Student blogs

Welcome! I would like to dedicate this post to introducing you to the new cohort of students in the “SciLifeLab” Master’s programme. I’m one of the 29 students that began the Molecular Techniques in Life Science Master’s this past August 31^st. For more information about our arrival at the Science for Life Laboratory on Karolinska Institutet’s campus, look here: https://www.scilifelab.se/news/the-new-scilifelab-master-students-arrives-at-campus-solna

Without further ado, here is the breakdown of my class’s varied background!

Nationalities

The world map below proves that our programme truly is a Global Master’s. In total, my classmates originate from 19 different countries! Some of us even hold dual citizenship but here I only accounted for the most recent country of residence.

Map chart of the nationalities in my programme

Age

We have an interesting age distribution curve! It seems that the majority of us are in our early to mid-twenties, but we have a few outliers, which account for a variety of life journeys and experiences that have led us all to cross paths here at KI.

Educational Background

In terms of our educational backgrounds, we have a wide variety of Bachelor degree programmes. Some of us came with a strong foundation in molecular biology and wet lab experience, while others have more technical backgrounds like engineering or tech degrees. This diversity of knowledge and skills creates the perfect environment for collaboration, as we can help each other out by taking advantage of our peers’ particular strengths. Sharing is caring after all!

Languages

Finally, we are a very multilingual group! Of course, with English being the language of instruction for our Master’s programme, it comes as no surprise that it is the most commonly spoken tongue in our group. However, we have several speakers of Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Chinese. Hopefully, we can all learn a little Svenska while we go about our lives in and around Stockholm for the next 2 years.

Word cloud of languages spoken

It has been a pleasure getting to know everyone in my programme and I only hope that we will get many chances of celebrating our diverse educational, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds as we connect further through in-person or Zoom hangouts!

Lastly, I would like to express a warm thank-you to all my peers who filled out this little class census. : )

Featured Image Credits: SciLifeLab