Mr Getnet Mengesha Asrat, from Ethiopia, received a scholarship and studied Master Program in Business Studies at Dalarna University in Sweden.
For the seventh year in a row, the Global Swede award ceremony has been held. During the ceremony at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on May 10, Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde and Director-General of the Swedish Institute Annika Rembe congratulated some twenty international students who have attended Swedish higher education institutions. These students have distinguished themselves in areas related to innovation and entrepreneurship.
We are happy to congratulate Mr Getnet Mengesha Asrat from Ethiopia, who was one of this year’s award winners. Mr Getnet has been an exceptional student at the Master Program in Business Studies at Dalarna University. Read an interview with Mr Getnet below about his impressions after his stay in Sweden.
Q: What is your perception of Sweden?
Mr Getnet Mengesha Asrat: Sweden feels like my second home. I knew nothing about Sweden before I came. But I think the people are very friendly and helpful. They’re happy to go the extra mile to help someone. I also think the nature is fantastic. I experienced snow for the first time here. At first I found the weather problematic. After all, I am from Africa and not used to this climate. But I later came to love the snow and the cold weather.
Q: Why did you move to Sweden?
GMA: I’d been working for a long time and felt that I needed to gain new knowledge, to update myself. I knew that Sweden had good business schools, and so I applied here. Since I couldn’t pay for the studies myself, it was fantastic that I was able to get a scholarship.
Q: What do you have to say about your experiences in Sweden?
GMA: A lot has happened during my time here. A lot of studying, naturally. Also, my class is small, and everyone is from different countries outside Sweden. We have become quite close and often get together to do fun outdoor activities. For example, we often go for hikes in the wilderness or walks on the ice, which has been new and very exciting for me.
Q: What are you studying?
GMA: Business Studies with a specialization in on human resource management. My academic paper is on how major companies work with CSR, so this is what I’m most interested in.
Q: Why do you think you were nominated for the Global Swede award?
GMA: I have a great deal of work experience in the area of human resources, and have previously worked with these issues at the Heineken brewery. I think I was able to put this experience to good use in group discussions and in our presentations.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
GMA: My plan is to move back to Ethiopia and put my knowledge of CSR issues to use. I hope I can help different types of companies to become better in this area.
Source: Embassy of Sweden, Addis Ababa
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