Foreign Trade Minister and Minister responsible for Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg and Swedish Institute Director-General Madeleine Sjöstedt, attended the digital ceremony, for international students who have excelled in Sweden. Diplomas were awarded to 20 students from 16 countries around the world. The students have excelled in areas linked to innovation and entrepreneurship and have been good representatives of both Sweden and their own country.
– Global Swede is our way of thanking a number of outstanding students every year for choosing Sweden, and at the same time welcome them into our global alumni network. It is a challenging time to graduate, but with their experience from Sweden I am convinced that they will help build bridges between Sweden and the outside world, says Anna Hallberg.
Global Swede is part of the Government and Swedish Institute’s work on building long-term relationships with international students in Sweden. The aim is to create cross-border and multicultural networks that will contribute to Swedish foreign trade and promote work towards reaching future solutions.
– The students nominated for Global Swede are the leaders of the future. They have the ability to bring about change in their home countries and globally. At the same time, they serve as ambassadors for our country in the world. They open doors for Sweden and Swedish companies abroad. It is invaluable, not least in times like these, says Madeleine Sjöstedt, Director General of the Swedish Institute.
Global Swede alumni are part of a broad alumni network, administered by the Swedish Institute, which today comprises about 15,000 people from 140 different countries. Two of the award winners; Lesley Hakunavanhu from Zimbabwe and Alina Veksler from Russia, are also SI scholarship holders. SI’s scholarship program offers opportunities for international talents to develop professionally and academically, to experience Swedish society and culture and to build a long-lasting relationship with Sweden and with each other. This year, the Swedish Institute has offered 420 full-time scholarships that more than 7,000 students have applied for
Watch this year’s recipients of Global Swede talk about themselves and their driving forces: