“Research felt far away – now we’re part of it”

“It was fantastic, almost like a dream. The conference surpassed all our expectations and is one of the best things we’ve ever undertaken,” says Linnéa Wihlborg.

Getting to go there and discover that research isn’t a world far away. Now it feels like we’re part of it. Which is really cool!” adds Amanda Nilsson.

Their supervisor planted the seed

Linnéa Wihlborg and Amanda Nilsson became friends on their very first day of the psychology programme at Örebro University. They knew early on that they wanted to write their master’s thesis together during their final semester.

“We are both very interested in research and decided to do something meaningful with our master’s thesis. We were ecstatic when our supervisor, Metin Özdemir, asked if we wanted to submit it to the conference,” says Linnéa Wihlborg.

Their thesis examines newly arrived immigrant children and adolescents, focusing on their sense of belonging and motivation to integrate into Swedish society, while also maintaining their own cultural identity. It draws on data from the PIA Study, a research collaboration dedicated to supporting the integration and adjustment processes of newly arrived youth and their families.

“The way society talks and communicates about immigration and integration has a greater impact than we could imagine. The ability to be yourself, regardless of ethnic or cultural differences, fosters greater solidarity and better integration,” says Linnéa Wihlborg.

Dreaming of continued research

The opportunity to go to Berlin and present the thesis was a positive experience, both in meeting researchers from Örebro and from other parts of the world.

“Everyone was so open and genuinely interested. It was inspiring to see how our work attracted attention, even though we’d only just graduated,” says Linnéa Wihlborg.

Both are currently undertaking their postgraduate training in psychology (PTP), but they are already dreaming of furthering their research.

“We would like to continue researching together. Our thesis feels like a starting point. Continuing to explore issues concerning adolescents with an immigrant background and how we can contribute to a society that is inclusive for everyone. Something that feels both meaningful and important,” says Amanda Nilsson.

Their advice to students preparing to write their thesis is:

“Don’t shy away from showing an interest in research. Staying curious and open goes a long way,” says Amanda Nilsson.

“A lot of people think doing research sounds boring, but it’s surprisingly rewarding and can open up all kinds of new opportunities,” says Linnéa Wihlborg.