The university dorm is located within 1 kilometer of the main campus. If you decide to walk, it will take about 15-20 minutes and if you like riding a bicycle it will take about 5-10 minutes.
At the student dorm (single room plus) you will be provided with the following:-
A comfortable bed with pillow, bedsheet and blanket
Study table and 2 chairs
Private bathroom
Fridge
Cupboard
Each student at the dorm will have a letterbox corresponding to his/her room no.
Mailbox
Power plugs in Belgium are generally E type so make sure that you bring the correct adaptor from your home country. In case you forget you can purchase it from the electronic store for 3 Euros.
The common kitchen looks like this-
The common kitchen is a beautiful place where you can mingle with international students, know about their culture, cuisines and share the utensils and foodđđ
kitchen shelves
You can use the kitchen shelves to keep your utensils, cooking oil, spices etc.
Make sure that you clean the workspace and throw the trash in their respective bins before leaving.
Today was kind of the same as any other day, well for most of 2020 to be honest. Getting up, joining online classes, eating – and the cycle repeats. Until 4 pm, I didn’t even think that something unusual would happen in my recent daily routine.
I first heard the warning signal at around 3:30 pm. As an appointed safety steward of my floor in Home Groningen, I thought of checking what’s wrong. But it stopped real soon. “Okay, that must have been a false alarm!” So, I soon forgot about it. After 4 pm, I went downstairs to check my letter box, as I am expecting one to arrive. But as soon as I went downstairs, I saw lots of people, firefighters to be exact. One of them told me that I can’t go back to my room as the building is being evacuated. That came as a real shock to me. First of all, there was no alarm on my floor, and the one I heard before was definitely not an evacuation alarm. Second, I just went downstairs to check my letter box and come back real quick, so I didn’t take anything warm to wear outside. Moreover, it was drizzling and there was cold wind. Of course not pleasant weather to stand outside! And as a safety steward I should have been on my floor letting people know about the ongoing evacuation. But, there I stood outside, like almost everyone else who for some reason came downstairs without knowing anything!
After almost an hour of waiting in the cold and drizzle, we finally were allowed inside the building. No one was sure what exactly happened! But later received an email explaining what exactly happened.
The incident actually was in Home Groningen (another shock), and that too on my floor (okay, the last shock for the day, I hope)! Someone burned their food and the smoke spread to the whole building due to some problem in the extractor. Security agent activated the warning signal and the fire brigade was called. The evacuation alarm did not activate, which primarily caused the misunderstanding among the residents (and I am one of them who didn’t realize anything until later!)
Fortunately, nothing bad happened and no one was hurt. It was all because of the quick response from everyone who was in charge. I got to say, it was a good first experience (though when I came back to my room I was freezing!). With all the things happening around, let’s just pray that we don’t have to hear any more bad news!
During the evacuation. Photo Credit: Motasem Zaid.
P.S. During the information session for the safety stewards, we were told that no one should forget their masks even during an emergency like this. And no one actually did!
Greetings from Edinburgh! As we enter the sixth week of the first semester, I would like to reflect on how studies in the University of Edinburgh on this extraordinary year has been going on so far.
Embarking on a new journey, I believe, must be an exhilarating experience for most of us. And yet, when we have expected the uncertainties and unfamiliarity that a new journey brings, some of us would undoubtedly still feel uncomfortable at some points. Well, at least it does for me.
Deciding to continue my study this year in another foreign land, far from the warmth of homemade food and tropical sun, once again I have expected some unfamiliarity I would be facing; the climate, the food, the culture, and even the language. But then the unprecedented pandemic hit and left me, if not us all, with more uncertainties. For this part, I would like to sincerely thank the IMFSE program organizers for conducting several update meetings with the new cohort students before the semester starts. No one expects to start a postgraduate study abroad amid a pandemic, as I am certain that no one expects to teach postgraduate students in this situation too, and thus the unfamiliarity doubled as we start the term. Nevertheless, just as how our ancestors have survived challenges over the centuries, we use our most valuable ability to face this situation that is, to adapt.
