Conference turris::scandia

	 Most Swedish  institutes  of  technology offer some
	 sort    of   computer   science   programme.    The
	 universities   also   have   CS   programmes.   For
	 instance,   the  Lund,  Link�ping    and  Stockholm
	 institutes  of   technology  all  offer  a  Masters
	 programme   in  computer  science,  which  is  both
	 hardware- and software oriented. 

         They are all heavy users of DEC equipment as well.

	 The language  might  present a problem though - I'm
	 not  so  sure  that  it  will  be  trivial to learn
	 Swedish even if you know German.  Granted that many
	 words   ar   similar,   but  the  grammar  is  very
	 different. Would be a nice challenge though...
	 

	 Per-Olof  :-)

It took me about a year of intensive study, while living in Sweden, to
learn enough Swedish to follow University courses.  (And, I'm not
particularly good at languages).  As part of my degree, I ended up with
a "betyg" (credit) in Computer Sciences.  My professors were very
accomodating, and I was allowed to write examinations and papers in
English.  (My written Swedish is fluent, but not always grammatical.) 

The tricks to learning a language are:

1. Move in with some natives (a student dorm) and stop speaking English.
   (After you've been studying for a few weeks.) Don't let anybody speak
   English to you, unless its a matter of life or death.  You will find
   you have to point, mug, and wave your arms alot, but it is the one
   single most important key to fluency.  If you're studying Swedish
   in the Boston area, attend the Language Table at Harvard.

2. Read one of the major newspapers every day, first page to last, including
   the women's pages, sports pages, and obituarys.  Keep a dictionary with
   you and make sure you (sort of) understand everything.  This is the
   key to gaining vocabulary.  Since the news doesn't change much, and
   you're reading a new paper every day, you'll see the new words often
   enough that you'll learn them quickly.

   The one problem with learning the vocabulary from one of the better
   Swedish papers (such as Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet) is that
   they read like a combination of the New York Times and the New York
   Review of Books.  Since you haven't learned the language from infancy,
   you'll start talking like a college graduate, but won't be able to
   tell the difference between, say, "nice" and "good".  I.e., you'll
   know the language, but won't feel it.  (Allts�, du "kann" spr�ket,
   men "k�nner" inte den.)

3. To get a feeling for the language and culture, read junk novels
   (detective stories) and children's books.

4. Use the language wherever possible.

Martin.

    Per-Olof gives good advice: few (if any) technical courses would
    be given in a language other than Swedish, and the pronunciation
    may hard for even someone fluent in German to follow.
    
    The widest range of CS and earth science courses would probably
    be found at the seven largest higher educational institutions in
    the cities of: Stockholm, Uppsala, Link�ping, Lund, G�teborg, Ume�,
    and Lule�.  Addresses to write to for course catalogs are:
    
    Stockholms universitet            106 91 STOCKHOLM
    Uppsala universitet               Box 256, 751 05 UPPSALA
    Lunds universitet                 Box 1703, 221 01 LUND
    G�teborgs universitet             Vasaparken, 411 24 G�TEBORG
    
    The students all speak English; perhaps you can persuade one of them to
    take notes in English :-) 

	 I suggest that you contact the department of computer science
	 at  Link�ping  Institute of Technology for information - this
	 school  is  the one generally considered as offering the best
	 computer  science education.  They actually lead the world in
	 image processing and pattern recognition technology.

	 Most computer  systems  are  DEC - several DECSYSTEM-20's and
	 lots of VAXen, all connected to a nation-wide network.

	 Contact:	Institutionen f�r Datavetenskap
		        Tekniska H�gskolan
			S-58183 Link�ping, Sweden.

    Useful info.  Looks like I'd have to plan on spending about a year
    learning the language before attempting any kind of school...
    wonder if the GEEP pays for that :-) 
    
    anyway,
    
    tack
    
    MP

    Copied without explicit permission from an advertisement in Gult
    och Bl�tt                         
    
    
    Would you like to spend a summer in Uppsala when you can:
    
    o study Swedish
    o study aspects of Swedish society and culture, e.g. film, history,
      arts, social institutions, literature
    o go on trips to Stockholm, V�rmland, Dalarna, Finland
    o take part in evening courses in weaving and Swedish cooking
    o get to know Swedish students and Swedish student life
                
    		   	UPPSALA UNIVERSITY
                   INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SESSION
    		Pa Box 513, 751 20 Uppsala, Sweden

    My svarfar did this a few years ago and really enjoyed himself. He is
    retired and has been taking Svenska classes at his local community ed.
    in Oregon. 
    
