“I see opportunities now”

“Initially, there were a number of countries I considered for my master’s education, and Sweden was one of them. But a friend of mine was already studying here, and he told me: ‘you are going to love it here, I know you will’. So I looked into it and found out about Sweden's contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, and it felt right. I trusted my friend’s judgment because we have known each other for a long time, but I also trusted my intuition that told me: Mahmoud, go there! Then I applied for the Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals (SISGP) and was fortunate enough to get it.

I think that even if you have the best education where you are currently, there are other things, intangible things, that you just kind of learn by simply staying in another place for a long period of time. It was a way to challenge myself, to be adaptive, to engage in and understand  a new education system and culture. In Sudan I was working with sustainable development as a sanitary engineer, to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation, which is Global Goal 6. And after a while I realized I needed to advance my skillset and increase my competence. That's why I decided to pursue a higher degree, for my work to have more impact.

Of course, I feel homesick at times, but I feel like I found what I was looking for. I miss my family, my friends. I also miss volunteering but I guess I could start volunteering here if I found the opportunity. If everything works out well, I plan to do a PhD or otherwise work abroad to increase my knowledge and broaden my experience. But then eventually I want to go back to Sudan.”

Mahmoud Suliman

To learn more about the master's programme, see Hydrology, hydrogeology and water resources.

Visit su.se/study for more information about studying at Stockholm University.