The program and the University of Edinburgh had quickly adjusted the situation with what the university called hybrid learning, which I believe what the students in Ghent are experiencing too with a different setting. For hybrid learning in Edinburgh, we have three main things for each course. First, the online lecture video that the instructors upload on the online learning platform. I would say that this has been great so far because we can watch the lecture at our convenience; we pick the time and we can freely re-watch the videos when we missed some parts (for me due to my short span of attention). Some instructors also divide the contents into several videos for one lecture covering more than one topic so that it is not a 90-minute straight lecture video. Since we set the learning pace by ourselves, at some point I do feel I have to catch up to a lot of contents and therefore this feels like a testament to our time management skill. Since the content is uploaded at different times. I acknowledged that the instructor also takes so many efforts in delivering the contents when it is online. For example, would you get a Deadpool (movie) fire science debrief from Dr. Ricky if it were not online? I enjoyed watching (and certainly learning from) it!
Hybrid Seminar Setting on Campus
Second, we have a hybrid seminar for each course. Some people can attend it online and some are on campus (with a strict health protocol). Each person has the seminar on campus once every two weeks that runs for about an hour. We are divided into several groups with a different period for the discussion in the seminar. Since it is set differently for each individual, I have not got many chances to meet other IMFSE classmates during my on-campus seminar. One thing for sure, discussing problems in the lecture between us students has become a big obstacle to me. Hence as we normalize online meetings, we get to normalize discussing coursework online, with the share screen feature and all that. It might be hard for students joining fully online with a completely different time zone from Edinburgh, but we managed to adjust and hopefully, we will still be for the following months. Another thing to note for the hybrid seminar is the university does not force us to come if we are not feeling well, or uncomfortable to come. Our responsibility as a student and citizen is to be aware of our health condition and responsibly think about our decision before going out. Third and lastly, we also have an hour of surgery hour set up separately from the seminar where we can freely ask the instructor online and live about the course or problem raised during the seminar. Additionally, some instructors open an online discussion forum board for the students and instructors. I have been feeling good about the delivery of the lecture and the learning method so far despite some hassles and awkward silence in between the online meetings, I actually wonder how the instructor feels about this too.
At a glance, it seems like technology once again has helped us overcome the challenge, but it cannot act as a âsilver bulletâ and solves everything. The loneliness from mandatory isolation and social distancing creep in as some new restrictions are introduced. We can meet up to 6 people but only from two households at maximum, so we are only able to meet one-on-one for some real social interaction. Taking a break in between studying is also needed and thankfully Edinburgh is full of places to explore; hiking the Arthurâs seat, Calton Hill, or just a quick break eating a gelato in Grassmarket. I also learned that it is important to reach out when we need help or a company. A new journey comes with the uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but the joy that comes from learning new stuffs, experiencing new things, and the feeling of accomplishment from overcoming the challenges I believe will be worth it. It reminds me a quote from Haruki Murakami on Kafka on The Shore; âOnce the storm is over, you wonât remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You wonât even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you wonât be the same person who walked in. Thatâs what this stormâs all about.â.
From March 2020 onward, we started having online classes in Lund University. Even our exams were online, to cope with the ongoing pandemic situation. But afterwards, as the condition started to get a little better, it was decided that Ghent University would follow âCode Orangeâ in the pandemic matrix. This allowed us to have on-campus classes (for most courses), while also providing online facilities through Zoom meetings for those in quarantine or not present in Ghent due to unavoidable circumstances. So, for many of us, it gave us an opportunity to have classes in the new campus again (mainly for those of us who were in Edinburgh in 1st semester).
However, sadly and unfortunately, the situation has changed once again. Rapid increase in the number of Covid-19 infection cases forced the University to adopt âCode Redâ modalities. This will be in effect from 26th October for at least four weeks. Thus, today marked last on-campus class for us second years. Even if after four weeks it is decided to have on-campus activities again, we most probably will not have any classes to attend (exams!!!). And for the last semester, we will be in different universities working on our thesis dissertation.
So, to commemorate this day, we decided to take a picture after the end of AFP2 class. Though not everyone is present here (some were online, some left after class ended), this is a moment we all will reminisce about one day for sure!
Last (if not!) on-campus class for IMFSE 2019-2021 Cohort.
Now, we can only hope that the situation gets better again, and we are able to have our exams on-campus starting from late November.
I remember last year I shot various questions at second year students, starting from visa application and ending with places to visit. Now it is my turn to be a senior and to guide first year students. Some of you asked about practical things for the second semester, so I decided to make a summary in this blog.
