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2012 – My Hedlin |
| When Karin and I decided what project design to apply with, we simply started off by asking each other: What are we interested in, what do we really wanna do? Karin's love for the Lion King when she was a child eventually grew into a fantastic project and the most exciting and rewarding summer I've ever had! I learned so many things while away – both applicable to my studies, especially since I'm majoring in Economics, but also to myself as a person. Back at home, a welcome surprise was the chance to get to know the network of previous scholarship holders and discussing anything from their own projects to potential careers in the future. |
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2012 – Karin Bratt |
Through My's and my GELS project I have gained invaluable insights when it comes to inventing and making a venture possible. Even more, the hands-on experience of current economic challenges has been an eye opener to the world's complexity and its interconnections. In our case we saw the effects of difficult trade-offs between economic development and wildlife conservation.
During my GELS year I have learnt the importance to be humble and to involve people in decisions that affect them. And I am very glad to have been able to develop my professional side through the interaction with both project partners and the Alumni network.
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2011 – Pontus Andersson |
Being a GELS scholarship holder has been very rewarding in many ways. Above all, I would emphasize the feeling of being regarded as an authority in the relatively niche field of mobile banking in West Africa. To attend meetings with local stakeholders, such as politicians and members of the business community, in a foreign setting that would really pay attention to something you say on a subject that you mastered was truly a new and very satisfying feeling.
Furthermore, I also improved my project management and problem solving skills and got the benefit of discovering a whole new country on a continent I had not visited previously. Upon graduating with a BSc, I will continue my academic journey at SSE by pursuing a Master's degree in Economics. |
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2011 – Michel Dahlberg Traore |
| To me the GELS Scholarship was the perfect opportunity to be creative, experience something extraordinary, take on responsibility and improve my CV while doing something I found truly interesting. Being in charge of a significant project abroad was rewarding in many ways, especially in relation to what I learned of how business can be conducted in another region. Before receiving the scholarship I had gathered some insights within consulting and from larger Swedish firms. However, after receiving the GELS scholarship I have been drawn to more entrepreneurial challenges and after finishing my Bachelor studies I have been working on my own and consulting other start-ups. |
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2010 – Karin Bergström |
| The GELS scholarship has given me a challenging practical application of my business education, through extensive market and business analysis, as well as project management and entrepreneurial experiences. As a direct result of the project I have initiated a concept for the Nordic market, based on one of the business models I studied during my project. Altogether, the experience has given me confidence and skills that will be invaluable assets for me in the future. |
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2009 – Charlotte Staf |
| The scholarship has guided me in my strive to identify a career path where I can achieve the highest possible impact. Most of all, it has meant tremendously for my personal development and I have really learnt the importance of time management and prioritization in very ambiguous environments. I am currently finalizing my studies at the Stockholm School of Economics specializing in finance. The GELS scholarship has encouraged me to further contribute to explore possibilities in emerging markets and I am thus returning to Africa this summer to intern with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Swaziland. Thereafter I am going to India, where I previously have studied at Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, to conduct research on small business expansion capital for my master's thesis. Parallel to my studies I am managing and working with the expansion of the international student organization 180 Degrees Consulting, aiming to help non-profits and small businesses achieve a greater social impact. I have previously also worked at Hennes & Mauritz International accounts and finance office as well as with HIV prevention projects in Kaliningrad, Russia, as sustainable development and emerging market solutions have been longstanding interests of mine. I hope to continue working with these questions after graduation, and the GELS Scholarship has truly made me believe it is possible. |
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2008 – David Risselborn |
| Aside from improving my analytical ability, to break down and structure a problem and adress the crucial points, project management skills and lots of intercultural communication practice, GELS also gave me a new perspective on the world and the global economy. You can use your cellphone at Mt. Everest but don't have electricity in the capital for more than half the day, for example! Upon graduating from SSE I will start working as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company where I hope to put some of the experiences from GELS to good use. |
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2008 – Jian Kang |
Receiving the GELS-scholarship and going through with mine and my friend David Risselborn's project was a very natural step for me in my journey into the world where I could learn more about both the worlds I have visited and about myself. I will never forget how happy I was, in an internet-café in the Playa del Carmen when I found out that we would be leaving for Nepal, I had to scream out my joy silently to myself surrounded by all Internet-café customers. I can honestly say that the period in Nepal was among the best in my life. It gave me insight in the local conditions and in micro-finance as well as it offered me an incredible environment to reflect and gain new perspectives on life at home. It is an experience that I wish to all and a challenge worth fighting for.
I now study my last year at SSE with the specialization of International Economics. These days I prepare for yet another exciting journey, alone and in other forms; for four months I will be bicycling in continental Asia, from Istanbul to China, along the historic silk route. |
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2007 – Malin Ivarsson |
As a direct consequence of my GELS project, I got accepted to the 10 month EU-China Managers Exchange and Training Program (www.metp.net.cn) in the spring of 2008. The program was co-organized by the Chinese Ministry of Finance and Commerce (MOFCOM) and the EU, aiming at training Chinese and European managers in management and intercultural understanding. Having had the opportunity to live in China and interact with Chinese on a daily basis has been invaluable to gain a better understanding for the cultural differences that so deeply influence the business environment, as well as improving my business Chinese skills to HSK level 8 (highest intermediate level). After finishing the program I am now working as a management consultant at the global firm Bain & Company in Stockholm. GELS has truly been a door opener and invaluable learning experience, both in terms of the findings the project brought but also the process itself of designing and running a project of you own in China. Both these aspects have enabled me to start my career one step ahead in a world which eyes increasingly focus on China.
