Field report by Sebastian Klein – Mid Sweden University Östersund 

After getting up and making the short bike ride to the university, my working day as a Master by Research student begins. While riding to and from the university every day, I am able to get a good look at the changing vegetation, from the warm and sunny late summer to the snow-covered landscape in the bitterly cold winter. At the university, all Master by Research students of the Sports Tech Research Center sit together in one office and everyone can work individually on their Master’s thesis. It is very helpful to have your colleagues close by, as you are able to throw some questions into the room and to get a range of different opinions. This is very conducive to the development of the Master’s thesis, as everyone here has a different approach to the topic and is an expert in their own field. My Master’s thesis is on the development of a measuring device to record the properties of snow. I am also able to get support from other professors at the university and cooperation partners, such as “Snörik”, during my work on this topic. You also have the possibility of using all the laboratories you need to work on your topic, and you are considered more as an employee of the university rather than as a student. Here you have everything at your disposal, from workshops to 3D printers with plastic or metal. I chose this double degree program because I had never had a longer experience abroad and also wanted to learn how to work at another university. I have not been disappointed here and am really enjoying the experience. Everyday life is not very different from that in Austria, except that temperatures in winter can drop to -20°C and, when driving, you have to get used to a snow-covered road as the roads are not cleared and there is usually no salt on the roads. I am very pleased to be able to complete my degree here at MIUN.

Are you interested in knowing more? Clemens Frühwirth and Franziska Hoell have also packed their experiences into an exciting report.