Alumni Stories - The Podcast

Growing up in poverty, Monserrat Gonzáles knows how much that affects your life, That is why she has dedicated her life to helping other people. But it's not always easy when that means not being there for yourself when things you cannot control happens. This episode is recorded just two months after the 2017 big earthquake hit Mexico City and is the last episode for this season of Alumni Stories.

In this episode we travel to Kiev to meet with three alumni who all work for positive change in their own way. Oleg by stimulating civil society reform initiatives, Natasha by educating refugees and Svitlana by supporting social entrepreneurs.

An unusual gene found in Sweden led to an important research collaboration between Sweden and the US on the mission to find a cure for Alzheimers disease. SI alumnus "W" shares some thoughts on the progress and why the fika culture can be crucial within cross sectoral research.

Growing up in a post-soviet state, struggling with conflicts, affected Tamar's biggest decisions in life. Her ambition to make a difference for her country brought her to Sweden for master studies and all the way to a carreer within the Minstry of Foreign affairs in Georgia.

Muktasree Chakma Sathi from Bangladesh quit her prestigious job as a journalist in Dhaka to go work as an human rights activist in the indigenous area Chittagong Hill Tracts. Listen to her story and her thoughts on why identity matter and how she tackles the threats that come with a life as an activist.

This is the story of Mohammad Nesrini - a student from Syria who suffered a serious injury in his spinal chord and had to leave his home because of war before coming to Sweden for studies. It's a story about refusing to be a victim and following your dreams even when life might seem unfair.

In the premiere episode we get to know Maxim Vlasov – a rebellious Russian who became a PhD student in Sweden and a passionate NGO activist for sustainable development.