Frida from Sweden

What is the programme like?

“The name of my programme, Innovation and Global Sustainable Development, is fancy and it might be difficult to understand and interpret what it actually means. Therefore, I will make an attempt to describe what it has given me so far as well as the value I believe it will give me in the future. 

During our first year, my class has been trying to understand the contemporary global economic inequalities by looking at the history, but we have also been trying to interpret how the history can help us shape the future. Political economy and the role of innovations have played a central role in our discussions on how one could achieve a sustainable future. During the second year, the programme will emphasise sustainability to a greater extent, by incorporating environmental, social and economic sustainability. The workload during the first year has been reasonable. We were mostly assessed through individual papers combined with group assignments, and we have had on average 10 hours of lessons or seminars a week. 

The programme has introduced me to classmates with the same interest. I am surrounded by students from all over the world who want to discuss the complexity of incorporating sustainability in economic development. In a small class of only 20 students, we represent nations from all over the world, and we value our different experiences and knowledge.”
 
You are in India for your thesis work. Tell us more!

“I am grateful that this programme has given me the opportunity to do a field study in India for my thesis. Thanks to the great international network that the professors teaching at the programme have, I went to Bangalore in India to conduct case studies with start-ups focusing on social innovations, or innovations improving the quality of life for disadvantaged people, to briefly describe it. I would say that the professors are very welcoming and willing to assist you in most queries.”
 
Where do you see yourself in the future?

“Fortunately, the understanding of the urgency to incorporate sustainability in everything we do is continuously increasing in all occupations. This Master’s is therefore valuable for so many different professions. However, when I graduate, I will most likely focus on the private sector, where I’m interested in impact investments, start-ups believing in their social innovations, or sustainability consulting. However, I’m also very interested in international politics and development work and I might therefore also aim for the UN or field work for NGOs.”