During the summer, three students from Lund spoke on behalf of Sweden at an international science conference in Jerusalem.
At the end of this summer, 400 graduate students from a total of 70 countries gathered at the World Science Conference in Jerusalem. Sweden’s three youth representatives were all from Lund University.
Carl Ollvik Aasa studies technical nanoscience at the Faculty of Engineering. Together with Efraim Westholm, medical student, and Isabelle Hallgren, biotechnology, he traveled down to Jerusalem for five days of lectures and workshops with several Nobel Prize winners.
Important experience
With visitors such as Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, the students from Lund gained important experience and inspiration.
“There are definitely things I’ve had great use of. Many of discoveries they made and held lectures on are featured as whole chapters in my textbooks”, says Carl Ollvik Aasa.
The three students were handpicked for the conference even before their university studies had started. The trio participated in the exhibition Young Scientists where they competed for scholarships and other prizes. However, the biggest prize came months later when a jury member of the exhibition sent an invitation to the three students from Lund.
“It was very fun to go to Jerusalem and have the opportunity to meet and talk to distinguished scientists”, says Efraim Westholm.
But Efraim Westholm also describes how the conference is a chance for Israel to really show its best side, and it seems to have impressed the students.
“I feel inspired”
Through workshops with distinguished scientists as well as promising college graduates from all over the world, the three students have also gathered new experience and inspiration for their university studies. Efraim Westholm and Isabelle Hallgren highlight the motivation gained from meeting and discussing things with role models within academia. Carl Ollvik Aasa agrees with them:
“I think we all became inspired, not only in our studies, but also in learning more about all sorts of things! Besides, I’ve established contact with people from all over the world who share my interests and who I got to know and bonded with”, he says.
May be repeated
This summer’s conference was the first one of its kind, but not the last. Next summer a repetition of the arrangement is expected, and it may include Carl Ollvik Aasa, Efraim Westholm and Isabelle Hallgren as well. The three of them have received a semi-official invitation to next year’s conference.
“We will have to see if we get invited next year. Of course, it would be fun to go there again, but at the same time it’s best if as many students as possible are given the opportunity to attend things like this”, says Carl Ollvik Aasa.
Translation: Elise Petersson
