What Donna says about the Master's in Managing People, Knowledge and Change

Donna from Taiwan

About the programme and the teaching style 

Why did you choose this programme and why in Sweden? 

"I wanted to go somewhere I knew nothing about. Sweden, one of the Nordic countries, is well-known for its innovation and work-life balance. It’s one of the few one-year programmes in Sweden, and the programme content is exactly what I was looking for. It made it easy to make this programme my first choice."

What is the best thing about your programme? 

"The programme structure is very well-organised and trains students in conducting qualitative research. The subjects included in the programme are also very interesting and educative. The course materials presented are updated and first-hand materials by the professors."

Why should prospective students choose this programme? 

"If you are someone who’s looking to shift your career path to an academic field or looking for a comprehensive one-year Master’s degree, then this programme is a great choice for you!"

What do you think of the teaching style? 

"The teaching methodology focuses on thinking process training when encountering a problem. The professors are very friendly, without positioning themselves as having a higher social status. That’s completely different from in Asia, where teachers are positioned higher and command students to do things."

What is studying in Sweden like compared to studying in your home country? 

"Learning is your responsibility and learning based on your own speed is what I have experienced here in Sweden. The teachers don’t push you to study hard or force you to speak up in class, it’s relatively relaxing. It really depends on how much you want to learn and how much you want to be involved in the class discussion. I think this is quite different from Asia, where teachers set a series of exams to test how much you have memorised. In Sweden, the tests are mainly focused on expressing your thinking process and discussing different perspectives."

Thoughts on spare time and Swedish lifestyle 

What do you do in your spare time?  

"I like to do many different outdoor activities such as hiking, bouldering, slacklining and canoeing. I joined the membership of SKK (Skånes Klätterklubb) and became a voluntary junior trainer of bouldering which is very fun."

What is it like to live in Sweden?  

"Sweden’s lifestyle, in terms of how they view work-life balance, is so present in their day-to-day life and their home. They use different kinds of lamps and candles to make homes feel cosy and put the effort into setting up quality time with themselves, family and friends. This is something you can only experience here in Sweden and is very hard to put into words. It makes me understand what it means to have “quality time” with yourself, your friends and your family at home. 

The basic infrastructure is also very well-designed in Sweden and the overall quality of life is very high. Every house is equipped with a heating system to make the house warm, the hot water comes out fast and there is clean water and air. I only realised how functional it is compared to my experience living in Italy, for example. Italy’s heating system in old houses doesn’t function very well and the water wasn’t very clean compared to Sweden. It has really made me appreciate the quality of life here."

Have you been able to get by with English in Sweden? 

"Yes, Sweden is a very English-friendly country. Almost everyone can speak fluent English, and they are so nice to switch to English whenever they see you there. Switching to English really shows their respect and inclusion to foreigners."