What Ioana-Gabriela says about the Master's in Service Management, Tourism

Ioana-Gabriela from Romania

About the programme and the teaching style 

How did you find out about Lund University and this programme? 

"I was interested in tourism programmes, so I did some research online and found this programme in Service Management with a specialisation in tourism, which I found quite interesting! I also got accepted to an Austrian university, but I decided to come to Lund, mainly because of its reputation, and also because I usually say that in comfort you cannot grow! Austria would have been closer to home, my boyfriend and my best friends are studying in Germany and Austria. For that reason, I knew Sweden would be more of a challenge, forcing me to develop and grow. That turned out to be the case and I am happy about my choice!

What is the best thing about your programme?  

"I think it is the fact that it helps you develop critical thinking and teaches you what that means. Also, the classmates are very interesting, everyone is quite special!"

Why should prospective students choose this programme? 

"You really get to learn a lot from your classmates and the professors are helpful. I will say that the student’s position here is way different from that in Romania for instance. Here, you are actually being heard and what you say is important even in administrative matters."

What is your favourite course and why? 

"I think it is Theories of Social Sciences, although it was the most difficult and least tourism-related, because it opened my mind to life and social matters. At first, I thought it was going to be so easy, that I was going to chill for two months. But it was actually the most difficult one and it made me see matters through concepts like post-truth and fake news. Again, critical thinking was very much emphasised, and I think it was the most rewarding part!"

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

"We did have some field trips with our Tourism professor, Jan Henrik Nilsson – he’s the best! He took us on some study trips in Copenhagen and with our programme being in Helsingborg, he also made sure we would have a tour of the city. This gave us insights into Helsingborg’s plan for destination development. He also took us to the municipality in Malmö to discuss its destination management organisation (DMO). We got insights from the municipality on how tourism planning takes place."

What do you think of the teaching style? 

"I like it a lot! At home, for instance, the professors give you a course book written by themselves, and you just have to follow that but that does not develop your critical thinking at all. Here, you get maybe 30–40 articles and books per course and you have to make up your mind and be able to scientifically prove what you are saying. You are not restricted by someone else’s lenses, you can have your views and express them, but of course, based on science."

How “international” is your programme?  

"There must be 30 countries represented for sure, possibly even more!"

Thoughts on being an international student at Lund, spare time and Swedes  

What it is like being an international student at Lund University? 

"It's really nice! You get to know people from all over the world. You can actually get to see the world through other people's eyes and experience the world and different cultures through them."

What do you do in your spare time? Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? 

"Yes, I was the project leader for the introduction week at Campus Helsingborg. I am also a LU Student Ambassador and an SI leader for my programme, so I help first-year students with the issues they are facing when starting the programme. I am also a party person! I always go to student events and travel around."

What surprised you the most about Swedes? 

"When I first arrived here, some Swedes were having a party in the backyard with loud music, but I didn't think it was loud enough! I stuck my head out of the window and I was looking at them while trying to hide. After a few times, they asked if the music was bothering me, but I asked them to turn it up and then they invited me to join them. They were very welcoming! People have this impression that Swedish people are not that very open, but once you approach them, they are really friendly!"

Future plans and career preparation 

What are you planning to do after your studies?  

"I plan on moving to Germany. I would like to work in tourism in a tiny German city called Würzburg, located between Nuremberg and Frankfurt in Bavaria. In the future, I would love to be part of the tourism decision-making team of that city because I think it has a huge potential!"

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

"It really did! I didn't know much about tourism and what jobs you can have in the field other than as a tourist guide. We had a course called Destination Marketing and Development, and that was where I found out about the existence of DMOs and developed an idea of a career I would like to have as a destination developer for a DMO."