Students Sara Spets and Vivien Szabo from the Human Resource Management programme at Karlstad Business School (KBS) visited our new student exchange partner, the International University of Monaco.
– It's all about networking, networking, networking, says Sara Spets.
Sara and Vivien, tell us about the purpose of the study visit
– The collaboration between Karlstad Business School and the International University of Monaco (IUM) is relatively new, and we went to explore the opportunities that IUM has to offer, says Sara Spets. We mainly wanted to investigate the following:
- What does the school look like and how is the education structured?
- How can one live as a student?
- What social activities are available and what can one do in their free time? Student life!
- What exchange opportunities are there?
How did it come about that it was you two who went?
– We both sit on the board of Pelikan (the Human Resource Management student association) as president and education officer, respectively, says Vivien Szabo. We really want to promote being involved in association life as it opens up these types of opportunities.
Tell us about what you experienced on-site that might be of interest to students considering going on exchange studies to Monaco
– What we found interesting is that IUM is an international university where students from all over the world come to study, explains Sara Spets. Of the students living in Monaco, the majority still live at home, also known as Monegasques (from Monaco). Many exchange students choose to live outside the city as there are good public transport connectionsand you don’t need a visa. We met two girls from Sweden who actually chose to rent an apartment in Monaco, but it costs them 26,000 SEK per month. You can get much more for your money outside, for example in the beautiful city of Nice.
– There is an attractive student life but not in the same way as at Karlstad University, says Vivien Szabo. It's hard to compare considering the culture is so different, but in Monaco, it's not unusual to have a cocktail party on the beach, for example. The student associations are focused on golf and yachting, and when the Formula 1 season is on, there's a lot happening.
What are the major differences between studying in Karlstad and Monaco?
– The culture in Monaco is really cool and much revolves around 'the luxurious life,' which is reflected in the education, says Sara Spets. Having courses in sports management (sailing, tennis, and golf) and luxury living (the lifestyle in Monaco) are just a few signs that the study culture is different from what we are used to in Sweden. In Monaco, there are about five thousand companies, most of which focus on luxury - hence the education is adapted to that lifestyle. From the programme leaders, we learned that students are expected to conduct traineeships and learn from that life. Of course, you can also do a traineeship in other places.
– At IUM, there is only one programme for three years but many courses to choose from, which suits those who want their student exchange in Monaco, says Vivien Szabo. In the second year, there is an opportunity for traineeships for programme students, and it is mandatory. There are similar events to Hotspot at Karlstad University where managers and representatives attend and offer traineeships and jobs to students. It's all about networking, networking, networking!
– The university is small with 1000 students, but at the same time, it's just right, says Sara Spets. The environment is office-like where students and teachers as well as administration sit close to each other. There is a small library that has just what you need, but it can't be compared to the library at Karlstad University.
– Sixty percent of students who complete a bachelor's go on to a master's, which is an impressive statistic, says Vivien Szabo. It shows that there is more to gain and a greater chance for development in their mentioned field.
What was the most important and fun thing you experienced?
– It was very exciting to experience the cultural difference between Sweden and Southern Europe as it's not just Monegasques and French people studying at IUM, says Vivien Szabo. We both got to see the cultural differences that were hard to grasp at first. But eventually, we accepted that it simply is what it is.
– We understood that the purpose of an exchange is, among other things, to experience another culture, and it can be difficult at first, but once you accept that few places are 'just like home,' it becomes easier to find peace and acceptance, says Sara Spets. We thought it was cool to see the yacht event and sit at a French café and talk about what life would look like if we studied here. There are few places as beautiful as Monaco, and you gaze wherever you go because it's so incredibly beautiful.
