The professors and teachers in Jane's study program are engaged in global projects and organizations, and bring up-to-date cases and experience to the classroom.
Name: Jane Lakot
Study program: International Environmental Studies
Why did you choose to study abroad?
Driven by my curiosity, studying abroad was at the top of my list, especially in Europe. I wanted to be able to network with different people, meet and learn different languages, and most importantly experience a different culture.
I also wanted to learn the different government systems implementations, to make improvements for my country, Uganda.
I won three fully funded scholarships across Europe, these included two scholarships in the UK, and one in Norway. I was left with a tough decision on where to study.
Why did you choose to study in Norway?
Norway has always been a country that I wanted to visit, because of its famous beautiful landscape, beautiful cities, and rich cultural heritage.
A friend who was already here, told me about the quality-of-life people lead here, including the health care systems.
Furthermore, Norway is huge on sustainability, which played a big role in my decision, as I wanted to learn from practice.
Now that I am here, I realized even more things: like the efficient transport system that takes you to places at any time, and the humility and inclusiveness of the people. In Norway, you will feel at home no matter where you come from.
Norway is a country of trust, and the government system works, which makes life so much easier.
Why did you choose NMBU?
NMBU has some of the most experienced and practical professors. The professors have active projects in different parts of the world, like NORPART and BOLD to name a few. They use examples in class, making learning more practical.
The professors are involved in current world change-makers organizations, like the UN-Inter-governmental Panel for Climate Change Committee. This gives you first-hand learning.
One key aspect that made me choose NMBU was their research and active projects in the sub-Saharan African countries. I was able to conduct my research in my home country Uganda. This excited me because I would be contributing to my country development from the lessons learnt from Norway.
I was also fascinated by my study program which gives so much freedom to the students to choose their own courses to take within the program, hence leading their own study pathways.
Talking of inclusivity, NMBU is a university that practices what it preaches, it has one of the most beautiful sustainable campuses. It has a conducive learning environment, with learning facilities like the library, that give you access to both online and hard copies of books, with the flexibility to order for you books on request. The Writing Center offers support on how to write well academically.
How did you experience settling in on campus?
Settling in has been so awesome and easy. When I arrived on campus I met groups of other students who were helping us in allocating our apartments and other necessities.
The other students and I were given one full introduction week with different organizations, to help us to settle in. This helped me make friends from different parts of the world, like Germany, Netherlands, Finland, and so on.
The student clubs, as well as the student help desk made sure we were able to learn basic about Norwegians, diets, budgeting, health services, housing, police appointments and so on. Getting help whenever you need is no challenge, the students and the University staff are always more than willing and available to help you.
About your study program
First, we have a study advisor who will guide and provide support whenever you feel lost and your course is challenging. She is so helpful. If you talk to her she will support you in one way or another.
My program addresses key current issues on climate change, sustainability, governance, degrowth, and resilience. This comes in handy when addressing the current challenges the world is facing right now.
The teaching methods here are so different from what I have experienced before: No answers are given to students. Above all I am encouraged to think critically, critique, and give my point of view and then defend it. No answer is labeled as “wrong”. This encouraged my participation in the class.
The professors are super friendly. One thing about NMBU professors, they know all their students by name. This wowed me! They are very available for consultations, even with smaller issues. They will sit down and listen to you.
Courses like Sustainability Science, and Climate Change and Society have very interesting debates about the future of our planet. While providing many perspectives and strategies for improving our planet, I am also intrigued by the learning outcome of my courses. The courses link the theoretical learnings to the industrial practice through activities, like excursions.
We went to Lillehammer for a 3-day excursion, where we learned about the applicability of waste management, national park management, wildlife management, land use, environmental governance, policies at play, and climate change effects. Events like hiking were also included, as well as social happenings in the evening.
How would you describe Campus Ås and its surroundings?
Campus Ås, is so green and has beautiful gardens that can be for relaxing and learning. My favorite part of the campus is the garden in front of Bikuben building. The campus is integrated with the community, on weekends local families take walks through the university.
Ås is a beautiful small town that is linked and easy to reach from Oslo. Commuting is easy in case you are a city person. However, you can find almost everything you need in Ås, from groceries, to health items and clothing.
The campus student accommodation is the best and most comfortable place to live. My apartment is well furnished with a nice living room, dining, and laundry machines. The kitchen has all necessary equipment like dishwashers and fridges.
How would you describe student life at Ås?
Life in Norway is so relaxing, it’s one of the safest places I have ever lived in. Imagine walking at any time at night and nothing will threaten your wellbeing! Also road use here is top notch, I have never before felt more safe while crossing the road, but here they prioritize pedestrians. I usually chant thank you to the drivers whenever they stop at the zebra crossing to enable me to cross the road.
Norway is built on trust, lots of self-service. Norwegians are trustworthy people, and they mean what they say.
There are more than 80 social clubs at NMBU and in Ås, you can choose to enlist in any of them. I am part of the Board members of GLOBALIS as a helper, and a member of the International Students Union. I have been elected as the Programme Committee student representative.
Social life is enhanced through so many clubs and buddy group activities, including concerts at Samfunnet. These social events provide opportunities to network with people outside of your programme.
What do you plan to do after studies?
With my master's in International Environmental Studies, I am well equipped to address current world challenges related to food security, climate change, environmental governance, and sustainability.
I intend to work with NGOs or governmental organizations to address these challenges, especially in Uganda through policy formulations and implementations. The strong network I am building here in Norway will be helpful, I aim to also be a bridge to strengthen collaborations between Norway and Uganda in their future projects.
