With 50,000 Indians living in Sweden, embassy looks at drawing more

Bengaluru: As the world gets more competitive, the Scandinavian country of Sweden is working to attract more Indian students to study in its universities. The Embassy of Sweden has held a number of workshops across South India to interact with members of the student community and invite them to apply to all of the 39 universities in their country.

“We have 50,000 Indians living in Sweden at the moment. We believe that we have a robust environment for academic research and technological development. Indians are skilled at maths and various sciences and hence we wish to attract more such talent to help aid the ongoing scientific work in our nation,” said Per-Arne Wikström, Innovation and Science Counsellor, Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi.

Markus Lundgren, Economic Counsellor at the Embassy shared with TOI that Sweden sees more south Indians than others. The members of the embassy opined that the widespread cultural emphasis on education in southern India may be behind this demographic’s prevalence in Sweden.

Some students from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) were present at the interactive event organised by the Embassy in Bengaluru . “We are already studying and are in our first year of BSc, but we are open to collaborating for internships and research projects,” they told TOI.

Possibility to find work after degree

“It is very easy to get a job in Sweden if you are good at what you do,” remarked Lundgren. Students can also find work relevant to their branch of academics and engage in that while studying in the country, TOI was informed.

“If you speak English well and can manage conversation in the local language, you are better placed in the job-hunting race,” he further said. With five consecutive years of work experience in the country, students are also eligible to apply for citizenship.

Hub for innovation

Rajeev Thottappillil, Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology , has been living in Sweden for the last 25 years and hails from Thrissur, Kerala. Citing his two decades' long experience, Thottappillil agreed that the country isa hub of innovation.

“When you think about all modern-day applications or products, many were invented in Sweden. The country has been leading research in transmission technology, vehicle safety, defence technology, electronics, home decor and furniture, communications, gaming, medicine and now even music streaming,” he pointed.