Uppsala Universitet, Sweden
Why start Euroculture in Uppsala?
Euroculture is ideal for students who understand that Europe’s future will be shaped not only by economics and politics, but also by struggles over identities, values, and heritage. As a student at Uppsala, you will be exploring those important questions with the help of the faculty, library and research facilities of one of the oldest and most highly ranked universities in Europe (you can see the latest rankings here). Notable alumni include astronomer Anders Celsius, physicist Anders Ångström, botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus and the late UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld; 8 academics affiliated with the University have been awarded the Nobel Prize. More on Uppsala University.
But Uppsala is about far more than just study – located only forty minutes by train from Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, it is one of Sweden’s most lively and attractive cities, offering both small-town charm and big-city resources. There are many cafés and concerts to enjoy and a rich student life full of traditions to discover. More on student life.
Group work and discussions in class are important in Swedish academic culture
Thematic Focus
The programme involves lecturers from a variety of disciplines and is administered by the Faculty of Theology – home to the Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies on Racism and the Uppsala Religion and Society Research Centre, which was a participant in the EU’s RESPOND project on mass migration.
In the first semester, we consider different historical, religious, political and legal aspects of Europe. In the second semester, Uppsala specialises in Europe’s Liminal Seas and Borderlands. Europe is in European eyes a continent, separate, unique. Yet from a global perspective, Europe is merely the westernmost appendage to the great Asian landmass. In this class we look at the spaces we use to build our understanding of ourselves as separate – the oceans bordering Europe and the borderlands to the east and southeast: the Balkans and the Russian plains. These seas and lands exist not only as their own cultural entities in our imaginations, but as broad strokes of a dividing line between “us” and “them”. To cross the oceans means a passage that not only transports us geographically but also culturally.
Thesis supervisors can be scholars within a variety of academic fields, including history of religion, languages, law, migration, peace and conflict studies, political science, sociology of religion, theology, and other research fields.
Swedish academic culture is fairly informal. This means that university lecturers are considered as more like partners in students’ educational and learning processes. Less time is dedicated to traditional classroom lectures and more to personal reading and individual and group tasks. The aim is to give students a balanced workload between taking part in lectures, reading the assigned course materials, critical consideration of the readings, and group discussions, all of which are important parts of the advanced learning experience. Active participation in class discussions and student interaction outside the classroom are encouraged, giving therefore a substantial amount of responsibility to students in their preparations for their future lives as professionals, researchers and policy-makers.
Why Sweden?
Sweden is a land of forests and lakes, moose and bear but also one of the most technically creative countries in the world. Historically, the country has left its mark as a land of Vikings and an imperial power. Today, it is known as a defender of democracy, diversity and reform.
Sweden’s university system encourages students to be independent and challenge established thinking. It is strong in fields such as gender and identity studies, peace and conflict, human rights and environmental studies – thus providing an ideal context for studying Euroculture, which concerns not only politics but also society and culture: identities, values and heritage.
More on Sweden:
About Uppsala city
Uppsala is an old city with strong academic and cultural traditions. With its river, many green areas and cycle paths, it offers a pleasant living environment in which to pursue an active student life.
The city is characterised by its university, castle and cathedral, which is the largest in the North. It lies just 70 kilometres north of Stockholm (40 minutes by train) and is only 30 kilometres away from the international airport, Stockholm Arlanda. The fourth largest city in Sweden, Uppsala was once an important trading centre to the Vikings – as you will find out if you visit nearby Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala). The Viking centres of Birka (8th century) and Sigtuna (10th century) also lie nearby; Birka is a World Heritage site.
Useful links:
Practical
Course Catalogue: More about the course structure in Uppsala here.
Campus: the Euroculture programme is based at the English Park (Humanities) campus. You will find a short tour of the campus here.
Accommodation: students can apply for a room from Uppsala University Housing Office (UUHO) - list of housing areas here.
Living costs: around 900 EUR per month.
Visa / Study permits: students from countries outside the European Economic Area can apply for a study permit online: More on study permits here.
Swedish courses: students can apply for a Basic Swedish course, which is free of charge and offered at 4 different levels.
Support:
if you have a disability that may affect your studies, you can get support during your time at Uppsala University: support for disabilities;
the Student Health Service can provide support and counselling and also offers a light room.
Student gym: the student gym is called Campus 1477.
Career counselling: Uppsala’s Careers Office can advise on studies, work and the labour market. They also organise special sessions on CVs and interviews.
Contact
Email: euroculture@teol.uu.se
Phone: +46 18 471 2236 (Cameron Ross, administrative coordinator)
Website: https://www.uu.se/en/admissions/master/selma/program/?pKod=HEC2M
Visiting address: Thunbergsvägen 3B, Uppsala.
Postal address:
Euroculture Programme
Department of Theology
Uppsala University
Box 511
SE-751 20 Uppsala
Sweden
Recognition status
Name of Institution: Uppsala universitet
Name of the degree awarded: Master of Arts in Theology (120 credits) with Euroculture as the main field of study.
Accredited by: under Swedish law, universities are entitled to establish programmes by themselves
