Founded in 2000, women's choir Bella Voce is one of Lund University's most prominent student choirs, regularly performing in Lund and having achieved international success in recent years at Interkultur's international choir competitions. In this episode featuring music from Bella Voce, host Fabio Cavaliere (LU Global Engagement) speaks to current LU students Katharina and Tilda about their experience singing in the choir. Together they discuss their respective roles and how they came to join the choir, Katharina's perspective as an international student, the kinds of songs and concerts the choir performs, and how new students can get involved with Bella Voce.

You can find out more about Bella Voce by following bellavoce.eu on Instagram or on their website.

Opening and closing music is taken with permission from Bella Voce's performance of Längtan till Landet (Vintern Rasat), performed in 2020.

Second-hand shopping is a fantastic way for students to save money and live more sustainably, and in Sweden, a strong culture of minimising waste means that you'll find a wealth of thrift stores, flea markets, and online retailers where you can buy second-hand without compromising on choice, style, or quality. In this episode, host Timothy Parker (LU International Office) speaks to Lund University students Bénédicte and Megan to get their best tips on shopping second-hand in Lund and beyond. Together they discuss the range of options students have available, what kinds of items you might want to trawl thrift stores for, reasons to shop second-hand before buying new, and of course, some of the best bargains they've found during their time in Sweden.

Although most international students studying at Lund University enjoy the convenience of living in Lund, Malmö, or elsewhere in Skåne, some EU students can - and do - choose to live just over the border in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, which is roughly an hour from Lund by train. In this episode, host Erik Kvist (LU External Relations) speaks to current students Daria and Sophie, both of whom live in Copenhagen and study the international Master's programme in Public Health. Together they discuss their decision to live in Copenhagen and finding a place, how the commute is between home and campus, the benefits and challenges of living in Denmark's capital, and much more.

Please note that it is only possible to live in Copenhagen while studying at Lund University if you are an EU citizen. If you are a non-EU citizen, you will need to apply for a residence permit to study in Sweden, which means you must be resident in Sweden for the duration of your studies. You can of course travel freely to Copenhagen during your studies and many students regularly do so.

The benefits of going on exchange studies are often discussed, but how does it feel once your exchange is finished and you've returned home? In this episode we delve a little into that question, as host Timothy Parker (LU International Office) speaks to three student guests about their exchange studies and what their experience has been like after returning to Sweden: Adam Brandt-Karlsson studies Political Science and Psychology and visited Montreal, Canada; Adina Edfelt studies Clinical Psychology and visited Dunedin, New Zealand; Emmie Eklund studies Human Rights Law and visited Auckland, New Zealand. Together they discuss 'reverse culture shock' when returning home, what they gained from their exchange and how it changed them as people, challenges and opportunities with socialising and language, and much more.

As one of Sweden's most globally recognised brands, IKEA is an attractive employer for international students planning their career path after studying in Sweden and at Lund University. But what does the path from international student to landing that IKEA job actually look like? In this episode, host Helga Heun (LU Alumni Office) speaks to Lund alumna Julia Schnittger, who moved from Germany to study Business Administration (Managing People, Knowledge and Change) in 2019, and went on to achieve her goal of working for IKEA after graduating. Today, Julia is a Recruitment Delivery Manager for Global IKEA in Malmö, and was kind enough to share her experiences of Lund and her fond memories, what her work at IKEA is like, the journey she took in finding her dream job, and of course, plenty of tips and advice for other international students looking to build a career in Sweden.

One of the often-discussed benefits of living, studying or working in an international environment is the development of 'intercultural competence'. But what is intercultural competence exactly, and how can you build your intercultural skills while studying at Lund University? One effective method is to get involved with the European University Alliance for Global Health (EUGLOH), of which Lund University is a member, alongside nine other partner universities across Europe. In this episode, host Bénédicte Anthony (LU International Office) speaks to two current international students who have been involved in work on the EUGLOH project, Dorottya Szentkirályi and Waddhna In. Together they discuss EUGLOH and what they've learned from their work on the project, as well as their views on intercultural competence, the skills they've developed, and the importance of working towards effective cross-cultural communication in a globalised world. Listen to the end and find out how you can get involved with EUGLOH during your studies at Lund University!

Sweden - and Lund in particular - has a very high rate of English proficiency, making it easy for international students to get by during their studies without speaking Swedish. However, for those of you who are considering staying longer-term in Sweden or just want to integrate better into Swedish society, learning Swedish offers many benefits, and is heavily recommended if you're planning to look for work. In this episode, we look at Lund University's course, Study Abroad: Swedish as a Foreign Language, which is an intensive, full-time two-semester course intended for beginners who want to rapidly acquire Swedish language skill. Host Timothy Parker (LU International Office) is joined by course teacher Fredrik Persson and current international student Karyne Nogueira, discussing everything to do with the course and learning Swedish, from course content and learning methods to the challenges and benefits of learning in such an intensive way. And, of course, Fredrik and Karyne offer plenty of tips for prospective students considering learning Swedish for themselves.

Please note that Study Abroad: Swedish as a Foreign Language is not a full degree programme, although it does give credits (ECTS) and certification for completion.

While prospective students have several scholarship options to help support their studies at Lund University, one of the newest of our offerings is the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) scholarship: a selective and merit-based scholarship programme for high-achieving African students who have demonstrated academic excellence at one of the ARUA member universities. In this episode, host Rebecca Kilpin (LU International Office) speaks to Beza Berhe, an international student from Ethiopia studying the Master's programme in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and one of the first recipients of the ARUA scholarship. Together they discuss Beza's background and professional interest in entrepreneurship, her journey to Lund, and of course, her advice for other prospective students considering applying to Lund and to the ARUA scholarship.

Dating back to 1886, the 'spex' is an eccentric tradition of humorous, farcical theatre that is written, produced, and performed by Lund University students. Although the majority of spex at Lund University are performed in Swedish, the Kalmar spex has been performed in English since 2012, making it an exciting opportunity for international students to get involved with, whether you want to flex your acting skills, work on sets or props, play in the band, or even just go along and watch! In this episode, host Megan Phillips (LU International Office) speaks to two students involved in producing the Kalmar spex: Jose Knox Borquez and Wilma Högberg. Together they discuss their respective roles, how they got involved, what the typical timeline of a spex production looks like, and their tips for international students that might be interested in getting involved!

International students often come to Lund University with an image of Sweden as cold, snowy and dark in the winter, and while winters in southern Sweden are milder than further north, the harshness of the Swedish winter can catch some by surprise. So, how can you prepare yourself for the Swedish winter, and what do Swedes do to stay cosy and comfortable during the darker months? In this episode, host Timothy Parker (LU International Office) speaks to two students at Lund University, Merin Siju (an exchange student from the University of York, UK, studying BA Sociology with Social Psychology) and Yashoda Pathak (MA Social Scientific Data Analysis) about their tips and tricks for keeping well and thriving during the winter.