Start for Swedish Institute's international scholarship holders

Sixteen international scholarship holders who have been awarded the Swedish Institute's (SI) Scholarship for Global Professionals have now started their Master's programmes at Jönköping University (JU). The students all have in common that they want to contribute to sustainable development in their home countries and that they are very excited about starting their studies.

The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals, awarded by the Swedish Institute and funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, is a highly coveted and fully funded international scholarship program for full-time Master's level studies at Swedish universities. This year, 8,167 applications were received and only 375 were awarded the scholarship. At JU, 16 international students have just started their studies.

Over the next one to two years, in addition to their studies at JU, the students will participate in networking and exchange insights and experiences with other fellows, Swedish companies, and organizations through the SI Network for Global Professionals.

“We are proud to welcome talented students from different nationalities who have been awarded the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals! Sustainability is an integral part of JU's education, helping to develop competencies in line with SI's focus on sustainable development,” says Leticia Lövkvist, SI Coordinator at JU.

Scholarship holders are carefully selected

The scholarship aims to foster future global leaders who actively contribute to achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The selection is based on academic achievements, leadership skills, professional experience, and the applicants' potential to support sustainable development in their home countries.

Sergio Navarro from Colombia is studying the Master in Global Management at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS).

“It is my lifelong dream to study a Master's programme abroad so I was very happy about the scholarship. Having the opportunity to network with other motivated students from different countries and cultures and learn new things is the most important thing for me,” he says.

Hong Mai Nguyen from Vietnam has started studying International Logistics and Supply Chain Management at JIBS.

“This is my first time abroad so it means that I can develop and learn myself. I want to develop sustainability thinking in Vietnam where we unfortunately have no direct role model to follow. Sweden is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to sustainability and I want to learn here and bring it back to Vietnam,” she says.

Isatou Sowe from Gambia, who will be studying Global Management at JIBS, is very motivated about starting her studies.

“The scholarship means everything. I come from a poor background, and I would never have been able to afford it otherwise. When it comes to sustainability and advanced management, which I am most interested in, I see how much I can learn, and I am very motivated. I want to learn from other students and teachers to see how other countries work with sustainability and then try to implement this to Gambia,” she says.

This year's JU scholarship recipients come from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Gambia, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Sri Lanka, Peru, Rwanda and Vietnam.

Read more about the Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals here. External link, opens in new window.

Read more about Scholarships and funding at JU here.

Read more about studying at JU here.