It came a point when things just clicked

"I was born in the UK, but lived in Spain my whole life, and that sparked my interest in seeing how my two countries were related and their connection to other parts of the world. Also, my parents, being scientists, lived in different countries before I was born, and I was exposed to a very international background through their friends.

During my Bachelor I had a teacher who was a specialist in the Yemeni conflict, and this really sparked my interest, specifically the relation that the country has with other regional and international countries. And I also wanted to learn more about it, not just the issues relating to this country per se, but also other countries in the region, and also the fact that it is close to where I'm from, which is Spain.

I chose to study at Stockholm University because the programme was really interesting, and also being Sweden like a hub for international relations, I thought it would be a good opportunity to be able to pursue it here.

The moment that I first arrived I wasn't very convinced, very happy. I think it was a bit of a shock being, you know, on my own having to cope with everything, having to be self-sufficient. And after two weeks, I was really longing home. I started doubting that I had made the right choice, and that maybe I wasn’t up to the task. And I really wanted to go back home.

So I decided to give myself a month, give myself an opportunity to really settle into the country with the people. And I also realized that it's very important when you're not feeling 100% to really not neglect things like doing sport, being active, being outdoors, trying to make an effort to meet other people.

And slowly it came a point when things just clicked and, yeah, I realized that it it been a really good choice. And I'm glad that I stayed and I gave everything an opportunity because it turned out very well.

I'm still not 100% clear on where it's going to take me, but I do know that I want to end up working in areas like conflict resolution analysis or the improvement of human rights.
But right now I'm very focused on being present, being here."

Clara Joy Lazzeri Barcelo

To learn more about the master's programme, see Master’s Programme in Middle Eastern Studies

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