He was one of the international students at the University of Skövde who attended the welcome party “Nukalaset” in Skövde yesterday.
Nukalaset is an event arranged to welcome new students and soldiers to Skövde. It’s a collaboration between the University of Skövde, Armed Forces and Next Skövde Destination Development Inc. This was the first time the joint welcome party took place and the aim was to present the city of Skövde and to give a warm welcome to all those who have chosen to move to Skövde to study or to work as a soldier.
The party started off with a cortege from the University and the garrison, led by the Drum Corps from Falköping. The two groups converged halfway and walked together through the city center to the stadium Arena Skövde. Once there they were met by an entertaining programme with speeches, musical performances, dance shows etc. After the show the students could mingle with each other and take a look at the exhibition that was arranged in the hall.
- Investing in welcoming and meeting the needs of new people coming to Skövde is an important ingredient in our efforts to be perceived as a welcoming and growing region, where people meet, work and have a good life, says Lisa Lindgren from the municipality of Skövde.
- This joint arrangement is also a good example of how we want to collaborate with different parts of the city. Everyone involved in this arrangement has an ambition to create a total experience of Skövde. A good example where even industry, associations and neighboring municipalities are involved, continues Per Ekberg, Next Skövde Destination Development Inc.
John Bosco Tayebwa really likes it in Skövde so far and is amazed by the warm welcoming that he has received since he came here.
-Everything was planned for me when I came to Sweden and there has always been someone helping me when I have had questions. The housing coordinator helped me with the accommodation and the Student Union and the International Committee (IC) have arranged a lot of fun activities. I really like the people in Skövde, they are so warm and welcoming.
Tito Candelli from Italy is John’s classmate and he agrees:
-People here are so active and you’re being pushed to engage in different things. There’s always something going on, which makes Skövde a stimulating environment. Another amazing thing about studying in Sweden is that you can actually survive here without knowing a word of Swedish. The Swedes speak English so well and there’s no problem to get around here as a foreigner.
John and Tito are studying an International Master’s programme in Bioinformatics at the University of Skövde. At Nukalaset they were hanging out together with Egle Grustaite and Indre Jurkeviciute from Lithuania. Egle and Indre like that the University of Skövde has new and modern technology and they find the teachers very friendly, which creates a nice atmosphere in the classroom. They stop to chat a bit with each other, the representatives from the University and to get some information and giveaways handed out by the exhibitors at the Arena. Filled with new impressions they continued to the city center. Maybe to have a “fika” (people having a cup of coffee and hanging out together), one of the Swedish traditions that they already have adapted and learned to like.