What Dian says about the Master's in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Dian from Indonesia

About the programme and the teaching style 

How did you find out about this programme and why did you choose it? 

"I have always been interested in studying in a Scandinavian country because of the sustainable lifestyle in those countries. Additionally, I wanted to challenge myself and make the most out of the experience, because Sweden is quite the opposite of my home country, Indonesia. I was a designer, and I always thought that I need to hone my business acumen. At the same time, I also still enjoy executing projects, which is why I was drawn into the Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme. I looked up different top world-class universities in Scandinavia for Entrepreneurship programmes, and I saw that Lund University offers a one-year programme. I thought that was perfect for me, since I want to immediately practice my learnings in the real world. In Lund, there are also facilities and communities to support realising your ideas and honing your entrepreneurship knowledge."

What do you think about your programme so far?

"I would say it is quite a good balance between a theoretical and practical approach, which I was really hoping for when applying. Also, we do talk a lot about impact and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, not just about making profits as an entrepreneur. This is something that I looked forward to when applying to school in a country with a very sustainable lifestyle."

What is the best thing about your programme? 

"The opportunity to deep dive and engage in innovation and entrepreneurial projects is the best aspect. Students can get support for entrepreneurial training and practices. For instance, there is Pitch Corner at Ideon Innovation (more information below), which partners with my programme. On a weekly basis, people from our class can practice their pitch and they will get feedback. They also help you build a network that can connect you to people or organisations to work on your entrepreneurship projects"

Learn more about Ideon Innovation at ideoninnovation.se

Why should prospective students choose this programme? 

"If you would like to start a business, or learn how to execute projects, and you’re willing to study full-time, I think this could be great a programme to consider. We collaborate a lot in class, and most of the tasks are done in groups. Additionally, this programme could also be good for those who like both theoretical and practical approaches. We do a lot of practical work with our projects throughout the study, however, in the end, we always reflect and evaluate literature and theories in relation to our experience. Therefore, students will need to be prepared to do a lot of readings as well. 

Have you been able to gain any practical experience during your studies so far? 

"Yes, definitely! In addition to the entrepreneurship project and pitching opportunities, almost every week we invite entrepreneurs or experts to come to class to teach and share their expertise with us. We also have some class visits to different innovative companies. One example is that we visited Sysav, a recycling center in Sweden where we learned about the overall flow, challenges, and the facilities in the country. Then, we were divided in groups to do workshops about finding opportunities to be adapted in the facility, and we presented it to Sysav right after."

How international is your programme and what is it like to study in that kind of environment? 

"It is very international! My class consists of around 65 students from over 20 nationalities worldwide. It could be challenging at first with everyone’s different backgrounds because we do a lot of group work, but it is also fun to learn about new cultures and new perspectives from such a wide variety of people."

Thoughts on being an international student at Lund, free time, and tips for prospective students 

What it is like to be an international student at Lund University? 

"Lund University is very international. The city is full of students, so I think it is quite easy for me to adapt, as I am actually with people who are in a similar situation. Therefore, it is not hard to connect with new people. Although it could be difficult sometimes to be away from my family, in Lund I live in a corridor room which is filled with new friends, who are like my new family here, so it really helps me a lot."

What do you do in your spare time?  

"I ran an initiative back home for student mentorship, so I usually spare a few hours every week to work on it remotely. Last semester, I was a consultant for 180 Degree Consulting Lund, but I didn’t continue this semester as I want to focus on my thesis and my final project for the Master’s programme. Other than that, I sometimes take a one-day workshop or event related to business and innovation, when the time aligns with my schedule. Of course, I also hang out with my friends here! We often do potlucks and cook different foods from all around the world. Sometimes I like to make an impromptu plan to just visit new places that I have never been to around Sweden."

Do you have any advice for other students that are considering coming to Lund? 

"Keep an open mind! You will meet a lot of people from different parts of the world, so there could be some things you will encounter that are unusual for you. But again, people have different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures, so you could take this time to learn about new perspectives."

What surprised you the most about Sweden? 

"The way people seek fresh air and the sun. My country Indonesia is an all-year sunny place, so it could be very hot and people would try to walk under the shades when they go out and avoid the sun, while in Sweden the sun is something that people really look forward to as it could be really cloudy and cold. Because of that, unlike in Sweden where houses are designed to be tightly closed and keep the heat inside, houses in Indonesia usually have a very open ventilation as we don’t need to keep the warmth inside the house for winter days, therefore it is actually always fresh air inside the house. So it was kind of a shock for me when every time we have a break from class, people immediately want to go out and have some fresh air while soaking under the sun."

What are you planning to do after your studies? What are your plans for the future? 

"I would go back to work again, either in Sweden or Indonesia, but I would love to be engaged more in environmental-sustainability projects. I would also still continue growing my NGO, applying the knowledge I get from Master’s to scale the education programme we offer."

To what extent did your degree programme prepare you for a career in your field? 

"The programme helps me to rethink a lot about the process I have been doing so far, both when working with people and when developing a business model. What I find both painful and very helpful about the journey here, is that I need to do a lot of reflection on my work and my collaboration with the team. This actually helps me to realise my weaknesses and strengths and helps me understand how to prepare to build a business and a team."