Roger encountered a diverse international student community at Linköping University

Interview with Roger Kohler

Field of study: BSc Biomedical Engineering
Stay abroad: Bachelor's thesis
Host institution: Linköping University
Semester: Spring 2024

What made you decide, what motivated you to go abroad?
I decided to go abroad because I wanted to experience living in a foreign country and challenge myself by being away from home. Additionally, I was motivated by the opportunity to study at a different university, which would provide a unique academic environment and new perspectives. Improving my English skills was also a significant factor in my decision, as I recognised the importance of becoming proficient in a global language.

Why did you choose your host institution/country?
I chose Sweden as my host country because it is relatively close to Switzerland and shares similar personality traits and living standards. Additionally, the topic for my B.Sc. thesis offered by the Swedish institution was particularly interesting and aligned well with my academic and research interests.

What does a typical day at the host institution look like?
My everyday life in Sweden starts with waking up at 6:45 AM. After showering and having breakfast, I walk to the university campus and take the shuttle bus to the US campus. I typically start work at 8:00 AM and continue until 4:00 PM. The schedule is quite flexible, so sometimes I leave earlier or stay later. After finishing work, I usually go to the gym for a workout. Following the gym, I cook dinner and then take some time to relax and unwind for the rest of the evening.

Tell us about your research and your research findings during your residency.
I developed an atlas-based segmentation algorithm for brain MRI in the field of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). This new approach aims to save time and achieve high accuracy in brain segmentation, a notoriously challenging task. My research demonstrated that while the atlas is effective for segmenting small brain regions, such as the Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) or Globus Pallidus internus (GPi), it is not comparable to existing segmentation methods in terms of overall accuracy. However, it can serve as a valuable tool to enhance existing methods, for instance, in cyst detection.

What surprised you the most about your stay abroad?
What surprised me the most about my stay in Sweden was the large number of exchange students from various countries. I encountered many students from Germany, Spain, and France, as well as several from different parts of Asia. The diverse international community was much more extensive than I had anticipated.

What tip would you like to give to future exchange students.
It is easier to get in touch with other exchange students, but the Swedish people know the place better, you miss out a lot if you don’t get in touch with Swedish students. They don’t bite, they just don’t open up to you as easy as other exchange students.
And get a bike as soon as the winter is over. Most students travel by bike and its very convenient even if getting into the city center.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
One of the special experiences I'd like to share is the range of activities organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). They arranged many enjoyable events, such as the overall inauguration, a trip to Lapland, the Sea Battle (a cruise ship event), and numerous smaller events in town. Participating in these activities was incredibly worthwhile, as it provided great opportunities to meet and connect with other exchange students.

Ab ins Ausland?

Unsere Studierenden profitieren von der internationalen Vernetzung der Hochschule für Life Sciences. Ein Auslandsaufenthalt bei unseren Partnerschulen ist bei Bachelor- wie auch Master-Studierenden sehr begehrt. Nicht nur, um den persönlichen Horizont zu erweitern, sondern auch, um neue soziale und kulturelle Kompetenzen zu erwerben.

Im Rahmen unseres Masterprogramms können ausgewählte Studierende durch ein zusätzliches Semester an einer unserer Partnerschulen, zwei Diplome erhalten. Das Double-Degree Programm ist besonders attraktiv für Masterstudierende, die anschliessend eine Promotion anstreben. Weitere Details zum Double-Degree-Programm finden Sie im hier.