Soovin Oh Photo: Senghong Yourk

Please tell us a bit about your background. 

I am from Korea. I studied at Ewha Womans University in Seoul with a double major in international office administration and sociology. I also studied at the University of Oslo, Norway as an exchange student. During my studies as an undergraduate, I worked at a senior welfare center, Good Neighbors (an International humanitarian NGO), and Ewha international convention management center. 

Why did you choose the Master's Programme in Education with International and Comparative specialisation?

I developed my interest and passion for education from the voluntary teaching activities I participated in throughout my time at university. For three years, I taught children in Cambodia- financially marginalized students, migrant teenagers, and pupils in rural areas in Korea. Also, I worked on projects ensuring quality education and health for children and women in the NGO. These experiences made me want to work in the educational field and I felt the need to deepen my knowledge about education. I chose this program because the courses covered various fields of education in international and interdisciplinary contexts. The comparative perspective was also attractive to me because I observed different educational situations depending on country, region, and socioeconomic factors. This program was the perfect match for me to explore my interests.

How are you finding your studies so far?

I have no educational background in education, so I was worried about it at first. However, our professors are also aware that our backgrounds are diverse, and they are very supportive. The curriculum is designed from basic knowledge of social sciences to writing a master thesis. I studied sociology, but it helped me a lot to understand the course literature because sociological theories and scholars are often mentioned. The courses offer a wide range of topics, so it broadened my interests. Education in Sweden was quite different from the one I experienced in Korea. I think students have more autonomy and almost everything is up to them. Teachers give students raw ingredients, but we are the ones who should chew and digest them. But there is no need to worry about it because teachers let us know how to cook next to us. This environment encouraged me to think more critically and out of the box with more freedom. I would say this program is not easy, but I learned a lot from the readings and assignments. The discussions and presentations trained me to get out of my comfort zone. In my opinion, mistakes and failures are more accepted and even encouraged sometimes as a process of learning here compared to Korea.

What do you enjoy most about the programme?

My classmates with no doubts. We have students who have different academic and professional backgrounds from all over the world. We talk about different education systems in our countries in class. We learn through sharing our personal experiences and get inspired by each other. My classmates are very caring and friendly. They are always organizing cute events such as excursions, barbeques, picnics, birthday parties, and movie days together. Having lunch together after classes is our ritual and our group chat never gets quiet with new fun plans, notes for absent friends, and questions about the readings. I’ve never been in a group that supports and cares about each other like this. This bond exists even between students and professors, administrators, different year cohort groups, and alumni. Some classmates bring their kids to school, so we can be friends with the small classmates too! Studying abroad can be tough, but this warm atmosphere helped me to adapt to the new environment in the new country. Stockholm became my home, and my classmates are my family here. 

What advice do you have for students who are thinking about applying for the programme?

Your academic background does not have to be related to education. If you look up the professors in our department, you can see that even their academic interests and backgrounds are varied. I think the department wants you to be able to show your unique perspective developed throughout your journey. I recommend you to look through the course literature to make sure the courses and what you want to learn fit together. Studying education with international students in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden and Scandinavia, is a special experience for me. I feel lucky to be in this community and hope you won’t miss the opportunity to be part of it. Take a chance!