When Tobias Nilsson, a Scientific Officer at the Faculty Office, travelled to South Africa through Lund University’s exchange programme with Stellenbosch University, he did not quite know what to expect. But the weeks filled with job shadowing, workshops and meetings provided both new perspectives and experiences that stayed with him long after returning home.
“It was powerful to meet people who have genuinely experienced oppression and who do not take democracy for granted,” he says when we meet to talk about the exchange.
The exchange programme between Lund University and Stellenbosch University has been running for several years and aims to strengthen the university’s global engagement while giving technical and administrative staff opportunities for professional development through international exchange. Participants are paired with colleagues at the partner university and spend a week following their work through job shadowing, study visits and joint activities.
In autumn 2025, Tobias travelled to South Africa together with seven other participants from Lund University for a week-long programme at Stellenbosch University. This spring, the South African group visited Lund to continue the exchange.
“I had not actually planned to apply at first. But colleagues encouraged me to do it and said I should take the opportunity. I did not really know what the exchange would give me, but I was very curious about South Africa, its history and geopolitical situation,” Tobias explains.
During his stay in South Africa, Tobias visited Stellenbosch’s Faculty of Military Science at the Saldanha campus on the west coast, met the leadership at the Faculty of Science and participated in various meetings and study visits linked to the university’s activities.
One particularly memorable experience was an alumni event held at the Delheim wine estate.
“It was very interesting to see how they work with their alumni and how those relationships contribute to building the university’s brand. The event itself was magnificent, with lectures and wine tasting in an incredible setting,” he says.
But it was everyday life and the social contrasts that made the strongest impression on him.
“It was striking to experience what it means to live in a society where people constantly need to stay alert. You do not move around freely in daily life in quite the same way as we do here. Security is always on your mind,” Tobias reflects.
At the same time, he describes a strong sense of optimism among the people he met.
“I felt there was a belief that society is developing for the better. Sometimes I think that is something we have lost a little in Sweden.”
The exchange continued back home
When the participants from Stellenbosch later visited Lund, the exchange continued both professionally and socially.
“It was fantastic to welcome them here. For several of them, it was special simply to experience a society where you can move around freely and walk places without constantly thinking about safety in the same way,” says Tobias.
One evening, he invited the entire exchange group to his home for dinner.
“It became a real introduction to Swedish food culture, with "*gubbröra", elk, saffron pancake, "*spettekaka" and a small schnapps for those who wanted to try it. Just being invited into someone’s home is also an international experience in itself.”
Would he recommend others to apply for the programme or similar exchanges?
“Absolutely. If you do not travel much through your work otherwise, an exchange like this is incredibly rewarding. It gives you perspectives, new contacts and experiences that stay with you for a long time afterwards.”
*Gubbröra is a traditional Swedish spread or salad made with chopped eggs, anchovies, potatoes, chives and crème fraîche or sour cream, often served on crispbread or toast. It is commonly eaten as a starter or at festive meals such as Midsummer and Christmas.
*Spettekaka is a traditional Swedish cake from southern Sweden, made from eggs, sugar and potato starch, baked slowly on a rotating spit to create its distinctive layered shape.
