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Not Famous, Just Brilliant: The Quiet Excellence of Mälardalen University
Nestled an hour away from Stockholm, there is a university that is quickly shaping the way not just Swedish, but international students from abroad, learn. Mälardalen (pronounced as ma-lah-da-lan) University, located in the small cities of Västerås (pronounced as va-stare-as) and Eskilstuna (pronounced as es-kill-s-tyoo-na), is indeed an amazing place that will change the way you think about studying. This is a place that aspiring students need to consider.
Why isn’t MDU World-Wide Known?
MDU has multiple reasons for not being world-wide known. It is popular in Sweden, but not as popular as the bigger universities like Lund University and Stockholm University. One factor is that they are relatively young. MDU only became a university in 2022. They also do not have plans to go world-wide; they plan to stay local. And although there are many English courses, lots of courses and programmes are in Swedish, making it hard to communicate. Plus, competition from other universities in Sweden make it hard to become big.
Revolutionizing The Way of ‘Learning’
900 courses and 58 study Programmes with 19,000 students, MDU has courses involving design, communication, economics, teaching, health aid, engineering and more. Teachers are hands-on and care about how students are learning. MDU has a strong international student community, and exchange programs. MDU’s modern technology and environment help students learn and understand about different topics by using technology and old methods to teach. MDU has ties with over a thousand companies like Volvo, ABB and Ericsson which means students work on problems that are related to real life situations.
Sustainability In Our School Lives
Striving in the lead, MDU has adapted Sustainability into their everyday lives, from lectures and case studies, to collaborating with organizations like Unity4Water. They are the first higher education institution to receive the environmental certificate under the ISO 14001 standard. They were also the first higher education school in Sweden to be awarded for their beautiful work environment, saying that MDU was a sustainable and supportive place for students to learn.
Academic Excellence
MDU and students have achieved a lot of awards for excellence in many aspects. In 2018, master’s student Vasja Çollaku received the Global Swede Award displaying her talents and efforts. They received the Solar Energy Award in 2022 because their research team had used agriculture and solar panels in a mix that created something new and amazing. Every year, they give out limited scholarships that cover 100% tuition fees, which encourages academic excellence. MDU is an amazing school with lots of awards and academic excellence.
Day in the Life of an MDU Student
MDU students have quite the thrill every day at school. Around 7:30, they wake up and get ready. 8:30 is when students will start to pour in at school. Nine is when learning starts. At 12:00, lunch break occurs, and that’s when students can socialise and eat. One is when there is more studying and lecturing and learning. 3:00 has students doing group projects and studying. At 5:30, students may have activities or extracurricular activities that they may do. MDU offers a lot of clubs and organizations. At 6:30, everyone starts to wind down. Many students go to cafes or eateries to munch on food with friends, and students socialise. 8pm is when students wind down and relax or study. 10:30 is around when students start falling on their beds to sleep. Students have a packed day, but it is exciting to see what they do.
Conclusion
MDU is a formidable place for students to study. With over a 1,000 business ties and partners, students will learn to solve direct problems that will be assessed in the real world. They mix modern technology and sustainability into schooling and not just help students but help the environment. It might not be the most popular but from where they started from, they are outgoing themselves. MDU is an amazing place to learn and will become a memorable place to study at.
By: Bhavik Doranala
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