Challenge yourself at Sweden’s Lund University

By Ajaya Kumar Vemulapati

Sweden is a Nordic nation in Northern Europe sandwiched between Finland, Denmark and Norway. A nation with hundreds of coastal islands and inland lakes, vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains, it is known as a peaceful country and has a unique distinction of not being at war with any country for more than 200 years.

One of the most compelling images that comes to mind when we speak of Sweden is of course of the Nobel Prize which is awarded by Sweden to individuals who make outstanding or path breaking contributions in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Literature on an annual basis.

Sweden is also home to several universities which are not only some of the oldest universities in Europe but also of international repute and the education offered at these universities have contributed to the advancement of science and technology in a significant manner. Lund University is a university which was founded in 1425 by the Franciscan order thus making it one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe.

Located in the city of Lund in Sweden, Lund University is a public research university with campuses in Lund, Malmo and Helsingborg and a student strength of around 44,000 at present. The University offers over 270 courses and many of them are offered in English. 9 full Bachelor’s degree are offered in streams like Economics and Society, Fine Arts, Mathematics and Physics. More than a hundred Master’s degree programs are available in areas ranging from Economics, Management, Architecture and Design, International Studies and Social Sciences. The school of Economics & Management is particularly highly rated and offers several popular Master’s courses.
Ranked among the top 100 universities in the world in the QS world rankings 2021, the faculty is of a very high quality and the faculty student ratio stands at a very favorable 1 : 9. The university produces a lot of cutting edge research and the University very proudly proclaims that the Artificial Kidney, ultrasound technology and Bluetooth are examples of inventions that originated from Lund University.

The cost of study at Lund university ranges between Rs 8 to Rs 12 lakhs per annum as tuition fees. The cost of living in Sweden is a bit on the higher side and can cost around Rs 1 lakh per month. However, students can work part time and can offset a large portion of this cost.

Scholarships are available and they are both merit and need based scholarships and are funded by the Lund University Global Scholarship program which is targeted at non EEA students. Program and country specific scholarships are also available.

Swedish laws allow non EU/EEA students who have finished their studies and wish to stay in Sweden to find a job can apply for an ‘after studies’ residence permit once they have graduated. The permit allows students to stay for a period of up to 12 months and look for work in Sweden. Job opportunities are fairly good and there is a high demand for jobs in Engineering, Architecture, Software Development etc.

Working in Sweden entails an individual to avail of free healthcare, sick leave, child care and free education. Parents are also eligible for 18 months of paid parental leave per child.

The percentage of international students is as high as 60 per cent for Master’s programs and the students come from diverse backgrounds and countries across the globe. Students are welcome to come with their spouses/children but there are certain procedures to go through especially with respect to insurance. Housing is not available on campus but that should not be a problem as Lund is a small university town and plenty of accommodation is available in the town area.

Lund university houses one of the largest sports centers in northern Europe and offers classes every week for activities like yoga, pilates, aerobics etc. A well equipped gym which is open 24*7 is one of the main attractions. There are a number of university sports teams and associations in sports like football, cricket, baseball, tennis, swimming etc.

— Ajaya Kumar Vemulapati,
Director – IMFS, Hyderabad
Mail Id: ajaya@imfshyd.com

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