On May 28, the Global Swede award will be presented to some selected international top students from Swedish universities. The students have excelled in areas linked to innovation and entrepreneurship and have proven to be good representatives of both Sweden and their own country.
Mariia Dovbenko is the Global Swede of the year! Mariia is a student at the Master programme in Strategic Communication at Lund University. Mariia is from Ukraine and is an active member of the SI Network for Future Global Leaders’s local branch in Lund, where she worked as a communication manager in 2019-2020. In addition to her excellent academic life, outstanding leadership skills and organizational capacity, she also created a YouTube channel to share her experiences of living and studying in Sweden with the audience of her home country.
When talking to Mariia, she reflects on her award with happiness and gratitude;
“I am travelling the lifelong journey toward a better self. And here in Sweden, I have experienced the most meaningful stage of this journey so far. Where I explored life and myself through a different lens. Where I had a chance to breathe and allow myself to struggle, to enjoy, to search, to make mistakes and learn lessons. Where my professional pathway in communication turned into confidence in my expertise and determination to drive changes even if they are small.
Global Swede Award became the sign for me that I am heading in the right direction. I will not exaggerate by saying that Lund University became the crucial navigator in this journey. The Department of the Strategic Communication helped me to gain belief in myself, always supported my ideas and enabled me to realize my potential. They became my small Swedish family to which I will always owe of who I am today and who I can become tomorrow. “
Global Swede is part of the Swedish Government's and the Swedish Institute's work to build long-term relationships with international students in Sweden. The purpose is to create cross-border and multicultural networks that will contribute to Swedish foreign trade and benefit the work of reaching future solutions.