Student blogs

Intro

We all know that there’s more to the student life than just going to the lectures and meeting the deadlines of this endless stream of assignments. Obviously, the university is first and foremost a place where we gain the knowledge to become valuable members of society with some proficient knowledge in the given field … aka Boring. et.al. kinda definition? KI is definitely a place where you can gain this knowledge & proficiency, but there are SO MANY OTHER THINGS it has to offer to a student…

No more introduction!

Here comes the MOST COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW of all the fun activities at Karolinska Institutet! Sooo… Let’s get the list started?

Science

Self-arranged internship at the lab // Students in Science (SiF)

One could argue that we already have “enough science” in our lives when being enrolled in one of the Global Masters (or Bachelor) programmes at KI. However, I truly believe that a self-arranged internship in a real-life, vibrant research environment can be very different from the routine course labs … and I am talking from my very own personal experience here! I the best time labbing in Molecular and Cellular Exercise Physiology group during my Bachelors in Biomedicine (more on the topic here)

Whereas I found & contacted the group myself (hence I’m calling it a self-arranged internship), there is a cool organisation at KI that connects the motivated students willing to gain more practical research experience, with the researches who might need some extra pair of hands in the lab. Students i Forskning (SiF) (Students in Research) – Check them out! (OBS! The website is partially in Swedish)

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Naturvetarna

Naturvretarna – a union of natural scientists – offers support, coaching and consultation for natural scientists working in Sweden. The website (in Swedish also?) says the following:

“Natural Sciences is a union of academics in science. We are more than a common trade union – we can be the natural science labor market and therefore service and benefits are tailor made and exclusive for you”.

Medicor

Interested in writing about science, medicine and healthcare? Medicor – one of the Swedish largest student magazines – is there for you! Improve your popular-science writing skills while exploring some exciting topic within (or beyond!) natural science field???

The KI Summer School in Medical Research

Last, but not least, that comes to my mind, is the KI Summer School in Medical Research. It is a research-introductory school for students enrolled in First-cycle (undergraduate) programs at Karolinska Institutet. The Summer School is hosted by the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) and financed by the Board of Research Education at Karolinska Institutet.  NB! Not only you will gain 10.5 hp credits upon completion of the summer school, but also get a financial support!

Relatively new & awesome initiative that was born at Karolinska last year – Women in Science! Their mission is to empower and grow the network of women-scientists!

“Women in Science is a project dedicated to provide women in Sweden with tools and resources to help them achieve their goals in both career and private life. Those goals may involve advancement in their careers, improving independence, running their own business, or other. We host events and sub-projects such as workshops, seminars, lectures, movie nights, mentorship programs, and much more to be announced. Our goal is to strengthen the way girls and women see themselves in relation to the world of science, and to each other, by creating a network of women involved in science”.

Social 

Nooooow we are talking! If you are an international student at KI who just recently arrived in Stockholm (like I once was), and “all you want” is to have fun and meet new people – just keep reading! Here are your practical “how to”:  

International Committee

Social Dance, weekly Coffee Hour, Cooking@KI – you name it! International Committee (Internationella Nämden i Medicinska Föreningen) is organising plenty of Social events and activities in ENGLISH and welcomes everybody to come & participate! You can browse the MF website to learn more.

Global Friends

This “brother organisation” of the International Committee goes beyond the territory of Karolinska Institutet, because…. these guys organise lots of events OUTSIDE of the campus! Some examples include Laster Tags, dinners, city tours, and event trips and cruises abroad! The best part of it is that most of the activities are free for Medicinska Föreningen members, or cost very little. Stay up to date on their Facebook page!