Basic essential things:
Arrival day. I strongly advise to arrive on special âArrival dayâ. During this day special arrangements are made for upcoming students to make their journey less stressful. Staring from Copenhagen airport you will see people welcoming you and guiding with your next step – train to Lund. Once in Lund, another team will be waiting to drive you to university for completing initial check-in procedures. After that another car will pick you up and bring directly to your dorm. Lots of nerve cells saved plus less pain with luggage, so definitely use this opportunity!
Bank account. Opening a Swedish bank account without Swedish personal number is not an easy task. Therefore, keep your bank account from 1st semester, most probably you will use it in Lund as well.
Accommodation. Student accommodation is available for IMFSE students, but the choice is a bit limited, since priority is given for permanent students. Nevertheless, accommodation is of good quality and good sound insulation, at least in Eddan is for sure (I miss it a lot). Try to apply for student accommodation as soon as application opens, because there is high demand. One small remark: make sure to reflect all deficiencies (even tiny mark on the wall) in the inventory list, otherwise you will be charged at the end. Also, for the internet connection you will need LAN/Ethernet cable and if you want to share with other devices, also a modem.
Supermarkets and stores. The most popular supermarket, that you can find everywhere is ICA. There is another cheaper store called Willys but is located a bit far from the city center. For all other things Nova is a big shopping mall, also located on the outskirts of the city.
Transportation. In Lund, same as in Ghent, biking is very popular, so you can buy one in the Facebook or rent a bike for the semester. For the public transport in Skane region, there is an App called Skanetrafiken.
Leisure time:
Barbecue. What I found interesting and different from my country is public barbecue equipment, which anyone can use for free. Even if city is small, you can find many of them while just walking around. So, it is a nice opportunity to gather and barbecue together.
Fika and Sittning. You will hear quiet often such terms like âfikaâ and âsittningâ. I will leave it for you to discover Swedish culture:)
Malmo and Copenhagen. Lund is a small city, so in case you want to enjoy perks of big cities, Malmo is 15 minutes away by train and Copenhagen is one hour away. Â
Gothenburg and Stockholm. These two are the biggest cities of Sweden with plenty interesting places to visit. What I definitely recommend to visit is Gothenburg archipelago. You can reach it by a ferry and the cost is the same as for any public transport. Â Â
Kiruna – Northern lights. As you might know, northern part of Sweden is one of the places in the world, where one can observe Aurora Borealis. There are several cities, where you can try to catch Northern Lights. The one we went is Kiruna. Itâs also a perfect opportunity to see, as I call it, âproperâ snow, especially for those people, who have never seen it. I would advise to go for 2-3 days to have a greater chance to experience this beauty. Â And of course, bring warm clothes and be ready for extreme conditions!
P.S. I tried to capture the main things, but itâs impossible to cover everything. If you have questions, donât hesitate to reach any of us.
This interesting headline grabbed my attention in mid-September while scrolling through Facebook. As someone who studied about cyclones (or hurricanes, or typhoons, depending on where you are) during undergrad and now studying about fire, of course this would be something interesting. The main link is from NASA Earth Observatory website, where it was posted as “The Image of the Day” on September 19, 2020.
The â2020 Atlantic Hurricane Seasonâ started in May and the â2020 Western United States Wildfire Seasonâ started in August and both are still ongoing. While wildfires were ravaging through the US West Coast, two hurricanes also formed in early September- named Paulette and Sally- on the other side of the US. The said article featured the movement of wildfire smokes and the two hurricanes during September 14-16, 2020.
Figure: Satellite images showing the wildfire smoke direction from west to east and the hurricanes Sally and Paulette in the Atlantic Ocean. Photo courtesy: Joshua Stevens (NASA).
Satellites tracked the smoke plumes from these “historic wildfires” while being pushed away by prevailing winds from west to east, spreading throughout the continental US. As reported, the east part of US had smoke-free skies until September 14. But the next day, the smoke had already reached the eastern skies and began to collide with Hurricane Paulette. This encounter steered the smoke to the north-western side of the storm. However, on September 16 with Paulette out of the way (as it changed its route towards northeast), the smoke again started to extend eastward without any obstruction.
Both the hurricanes have dissipated by the end of September, but the west coast is still burning.
Want to know more about the causes of these historic wildfires of 2020? Keep a lookout for my next blog.
IMFSE 