Sebastian Hjelström

What did you study?

During my time at UBC, I primarily chose courses with a view to remedying certain gaps in the forestry education I had received up to that point. For example, I was able to take two higher level statistics courses which, I feel, have significantly improved my statistical literacy and ability to critically evaluate new and unfamiliar forestry research. I was also able to take courses covering international forest governance, geomatics for use in natural resource management, forestry practices in British Columbia, and more.

Moreover, my independent research work gave me the opportunity to apply my knowledge of Swedish forestry to conditions in British Columbia by studying the implementation of commercial thinning in the province. Specifically, I wrote two reports; one on how to improve the conduct of post-harvest assessments following commercial thinnings and one on the structure of the provincial pool of contractors conducting commercial thinnings.

What were your key takeaways from this year?

Academically, I found the courses I took on statistical modelling and biometrics to be the most rewarding. Improving my statistical literacy has been a goal of mine for a while and my time at UBC was very helpful in that regard. As for my development as a professional forester, experiencing an alternatively structured forest industry helped me put a lot of my education up to that point in a new context.

Through field trips, independent study, field work, and innumerable conversations with lecturers, working foresters, and forestry contractors, I gained a much better understanding of the consequences and comparative advantages of the very different land ownership systems, silvicultural practices and industrial organisations predominating in Swedish and BC forestry. This I could have never achieved studying in one place only.

What has been the most challenging?

Personally, I found adapting to the Canadian way of organising and structuring higher education quite challenging. Juggling many smaller courses, trying to piece together a workable schedule, and securing a supervisor for independent research work added a fair bit of administrative work to the study experience, significantly more than is common in Sweden.

What would you say to students thinking about applying for Transfor-M?

TRANSFOR-M is very much a blank slate. The bulk of your course load will be elective courses, which more often than not will not be designed or scheduled with a Transfor-M student in mind. Consequently, assembling a schedule, especially one with courses relevant to your goals and interests, may be a bit of a project. 

Similarly, the model for independent research work utilised in the Transfor-M programme is not the standard Canadian thesis model. As such, supervisors will not necessarily have reasonably proportioned research tasks ready for students to pick up and may not understand the associated requirements.

Consequently, successful independent research work within the programme will require a strong sense of personal direction from day one. I would recommend going in with a research topic in mind and relatively soon following acceptance, identifying and contacting potential supervisors.