Name: Tamara Oshkaderova
Studied: Master’s Programme in Wind Power Project Management; study years 2018-2020 at Campus Gotland

How did you choose your programme?
– I was choosing a programme from a list of programmes eligible for the Swedish Institute’s Visby Programme Scholarship for Master’s level studies. I had studied the energy complex of Scandinavia a little bit in my Bachelor’s and have been interested in renewables ever since. I have never received that scholarship, but gotten another one directly from Uppsala University, which covered my tuition fee.

What is it like to be an international student?
– An opportunity to live in a different culture, meet people from all over the world and discover new things every single day.

What is the best thing about studying at Uppsala University?
– High level of education, comfortable study environment, great reputation and scholarship opportunities.

How did you experience your first few days in Sweden?
– I had a mild cultural shock; everything was very different and much more expensive in comparison to my home country. On the other hand, I could already speak Swedish when I came here, so my adjustment to the new environment went much smoother than for the others.

Describe what a normal day is like for you?
– I have classes, stay at the campus to work on my assignments and/or have a study group meeting. Then, I usually take a walk along the sea or through the Visby old town before going home or meeting up with my friends.

What is something unique about your programme?
– This is the only internationally recognised wind power programme, which focuses on project management. Other universities offer more technical education, usually available only to engineers. The Uppsala programme is more open and welcomes people from various backgrounds, since the industry needs a vast range of competences and experiences for its further development. In addition to that, the programme coordinators organise many guest lectures with the actual actors in the wind power industry for us to receive practical knowledge in addition to theory. Oh, and not to mention our amazing field trips to wind parks and climbing a turbine!

How would you describe the relationship between you and your teachers at the university?
– All the teachers in my department are highly professional, approachable, friendly and very open. They always listen to the students’ feedback in order to improve the courses and the programme in general.

What is your reason for studying and your ultimate goal?
– Learning as much as I can about wind power in order to enter the industry and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Describe the student life and what is your best experience so far?
– The best part for me was the combination of comfortable study environment and vibrant student life in a mesmerising setting of stunningly beautiful Visby.