"SLU Youth Institute gave me a new interest in agroforestry"

What was it like to be part of SLU Youth Institute?

When I heard about SLU Youth Institute, I was immediately interested. I hadn’t heard about it before, as it was the first year SLU organised the project. It was exciting to write about a chosen country and topic connected to global food security. I chose to write about Costa Rica as the country really interests me, and focused on the agriculture. The whole process was really fun and I remember that I got more interested the more time I spent on the thesis.

What do you bring with you from SLU Youth Institute?

In fact, everything. But especially that it gave me a completely new interest in, among other things, agroforestry, a combination of forestry and agriculture, which led me to apply for the programme I am studying today. In addition, the research and writing was very educational, but also the opportunity to meet experts at the round table discussions.

How was the round table discussions?

It was really fun! Both to hear all the other presentations and to hear about the other countries. It was also great in order to address and discuss the questions that I had thought about during the process.

How was the global round table discussion, which you participated in online?

Since I wrote my Global Challenge thesis in Swedish, it was really fun to translate it into English. I also had that year's winner of the World Food Prize, Dr. Rattan Lal, at my table which was super exciting. It was also nerve-wracking to meet someone so successful and talented within the area and to receive feedback on my thesis and presentation. It gave me a lot of positive energy and a desire to continue developing within the subject.

The round table discussions and the entire SLU Youth Institute have made me more interested in global issues and studying abroad.

Do you have any tips for current and future SLU Youth Institute students?

I really advocate to engage in the project, write about something that you find exciting, and convey it in a good way. If you write about something that you genuinely are interested in I think it will make the experience more enjoyable, and it can give you more opportunities. My recommendation for the round table discussions is to spend time on your presentation and to think about what message that you want to convey, rather than summarising your paper.

Has it opened up any new opportunities for you?

By participating in SLU Youth Institute and now studying a programme given by SLU & Uppsala University - I have continued to have contact with SLU Global and I am now part of their student pool. I was asked to be a part of the student panel at the Dag Hammarskjöld's lecture with Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the UN. The event was incredibly educational, and it was so exciting to be able to prepare two questions for her myself and hear her answers to my questions. In addition, I was surprised that I had the opportunity to meet many people with long experience within the area who showed a great interest in talking to us younger people. It was really cool to be able to have conversations with, and be taken seriously by people who work in the field that you strive for.

In the fall, Rebecka will start her third year on the programme in Environmental and Water Engineering in Uppsala, and in the future she wishes to study abroad in Japan.