A unique experience: an exchange in the Nordic countries

Meeting between KTH, Linköping University, and Arts et Métiers

As part of student exchanges, Pierre Guiol, head of the international relations office at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Lille, responsible for supporting students on mobility programs in the EuroNORD zone, and Adel Olabi, lecturer-researcher and national coordinator for EuroNORD zone programs, traveled to Sweden from Monday, March 12 to Tuesday, March 13, 2018. The trip was all about discovery for Pierre and Adel. It was an opportunity for them to meet their counterparts from Linköping University and KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) for the very first time, two partner university campuses where more than 20,000 students come together every day! The two-day program included an update on the French and Swedish education systems, which are different but not incompatible. Representatives from the various institutions discussed "How to best welcome exchange students." The twoArts et Métiers employees alsoArts et Métiers the opportunity to visit a robotics laboratory Adel's specialty. It was an interesting experience that opened up possibilities for new partnerships in the future.

The Nordic countries, a popular destination forArts et Métiers students

At Arts et Métiers, every engineering student spends time abroad. They complete at least eight weeks of activities there. Often, students don't want to limit themselves to these eight weeks of mobility and decide to go on exchange for the whole year. In 2017, nearly 200 applications were processed by Pierre and Adel's predecessors. Currently, 82 students are on exchange programs in Nordic countries.Arts et Métiers engineering studentsArts et Métiers easilyArts et Métiers , "our students have a very good reputation among our partners, who have told us that they are among the best students in their programs,"," says Pierre Guiol.

There are four reasons why Arts et Métiers students are attracted Arts et Métiers these destinations. First, they appreciate the wide variety of specializations offered by partner institutions, "particularly aerospace," says Adel Olabi. The Nordic mentality, which fosters a different way of living and thinking, is also one of the advantages of these countries. It allows French students to discover new ways of life and cultures.Autonomy is essential in learning due to the university nature of the partner institutions, which is different from the Grande Ecole system. Last but not least, studying abroad allows students to learn new languages, particularly Swedish, and improve their English.

The different courses offered by KTH and Linköping University toArts et Métiers students