What Jade says about the Master's in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation

Jade from the Netherlands

Tell us a little bit about yourself/your educational background?

"I have a Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology from Leiden University in the Netherlands. Outside of my studies, I’m still trying to explore Sweden for a bit, go hiking and camping, go for fika and of course, watch a bit too much Netflix."

Why did this particular programme appeal to you?

"I like DRMCCA because it combines my interests in climate change and environmental studies with a more practical side. Since we are facing the consequences of climate change, we need to find ways to address potential hazards. DRMCCA is a way to learn how to do this in a complex environment. It combines theory and practice, and I can see how these studies will be very useful in the future."

Why should prospective students choose this programme? Do you have a favourite course?

"I’ve had an amazing experience so far. I think you can really see that the programme is created by people with experience in the field, and it is structured very well. I’m enjoying all of the courses, but I especially like learning new things about risk management and adaptation measures.

Because we are quite a small programme, it feels like a community. I also think that the general DRMCCA community with the alumni and teachers is quite close, which I very much appreciate! Everyone seems very willing to help each other and is very open to sharing their experiences."

What do you think of the teaching style and the way of studying here?

"My general DRMCCA experience is very similar to what I’m used to in the Dutch system. The teachers are very approachable and highly involved. They clearly want you to succeed and have created an environment that helps you set up for success. What I especially like is the focus on learning and improving yourself. One difference between Lund University and Leiden is that we only have 2 courses at a time here at Lund. Though the workload can be heavy, especially from my social science experience, it helps you to really focus on the courses and I am learning so much!"

What it is like to be an international student at Lund University and how international is your programme?

"Lund is a very welcoming and small student city, where it’s quite easy to start feeling at home. I never had any trouble at all with being international, and there are also a lot of options to learn Swedish if you want. Lund University is also very welcoming to international students, and the DRMCCA programme has people from very diverse backgrounds and is very international."

Do you have any other thoughts that you think could be interesting to people who are interested in applying for this programme?

"A recurring question that I often hear from prospective students is whether there is a lot of math involved, as it is at the Faculty of Engineering. It is very doable, and I think the programme relates very much to social science, which is the background of most students. It is also good to know that there is not much climate change science taught in the programme, so it’s useful to have some knowledge on this subject already."