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Global Swede Award to International top student from Örebro University

Camilla Mellander, Head of Department for Promotion of Sweden, Trade and CSR at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Grace Turyasingura.

Camilla Mellander, Head of Department for Promotion of Sweden, Trade and CSR at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Grace Turyasingura.

“A dedicated student with a passion for life science who has distinguished herself on all courses and been an ambassador of her international Master’s programme at Örebro University.” Grace Turyasingura has received the Global Swede Award.

Global Swede is an initiative to help build relationships in the long term with international students in Sweden. The initiative builds bridges of transnational and multicultural networks which in the long term will contribute to Swedish trade and promote future solutions to the challenges ahead. 

The Global Swede alumni are part of a wider alumni network, administered by the Swedish Institute, of currently 15,000 people from 140 countries. 2018, the Global Swede award was presented for the eighth year running. 

Swedish Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde, the Director-General of the Swedish Institute Annika Rembe, and Head of Department for Promotion of Sweden, Trade and CSR at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Camilla Mellander, attended the ceremony.

Some 20 international students who have distinguished themselves in areas related to innovation and entrepreneurship, and proven themselves to be excellent representatives of both their own country and of Sweden received their awards at the Global Swede ceremony. It was organised by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Swedish Institute. One of the students was Grace Turyasingura.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical laboratory technology from Makerere University in Uganda. She is currently in her final year of the Master’s programme Innate Immunity in Health and Disease at Örebro University.

“I love doing research. That’s what I would like to do in the future. If it’s possible, I would like to do my PhD here in Sweden,” says Grace.

The grounds given for her nomination is that Grace is a dedicated person with a passion for life science. She has distinguished herself on all courses.

“I have learnt a whole new way of thinking here in Sweden. In Uganda, it is common for teachers to spell out the facts to you and you get to learn the correct answer. In Sweden, there is a more problem-based approach to learning,” says Grace.

She believes her critical thinking skills have grown and she is pleasantly surprised at how much she has learnt.

Parallel to her studies, she has been involved in the Örebro Exchange Student welcome programme, worked with various charity events in Örebro and Stockholm, and been an ambassador of the international Master’s programme on which she is a student.

“What we all have in common is that we have combined our academic studies with a social engagement and involvement both within and outside the university. We were encouraged to continue doing so and to be pioneers in our native countries to boost the exchange with Sweden. ”

“I would like to thank my professor who nominated me – it was a fantastic day.”

Text: Linda Harradine
Photo: Per E Karlsson
Translation: Charlotta Hambre-Knight