"When I was studying in Nepal, I learned that not all people need, or want, to live like we do in Western Europe"
Herman (20) had plans to become an architect, but a stay in Nepal was decisive in his choice of a different path.
This text is translated using AI.
View the original article here.– I spent a semester at a "folkehøyskole" in Denmark the autumn after finishing upper secondary school. There, I met a guy who talked about how he and another friend were going to study in Nepal with Kulturstudier after they were done at the school.
Both my best friend Sid and I thought this sounded very exciting, and we quickly signed up for peace and conflict studies the next day!
– Sid is half Nepalese, so it was an extra exciting opportunity since we could visit his family and get to know the place he comes from better.
I have always been socially engaged and interested in politics, so therefore the academic aspect also seemed very exciting to me.
Are you unsure about what you want to study and want to try something before you commit to a degree? Or do you already have a plan, and wish for a semester or a year where you can experience the world before you embark on further studies?
Through Cultural Studies, you can earn academic credits while expanding your horizons and experiencing life in a completely different part of the world. In addition to exciting lectures and seminars, you get to know your new home country through experiences and excursions:
– The excursion to Lwang village particularly impressed me during the stay. The village was quite far up in some "hills" as they called it there – but which anywhere else would be called "mountains".
The road there was extremely winding, bumpy, and narrow, which made the bus ride an experience in itself.
Learn more about studies in Nepal
- Nepal and Sri Lanka
- Peace and Conflict Studies
- Inspiration
"Hver dag opplever og lærer vi noe nytt, både ansatte og studenter."
– When we arrived at the village, we were greeted by incredibly hospitable and friendly people. We were shown around and got to see how they lived. The days in the village were mostly spent farming and on various community projects.
That evening we got to know some charismatic guys. One of them played the guitar and sang Ed Sheeran songs for us all night. In addition, we learned the local dance, which was a lot of fun.
In peace and conflict studies, you learn about peacebuilding, how conflicts arise, reconciliation, violence and non-violence. Throughout the studies, there is a particular focus on South Asia and Nepal, the history and social conditions in this region.
When you live in a different part of the world for an extended period, you get the opportunity to become familiar with the culture and perhaps challenge some of your own attitudes and assumptions:
– Living in Nepal and getting to know a completely different part of the world taught me that not all people need, or want, to live the same way we do in Western Europe.
Many in Nepal have little material wealth, but those I met seemed happy and grateful for what they had, even though many naturally also hoped for a better future.
Check out blog posts from Nepal
- Nepal and Sri Lanka
- Student blog
En fantastisk tur til Mustangdistriktet nord i Nepal
An important part of student life is leisure time – as a student in Nepal, the weekends offer something completely different from what you would typically experience in Scandinavian university towns. You have a multitude of opportunities to challenge yourself with new activities and explore your country of study:
– During one of the long weekends, I and a group spent 5 days hiking in the Annapurna mountain range, it was absolutely amazing!
We ended up over 4000 meters high, with an absolutely wild view. Another long weekend we were in Chitwan in the south of Nepal, by the border to India. This was also a completely unique experience. Here it is completely flat, jungle, and much warmer than in the rest of Nepal.
We were on a safari in the jungle and saw lots of cool things, including rhinos and tigers.
– After our stay in Pokhara was over, Sid, Isak, and I went to South India together while we were writing our final exam. We traveled up the southwest coast for 3 weeks, and this was definitely a highlight!
It also went surprisingly smoothly to write the assignment while we were traveling, so it is definitely recommended.
Whether you have plans ready for further studies or not, a semester of peace and conflict studies can be very beneficial. You gain international experience and perspectives that you carry with you throughout your entire study period, no matter what you plan to do in the future.
– The semester in Nepal was absolutely amazing. It has definitely influenced me as a person and been important for further choices I have made.
Before I went to Nepal, I thought I was going to become an architect. After the semester of peace and conflict studies, I realized that I instead wanted to pursue something in social sciences.
Getting to know a completely different region than the one I grew up in, and everything I learned about conflict resolution during my studies greatly contributed to my decision to apply for the program I am currently enrolled in – a bachelor's degree in International Studies at the University of Oslo.
