Leadership and Management in International Contexts, Master Programme

Student testimonials

"I have improved my team skills"

Hello future leaders, my name is Elisabeth. I come from Austria and I am about to finish the master's programme 'Leadership and Management in an International Context' at the LNU University in Kalmar.

Last year I completed my undergraduate studies in Tourism and Leisure Management and I felt that I am not quite done with my academic education. So I started to search the internet for options and also talked to friends for advice. It was clear for me that I wanted to experience life in a Scandinavian country, because I have met so many nice people from there and also heard so many good things about the high quality of their education system. In the end, I decided to go to Kalmar, a rather small city in the south of Sweden I have never heard before. Looking back at my time here, it was a good decision.

The programme is characterized by many nationalities and room for self studies and personal development. While working on team project with friends from all around the world I learnt a lot about how to handle cultural differences and could greatly improve my own team skills.

The city of Kalmar offers almost all that you need as a student. There are shopping facilities, restaurants, pubs and clubs (most of them offering student specials on Wednesdays and Saturdays), and also a big variety of sport facilities (if you are interested in team sports like football or volleyball there is an organisation called FIKS, which organises this kind of sports for students, there are different activities each day of the week). All of the hot spots for students are within walking distance, but many also cycle, which is a lot of fun.

The university takes great care of their international students and makes it very easy to feel welcome. During the welcome week in the beginning the student's organization organized many fun activities where you got to know the other students. Throughout this year we formed a great community in our programme and we do many free time activities like cooking, bbq, bowling,... together.

Interviews with alumni

"Every day is unique, I'm always doing something different"

Thato Valencia Mmatli studied Leadership and Management in International Contexts with the aim to learn more about international leadership and management in organizations. Today she is working as a Industrial Psychologist in South Africa.

What industry do you work in or with?
– Currently, I work with the military as an Industrial Psychologist in South Africa with all arms of service. My degree from Linnaeus University paired really will with my background in Psychology and my passion for studying the different leadership models and roles in organizations.

What are the best highlights of your job and what are the biggest challenges?
– I really enjoy the opportunity to work with a variety of people from different backgrounds on a daily basis. I work with training, team building, psychological assessments etc. I really enjoy the different practical elements of my profession. It's one of the greatest things; every day is unique, I'm always doing something different and it's very stimulating. However, the biggest challenge would have to be the lengthy final decision making processes when working with a bigger team and wherein each step requires a chain of command. Although I understand the importance of this, you cannot just take immediate action which can be a challenge when time-sensitive issues are encountered and you must exercise restraint until final decisions are made.

How did you establish your career after your studies at Linnaeus University?
– After finishing my first master's degree in Industrial Psychology, I had completed a twelve month internship with the South African military. By doing so, this made it possible for me to come back into this work environment and contribute what I had learned from my studies at Linnaeus University. The modules and experiences I had at Linnaeus University are beneficial in my job on a daily basis. I can combine my knowledge on international leadership with Industrial Psychology aspects such as; identifying leadership potential, how best to train potential leaders and implementing leadership models in an organization.

How was your student life at Linnaeus University?
– The twelve month graduate program I completed at Linnaeus University was very enjoyable. Linnaeus University encourages a certain culture of togetherness. They encourage you to spend time together and not just in school-related events. You really create a family with your class. Before you know it you're in each other's homes and are building long-lasting relationships. Everyone is in somewhat the same situation as we all come alone to Linnaeus University from different parts of the world, so the university encourages you to support each other. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) also created great extramural activities. They really wanted to give us the full Swedish and international experience with many trips and cultural events. I remember the international cooking and culture nights which were a great environment to make friends. It was always interesting to learn the differences in food, culture and history of people who came from Spain, Poland or even Germany and I learned a lot that I hadn't known before.