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Planning to Study Abroad: What About Corona Virus?

26 May 2020

A perfect skill set and the chance to go abroad made it easy for Nanna Lohmann from the 2020 cohort to decide, that she wants a double Master’s degree in Life Science Engineering and Informatics.


I expect to be trained in both the technical part with experiments but also in processing the data and make it relevant to other people. The fact that the programme is in China supports my ambitions about building an international network and be better at creating relations with people from different backgrounds.


It is important to have a good professional skill set, but you also have to know how to be a part of different relations and social contexts. Because by the end of the day, you will be working with people,’ Nanna Lohmann says.


However, moving far away from home with the prospect of establishing new relations and an everyday life in a foreign country is overwhelming. In addition, the 2020 cohort can add an extra dimension to those usual concerns, as they accepted their admission while the corona virus was stirring up uncertainties that can affect their next two years.


Practical frustrations before departure

Nevertheless, Nanna Lohmann is cool about the situation:


I am not concerned about issues in China as the universities now starts to open and things seems to go back to normal out there. I am more concerned about when the boarders from Denmark will open so we can get information about when to leave. It is not really the corona virus that is on my mind, it is more the frustrations about taking care of practical stuff like from when I can sublet my apartment,’ Nanna Lohmann explains.


When Nanna Lohmann tells people that she has planned to spend the next two years in China she mostly get positive reactions:


People think it is exciting and brave. My parents are also supportive but they are dealing with the two years where I will be gone. Of course, I have met people who ask about the corona virus.

But the virus was not an issue when I decided to go and I feel safe because I have SDC backing me. I am not alone with all the responsibility,’ Nanna Lohmann says.


The semester start for the 2020 cohort is expected to be on August 31.