    This semester at Uppsala gave him a lot of practice.
    
    

    From: [email protected] (Magnus Rimvall)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Chalmers University
    Date: 2 Mar 90 22:58:36 GMT
    Organization: General Electric Corporate R&D Center
 
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Scott Gould)
writes:
>Couple of quick questions:
>
>Looking for information on Chalmers University of Technology in
>Goteborg.  (First question.  Did I get the name right?) Is this a
>big school/small school, public/private, in town or outside town,
>old/new, etc.  What other schools in Scandinavia are known for
>energy studies?  
 
    Chalmers is one of the 5 Institutes of Technology in Sweden, and one of
    the two oldest ones (the other being KTH in Stockholm). All these 5
    schools probably rank fairly equally, although most Swedes have their
    own preferences (including myself - Lund). In  my field (EE) I would
    rank them with "good" US Schools such as RPI or one of the lesser UC's
    (rank 20-50 or so). Not bad  considering the number of EE programs in
    the US, but not great either (swedish = LAGOM).
 
    Chalmers is situated close to the center of Goeteborg, there is an
    active student life despite the location in a non-university town.
    Chalmers is, as virtually all educational institutions in Sweden,
    public - virtually free of charge for Swedes, do not  know what
    foreigners have to pay.  
 
    I am not aware of energy studies in particular, but the 5 schools to
    consider are:
    
    Lunds Tekniska Hoegskola
    Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola (Goeteborg)
    Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan (Stockholm)
    Linkoepings Tekniska Hoegskola
    Luleaa Tekniska Hoegskola (I think, this is far in the north
                             and outside of my sphere of imagination)

    From: [email protected] (Kurt Swanson)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Quality Of Life In Europe? (Stay/USA or Transfer/Europe?)
    Date: 30 May 92 01:24:56 GMT
    Sender: [email protected] (Usenet on news.acns)
    Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
 
    In <[email protected]> [email protected] (Helgi Torleif
    Dagsson) writes: (about the desire to study in Sweden)...
 
    As someone who has just completed the process, I may shed some light on
    the topics at hand...  I have been accepted for doctoral study, and my
    visa application is complete, but has not yet been returned to me.  (I
    am to be interrogated by the SvenskImmigrationSS at the Consulat in
    Chicago next week).
 
>	Problems:    
>	(1)  It seems from the information I got from the Swedish embassy
>		here that Statens Invandrarverk requires that I would have
>		enough money for not just a year at a time, but for the
>		entire stay in Sweden, for however many years, in advance.
>		As almost every possible grant, scholarship or loan is granted
>		only ever year or maybe two, that precludes doing so for
>		the four-five years required for the doctoral level studies.
 
    True, formally they do.  Many of the requirements hold stronger to
    undergraduate students than graduates.  I personally have only shown
    absolute funding for one year.
 
>	(2) The amount required, 6.000 SKr./month is more than can be borrowed
>		here on a Stafford Loan.  The info the embassy sent me
>		indicates that there is no financing for foreign students avil-
>		able, and students cannot work even a little. (this is the
>		most common way for US graduate students to finance their
>		education: a Graduate Assistanship).
 
    There is no _government_ support for any foreign student, but there can
    be departmental support - something I am holding out for...  Also, you
    can work on a student visa from 15 may - 15 september, after
    registering with the local polismyndighet.  Also, it is not impossible
    to get a work permit.  This is apparently a more arduous process once
    in Sweden with a student visa, but I am told that one is more likely to
    receive such once one is already accepted into the country.
 
>	(3) Even if somehow I could come up with the financing, it also seems
>		that Statens Invandrarverk would not want me to stay on:
>		something about 'du _avser_ l{mna Sverige efter din studier
>		slutar'  (I can't rember the exact words, but something to
>		that effect.) Avser is usually translated as 'consider' so
>		yes, I could consider, but ... perhaps they mean it another
>		way or it has a different _legal_ meaning than in general 
>		speech.
 
