Our exchange ambassadors
Exchange ambassadors are students from Karlstad University who have been on an exchange semester and who want to share their experiences and help students who are interested in studying abroad. If you have any questions for them regarding what it is like to go on exchange, you are welcome to contact them. As an incoming exchange student, you are also welcome to contact the ambassadors about coming to Karlstad.
Exchange Ambassador 2026
Axel Backing
Exchange university: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Country: Hong Kong
Email: axel.backing@gmail.com
Programme at Karlstad University: International Business
Subject area studied during the exchange: Finance
What would you recommend about studying abroad?
It forces you to be brave. You live on your own in a city where you don’t know anyone, and you have to take the first step every time: talk to strangers, find your own way, travel on your own. You don’t go on exchange to become academically smarter, but to learn about the world, different cultures and languages, and about yourself.
How did you find your accommodation?
As part of the university’s application process, you could choose either to find your own accommodation or to live on campus. If you choose to live on campus, there are three options: (1) live with a local student, (2) live with a local student with mandatory dinners, or (3) live at I-House. Everyone who applies for on-campus accommodation is guaranteed a place. I chose to live with a local student.
Describe the best experience you are taking away from your exchange period:
It wasn’t one particular moment, but the experience as a whole. Living on my own in a new city, experiencing a culture very different from my own, travelling independently, and overcoming challenges without having anyone I knew around me. What I take away from the experience is the knowledge that I managed it, and that you learn exactly how you function as a person when nothing around you is familiar.
What has your exchange semester contributed to your education academically?
I took courses in finance and investment banking that I don’t think are available at home, and I had some really excellent professors. The structure was also very different, with five courses running in parallel. Studying alongside exchange students from all over the world also gave me a different perspective.
As an exchange ambassador, what kind of support would you like to offer students?
Above all, motivation. The International Office takes care of the practical side. What I can offer is a perspective on what the experience is actually like, and which things you really don’t need to worry about. I’m happy to answer emails, attend information sessions, and encourage as many people as I can to apply.
What message would you like to give students who are interested in studying abroad?
Apply. You won’t get a better opportunity, and I haven’t met a single person who regretted going on exchange. If you’re even slightly curious, submit your application and figure out the rest later.
Do you regret studying abroad?
Absolutely not, not for a second. It was the best time of my life.