Nagomi Sugiyama.

I have been able to broaden my perspectives as a teacher and researcher, which was one of my goals as an exchange student.

Nagomi was a graduate student during her exchange studies and she also has two licenses to work in nursery schools and kindergartens in Japan.
Today after finishing her degree she works as a part-time assistant at a nursery school and keeps on studying and learning more regarding Early Childhood Education and Care. For instance, Nagomi is active in research clubs and in attending academic conferences in the subject field.

Nagomis experiences as an exchange student

Nagomi Sugiyama

Stockholm University is very supportive to students. They listen to students’ voices.

Why did you choose to take an exchange semester at the Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University?

I am really interested in Swedish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) because it is similar to ECEC in Japan but also different.

My mentor told me that Stockholm University is one of the famous universities in Sweden to study the subject. I wanted to be taught ECEC by teachers there, which was my dream.

What about Stockholm University would you recommend for future exchange students?

Stockholm University is very supportive to students. They listen to students’ voices. Especially in the time with the corona virus, I got a very warm reception thanks to them. The way of teaching is very interesting, for example teachers and students have a dialogue in seminars mostly, which is different compared to universities in other countries. We can learn and get to know each other deeply, which is the best way of learning for students in my opinion.

Are there things regarding Swedish culture, education methods etc. that surprised you?

It is the same that I mentioned above regarding education methods. About culture, I was surprised that Swedish students speak English very well. I am interested to know why!

You studied all of your courses online-based due to the Covid-19 pandemic. What was that like?

I was a little at disappointed at first when I learned that I couldn’t go to Sweden, but the online-based seminars were better than I expected. I learned what I wanted to and made friends! If I could ask for more I would have liked to have “visited” more preschools even if the visits where online-based.

What courses did you take and what have you learned from these courses?

I took Early Childhood Education focusing on Science and Education for Sustainability, Early Childhood Education: Explorative Learning and Early Childhood Education focusing on Mathematics and Technology. I learned the base of Swedish Early Childhood Education, for example how to plan explorative learning as a teacher, how children learn, about the National curriculum etc.

What else have you learned during your exchange semester in a broader sense than the course content?

I have been able to broaden my perspectives as a teacher and researcher, which was one of my goals as an exchange student.