Lund always loses some of its foreign friends once the spring semester begins. Thankfully, a new batch of exchange students have arrived to replenish the city’s international atmosphere. Lundagard got to know a few new faces on Arrival Day.
David from Germany, Bioengineering.
— I appreciate the smooth way things are run here. I heard the university teaches in smaller groups, has good professors, and a great student life. I hope to find many new friends from different cultures, have a good time, and maybe even learn a little, haha.
Lang Zhi from Singapore, Economics.
— I would like to visit places around Sweden and within Sweden. It’s my first time in Europe. I hope to learn more things, see more things, and meet new people.
Aletheia from Singapore, Social Sciences
— I wanted to get far away from the tropics, to go anywhere in Scandinavia. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the architecture. The buildings make the city look beautiful and very different from Singapore. Before coming, all I knew about Sweden was IKEA and that this country is well-known for meatballs.
Jennifer from France, Economics
— Sweden is an entirely new country to me. I heard that 85 percent of the population here speaks English, and I would like to improve my English. At some point, I’d like to travel north to Lapland. This term, I hope to meet lots of international people, get to know Swedish culture, and of course succeed in my classes!
Teresa from Austria, Biomedicine.
— I really like Sweden and the far north. I hope to make friends at Delphi where I am living, and perhaps in classes or at parties. I want to get to know Sweden, and particularly the education system, which is very different from Austria’s. I’d like to find out which system I prefer more.
This year presents a dramatic change from earlier years, when around 600 new foreign students would typically arrive. Only 500 were expected today, indicating the continuing impact of the university’s new tuition fees. Erasmus students are largely unaffected as they remain exempt from fees, so international Masters students comprise the bulk of the loss.
On the upside, this decrease alleviates the housing crisis which the university continues to struggle with.
“Some students who arrived in the autumn still have not resolved their housing problems”, says the university’s head of housing, Ulrika af Sillén to Sydsvenskan.