    According to the Chicago Consulat, "It must be your expressed intention
    to leave Sweden upon the completion of your studies."  This is the only
    underlined sentence in the entire document entitled "Graduate Studies
    in Sweden."  It is written in English.  Don't even think of mentioning
    your like to go permanently.  You are not wanted.  But don't despair,
    highly educated scientific peoples generally do not have any problem in
    being accepted as a resident in most countries.  For example, it is
    almost impossible for a foreigner to get Permanent Residence here in
    the US before the come & get educated...  Afterwards it becomes quite
    easy...
 
>		I know that if I were to find a 'Svensk kille'  or 'tjej'  to
>		be _sambo_  with, then I could get 'uppeh}ll tillst}nd' but
>		that is not 'arbets tillst}nd' so he or she would have to
>		support me ---  I don't want my lover or lovers to do that.
>		He or she should not have to do that, just because of where I
>		was born.  I want to pull my own weight.  I value equality in 
>		love and friendship.
 
    While being quite liberal, I don't believe Sweden grants residency to
    people in same-sex relationships.  In any case I wouldn't reccommend
    attempting to 'sneak' into the country by some means.  If you are
    serious about going to school, then by all means you could consider
    Sweden as _one_ of your options. On the other hand, if you are merely
    interested in graduate study as a wedge to get into the country, I
    wouldn't reccomend this.  Not only because it devious, but also because
    it is a poor reason to make a major decision in life.  If you still
    want to go to Sweden, but not study, I think it might be possible to
    find work with a Swedish company, although this would be much harder
    now, with current economic situations.
 
>	I have taken two years of Swedish here at the university and studied
>		in Sweden with the Swedish Institute.  Current the professor
>		of Swedish has told me that she believes that while I may not
>		quite yet be ready for the Rikstest, that with perhaps a 
>		semester here I could be.
 
    Of course it would be nice to know the country's second language,
    Swedish, ( ;-) no flames plz), almost everybody speaks English better
    than you do.

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Tomas Eriksson)
    Subject: Re: Studying in Sweden
    Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
    Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
    Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 14:55:27 GMT
  
    The medium of instruction at Swedish universities (usually) is
    *Swedish*. Your literature is usually a mixture of Swedish and English.
    I guess that undergraduate medicine would be roughly 50/50
    Swedish/English. Since, as far as I've heard, medical studies isn't
    exactly a holiday, and they have continuous examination (a quick exam
    every week or so?), it could possibly be difficult not to know Swedish.
 
    The medical programme is 5.5 years, and leads to "l�karexamen". You 
    enter it directly after high school, but you must have studied the 
    science program there. (Roughly equivalent to US high school + 1 year
    of college.) After those 5.5 years follow almost 2 years of (paid) 
    residency/internship (6 months each in surgery, internal medicine and 
    general practice, and 3-4 months in psychiatry, I think). After that
    you  get your license from the "Socialstyrelsen" and are "legitimerad
    l�kare"  (leg.l�k.). Now you're ready to get a permanent job as a
    physician. But  you're not yet specialized, so you work as
    "underl�kare". To become  specialized takes another 4 years or so of
    in-work training at the appropriate clinic.
 
    Note that there are no such thing as a "professional doctorate" in 
    Sweden. The degree of doctor of medicine is a research degree
    equivalent to four years of full-time work. In non-clinical subjects,
    you can start to do research before you have finished the 5.5 year
    programme; some people get their "med.dr." degree, and then go back to
    finish their undergraduate degree and do their residency to be able to
    practice medicine as well as do research in immunology or neuroanatomy
    or whatever. It's often possible to do on-work research in a clinical 
    medical subject, so some specialists get a "med.dr." rather "cheap" in 
    extra time spent, compared to those who get their doctorates in 
    non-clinical subjects.
 
    Anyway, to become a specialized physician, as well as med.dr. in a 
    non-clinical subject, should take about 5.5 + 4 + 2 + 4 = 15.5 years.
    It could take more.
 
    So, if you start your studies next year, perhaps you'll stay in Sweden 
    until the year 2009? :-)
 
    Oh yes, another thing. The medical programmes accept students once each 
    *semester*, not once year. I.e. you can start semester one either in 
    August or in January.
 
    There are medical programmes in Lund, Gothenburg, Link�ping, Stockholm, 
    Uppsala and Ume�.

    Tomas
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------+--------
Tomas Eriksson                                [email protected] ! JA till
   Institutionen f|r fysikalisk kemi, Kungliga Tekniska H|gskolan     !   EG!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomas Eriksson                                          [email protected]
            Surface Force Group, Department of Physical Chemistry,
               Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden