Students at Linnaeus University in Vaxjo are going to class. Photo provided by Malin Marie Elisabeth Pettersson.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Sweden?” Could it be IKEA, the Swedish furniture company that has reached success in large parts of the world and is now coming to Korea? For many, this is what Sweden is known for, and this does not come as a surprise. The company has a fantastic success story. The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, comes from a small village outside a town called Vaxjo. Vaxjo has much to offer. Regardless of its small size, it holds a big university which is famous for its entrepreneurial spirit – just like Mr. Kamprad. The university is Linnaeus University, and the school exists in two different cities: Vaxjo and Kalmar. Both towns are small and located in the south of Sweden. Vaxjo is called “the greenest city in Europe” due to its beautiful and well- preserved environment. In addition to its beautiful surroundings, you can also take part in many activities provided at campus or make your way into town to go shopping, go to cinema or have a “fika” (a typical Swedish afternoon activity which includes coffee, tea and some sweet cakes) with your new friends at one of the coziest coffee shops. In Kalmar you can have a stroll by the port and take the bus over to an island called Oland, which is a popular place for visitors in the summer. The university is fairly new and its thinking and learning are characterized by this youthfulness. About 34,000 students attend the university, and they can choose between 150 different degree programs as well as 2000 single-subject courses. The school has high ambitions, and as a young university, it is full of curiosity, which has lead to a great impact on levels regarding high-quality research. One of the research areas is entrepreneurship and the school has a degree-seeking program which is fully developed to encourage private enterprise. The program is called “Enterprising and Business Development”. Many students start their own business before they graduate. The program lets you work with real life companies continuously throughout the education, which gives you both an academic and a working life perspective of subjects in the business world. You will have no problem finding courses in English, and the professors encourage open discussions and workshops, and your idea and suggestions are always valued. It is a way of learning in both directions: just as much as you will learn from listening to your professors – they believe that they will learn from hearing your thoughts and opinions. The university focuses on international relationships, where the aim is to maintain diversity and contribute to sustainable development. Their goal is for all educational programs to be included for the opportunity to study abroad and that more courses to be taught in English. All this is to make sure that the students are as well prepared and as possible for the world outside, where globalization is becoming more and more immediate and the demand for international awareness keeps increasing. Linnaeus University gives you the chance to grow as a human being within your academic field. The open and uncomplicated atmosphere in the classroom brings out the best in you and helps you to reach potential you might not even know you had. Welcome, we cannot wait to see you and help you grow! *Malin Marie Elisabeth Pettersson is currently studying at Ewha as an exchange student.
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