Ambassador Ann Mawe welcome Vietnamese students to Sweden

On 11 August, Ambassador Ann Mawe delivered an opening speech at the online meeting “Welcome to Sweden and Welcome back” organized by Sweden Alumni Network Vietnam to more than 35 students who will travel to Sweden for the autumn semester and to just graduates who safely returned home, the Embassy of Sweden in Vietnam writes in a recent update.

According to the update, Ambassador Mawe was delighted that so many students had chosen Sweden for their studies and expressed hope that they wouldn’t regret their choice because of several good reasons. She said “Sweden often ranks at the top of international rating for innovation and sustainability” and the secret behinds this success story is related to “our tradition of openness to the world, transparency, freedom of expression and curiosity” and “a society with strong beliefs in cooperation, equality, free exchange of ideas and diversity that nurtures creativity and critical thinking”.

She encouraged them to closely follow and get inspired by the ongoing “fossil-free revolution” driven by government, private sector, academia, and civil society in Sweden right now, with many new large-scale innovations for a sustainable future.

She also stressed that “studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to get away from home, it is about the key to success….having real experience with the world beyond your borders- experience with languages, cultures, and societies that are different from yours. It is about opening up your mind, exposure to new ideas, questioning, debating, listening to all sides of an argument, judging and deciding for yourself”.

The program was long from 20.00 -22.00 but everyone was so engaged in the discussion till the end. While just graduates were informed about career opportunities with Nordic business communities connected by Sweden Alumni Network Vietnam, new students got practical advice on how living and studying in Sweden would be like from recent graduates and more experienced alumni. For example: how to get familiar with a no-cash and no-waste society, how to save money on housing, transportation, and tips on buying winter clothes from environmentally friendly secondhand shops, or list of online shops for food and other items, social networking, leisure time activities and how to enjoy Swedish nature and outdoor sports- and living.

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