in Lund, a beautiful, warm, and historic city. Lund is in Skåne, close to Öresund Bridge
and Copenhagen. The experience would be new, as I had never been to the city of
Lund before, in Sweden, of course, many times. In August, I got a last-minute Corridor
room in the LU-Accommodation apartment building, in the Linero district. I lived with
students from outside Europe (China, Canada, New Zealand, and Costa Rica). I joined
”Student Lund Nation”, ”Akademiska Föreningen” and ”Juridiska Föreningen”. The
main study place was Faculty of Law and its library. The building is in the Centre of
Lund and close to the Raul Wallenberg Institute.

The first course, International Law, began under the guidance of Ranuta Ysran. August was more than hot. At Lund, you should be prepared for the fact that there is always windy weather! At the same time, the Swedish language course No. 3 started under the guidance of Salvador Roy Assensio and was followed by the Swedish course No. 4. In November I got to know the Faculty of Social Sciences and ended up in the building of Eden, the magnificent
historical building of Lund University looking at the map, which is in Paradise! The
course in Swedish politics was quite wide-ranging and interesting but also challenging.
It was good to review the political history and present of Finland at the same time.
Many things can be seen more clearly from here on the Swedish side.

In August it was a great 3–4-week Orientation Week. We had a wonderful welcome ceremony in Lund’s historic Cathedral. At the event, the mayor, a university representative, and a student pastor warmly welcomed 3,000 exchange students in a heartwarming celebration. Every morning when we woke up, the mayor of Lund told us to think “how can I get the most out of my day in Lund today”! There was also a welcome opportunity in the
Faculty of Law. Although the city is full of students from every corner of the world, one
can feel welcome in this variety of nationalities. Throughout history, Lund has become
accustomed to different people and arrivals from different countries and cultures. We
also had a “Juridiska Föreningen” party with dinners, a visit to the Cathedral and its
Astronomical Clock, an Ikea trip, a game night with students, a visit to the Skissernas
Museum and here just a few events mentioned. Everything was new in Autumn.

The courses require both reading and writing in the English language. The Finnish
operator’s internet connection did not work in the dormitory but fortunately the
university has a European Eduroam connection. The teachers were international and
relaxed but accurate and demanding in teaching and assessment. Distance courses
in Swedish were also challenging and there were continuous discussion exercises
during the lessons. Each student spoke with his own intonation. There were students
from Siberia, Germany, Denmark, China, Spain, among others. Of course, some of
the students were from the Swedish region but some were from their own country.
Everyone was excited to learn the Swedish language. The course in international law
was truly inspiring and we got a good cross-section of the whole region. The teaching
was partly seminary-shaped, and the students did some nice and interesting final
work. There were also varying teachers on the course. Similarly, the course in Swedish
politics took the form of seminars and under the guidance of several teachers.

Of course, my goal for exchange studies has been internationalization, even though my
background and previous education is truly international. Strengthening language
skills in both Swedish and English has been important to me. My goal has also been
to get to know Sweden better as a state, as a society and as a culture. Sweden is a
strong and international country. I can recommend Finnish students for exchange
studies in a neighboring country. Exchange studies in Sweden really came at a
heartbeat, as NATO’s accession takes place in the same year. The Finnish
government visited Stockholm in September as a guest of the Swedish government. I
found myself travelling to Stockholm on the same Finnair plane as the Prime Minister
and his staff. Our countries have a shared history for many centuries, as Finland has
been a part of Sweden. This issue and its significance have only become concrete to
me through these studies. The world political situation may also challenge the Nordic
cooperation. Finland could have a lot to learn from its neighbors, but there is also a
certain amount of reciprocity. Exchange studies at Lund University and at the same
time the promotion of studies in administrative science at the University of Lapland
has been rewarding. I graduated in October with a Bachelor of Science (HTK) degree
and my master’s studies are well under way.

During the Autumn season, I visited Finland a few times. I participated in the administration research days at the University of Lapland and presented the thesis in progress. I also got to know the Swedish health care system when a strong flu surprised me in the new environment. That was also sorted out, but the student should get a Swedish ”Personal Nummer” for herself
quickly. Taking care of all the things and, if necessary, e.g., getting to a doctor
becomes easier. Medicines are free in Sweden after a small deductible. The
emergency desk worked according to the carefully considered processes. A trip to
Uppsala to see Cousin Gunvor and a visit by Cousin Anna with her spouse in Lund
brought a special thing to the autumn.

I will also continue my exchange studies in the spring semester. I recommend a full year of exchange studies to others who are going on exchange. The fall semester went on to learn numerous new processes and practical things. Now, in the spring, many things are going smoothly and habitually. Language skills are strangely activated and sometimes you find yourself speaking like a Swede 🙂 For the spring semester I stay in a new apartment in a Swedish students’ dormitory in the Centre of Lund. Now the morning coffee is in Corridor’s common kitchen ”på Svenska”. I want to inspire anyone who is remotely interested in
internationality to apply for exchange studies. The Department of International Affairs
at the University of Lapland offers an excellent opportunity to do so. The alternative to
be considered is our neighboring Sweden and its several universities with top scores
in the world. An example is Lund University, founded in 1666. By internationalizing,
you can have an open mind, new networks, and friends. By internationalizing, you will
also gain the kind of knowledge and skills that can cope with the whirlwinds of
globalization and generate added value both at home and in international arenas.