Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe, bordered by Norway and Finland. It is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a population of only about 9.5 million.
For a small, remote country, already for a long time Sweden has had much more influence in the world than you would expect. First it was the Vikings, then the infectious sound of ABBA, Ericson telephones and Ikea and of course also Sweden's dark side, which can be found in Wallander and Men who hate women.
Sweden is a rather unpopulated, but photogenic country, with overwhelming nature: islands, forests full of berries, villages with red-painted houses and interesting cities.
Studying in Sweden is different from studying in other countries because Swedish universities have an open climate with a strong focus on group work. The Swedish education system focuses more on your academic interests than pushing you to achieve a grade.
Relationships between students and teachers are relaxed and informal; as a student in Sweden, you will be expected to address your teachers by their first names. Swedish universities prize personal initiative and independent thinking.
Almost everyone in Sweden speaks English nowadays; 89 per cent of Swedes are bilingual, so international students from English-speaking countries need not worry about not being able to communicate if they don’t speak Swedish.
Sweden is one of the world’s most modern countries, and the birthplace of many successful corporations. A number of successful inventions have resulted from research at Swedish universities and companies, including the computer mouse, Bluetooth, the pacemaker, the ball bearing, the dialysis machine, and internet applications such as Spotify and Skype. These recent inventions are built on a long history of excellence in academia and research in Sweden. Sweden is of course also the home of the Nobel prize and several highly acclaimed universities dating back to the 15th century.
Drink: Kaffe (coffee), Absolut wodka, aquavit and öl (beer)
Word: Jättebra (fantastic!)