Earlier this summer, students and staff from the University of Skövde took part in Ten Days of INGENIUM on the Greek island of Crete. This year’s theme, "From Earth’s Surface to Space", attracted students like Jenny Eriksson, studying public health science, and Nicoleta Bobescu, a data science student.
"Before the trip, I was really looking forward to experiencing a university environment in another country. Spending time with students from different cultures gave me a broader perspective – and it was great to finally meet people I’d only worked with online before. I also learned a lot about the topic itself, which I previously knew very little about", says Jenny Eriksson.
A Mix of Lectures and Field Visits – With Climate in Focus
The INGENIUM Senior School offered a look at climate change, focusing on how Earth observation from space, new technologies, and innovation can help us understand and protect our planet.
One of the highlights was a visit to the Finokalia Atmospheric Observatory on Crete’s northern coast, where students learned about atmospheric chemistry, pollution tracking, and climate monitoring.
"We got to learn about the work Greek researchers are doing – and how central data science is to it. That was especially exciting for me, and it really validated my choice to study data science. On the final day, we even approached Assistant Professor Gregory Tsagkatakis from the Department of Computer Science to pick his brain", says Nicoleta Bobescu.
Sandstorms, Earthquakes – and Future Collaborations
Mikael Ejdebäck, Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation at the University of Skövde, also joined the INGENIUM event in Crete. His main focus was to attend the steering committee meetings hosted at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), where he explored opportunities for future research collaboration.
"I also joined the master’s students on their excursion to the Skinakas Observatory, located 1,750 meters up in the mountains – not far from where Zeus is said to have grown up. That day turned out to be quite memorable: we witnessed a sandstorm of red desert dust approaching, which later delayed our return flights. And early that same morning, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook us awake", says Mikael Ejdebäck.