After graduating I have worked as an intern at at Atlas Copco Compressor Technique in Shanghai, Goldman Sachs in London and Bain & Company in Stockholm. In 2008 to 2009 I participant in the EU-China Managers Exchange and Training Program (METP 2). From 2009 I am back at Bain & Company in Stockholm, working as a management consultant,
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2006 – Lisa Sjöblom |
The GELS-project was one of the major projects I implemented during my studies. It was an amazing opportunity for personal development where I learnt about my strengths and weaknesses in a way I never could have done simply by studying. I was able to take the tools that I had received at SSE and use them in practice. Having experienced the uncertainty and frustration that is almost inevitable in new and exciting projects, before starting my professional career, has been an invaluable experience.
After graduating from SSE in 2007 I have participated in the process of developing the equivalent of the Swedish Code of Corporate Governance for fundraising organisations, worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers with a focus on not-for-profit organisations, published the book "Partner or inspector. A study of the follow-up of Sida" and been the project manager for a Swedish microfinance initiative. My current role is as operations controller for the child rights organisation Plan Sweden.
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2005 – Johan Bergström |
In hindsight, I have realized that the project that me and Victor carried out as recipients of the GELS-scholarship, has been the most important step for me from the perspectives of personal and carreer development. As young students with limited experience from projects of this magnitude, we were faced with the steep learning curve of new challenges and more responsibility than ever before. By planning and carrying out our project, we gained invaluable lessons in project management, intercultural interaction, and creative problem-solving. These lessons, together with a nothing-is-impossible attitude that we developed during this project, have benefitted me and Victor in our subsequent joint and individual endeavours.
The GELS-project was the starting point for a series of intercultural and entrepreneurial projects for me. Towards the end of my time at SSE, I gained some experience from the management consulting industry, before commencing my studies at the Royal Institute of Arts in Stockholm. I am working predominately with film and sculpture, and have produced a large number of exhibitions. During fall 2010, I will return to McKinsey & Company, where I will work as a management consultant, parallel to my art studies.
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2005 – Victor Sundén |
The scholarship gave me early on the challenging opportunity to get ownership of a project engaging several organizations and institutions, and consequently a boost in confidence and "professional maturity". Johan Bergström and I worked primarily with the Japanese fast-food chain Yoshinoya but also had close cooperation with Invest in Sweden Agency and a consulting agency in food retail. Stepping out of the role of a second-year student at SSE into the shoes of an expert on our topic, was a challenging but very learingful experience and an important preparation for the position I now have as a management consultant, often working with top managers with 20-30 years experience in their field. Of course, the scholarship project also gave me a memory for life, a great time in Tokyo and many unforgettable 'Lost in translation'-moments.
After my GELS project, I worked as a consultant in Paris in biotechnology, with marketing at Procter & Gamble in Stockholm and with business development for Nova 100 and the Universum Group in New York City. I am currently with Bain & Company in Stockholm. |
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2004 – Carl-Johan Westring |
The GELS scholarship gave me a unique opportunity to focus on one of the most pressing questions for humanity – sustainable development. The project made me realize the tools and solutions available to organizations and whole countries, but also the challenges associated with implementing a sustainable development strategy on all levels of society. I was fortunate enough to get to interact with several leading scholars and professionals in the sphere, both in Europe and in the US. These contacts have already proven to be invaluable for my career.
When I graduated from the SSE in 2005, I accepted an offer to join the management consultancy firm McKinsey & Co. During my 4 years at McKinsey I worked on several assignments related to my findings during my GELS project, and I could also leverage some of the contacts from my project. In 2009, I joined EF Education First as Country Manager in Russia, and the contacts from the GELS project in the academic sector have continued to be an asset for my career.
I am thus deeply grateful to GELS for the opportunities given to me. Therefore, it is my pleasure to recommend all students interested in applying for the scholarship to do so – you all have the chance to plan and execute your own dream project that can change your life and have significant positive impact on others! |
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2002 – Johan Söör |
GELS gave me the opportunitity to deepend my knowledge in an area which interested me a lot, to drive a major project entirely on my own at the age of 21, and visit a large number of highly regarded universities in the US and UK. After the project was completed, it became clear to me what this had meant for my personal development. Today I also appreciate the fantastic professional network that GELS has given me, and I am always looking forward to the annual dinner with the GELS alumni and Board.
Since graduating from the SSE in 2005, I have spent the first five years of my career working as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company, with projects in Scandinavia, US and the UK. |
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2001 – Johan de Geer |
From my point of view the GELS scholarship has had a rather significant impact on my career and my personal development. I started learning Russian language and received my first job - as a Marketing Director in Ukraine - much thanks to the performed study in St. Petersburg.
Also in my following job at The Boston Consulting group and in my current position as a Country Director for Oriflame in the CIS&Baltics region I have benefited enourmously from the things I learned there. This knowledge that would not have been possible to obtain without the support from the GELS scholarship.
It is important to stress that over the years the following contacts and experiences with the GELS alumni have been equally valuable to me.
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2000 – David Bejker |
The GELS Scholarship experience have provided me with invaluable lessons for life that I have found particularly useful in the bad times that always follow the good in the business cycle.
I have experience from the biotech industry both as an investor and as a business developer. Currently, I am working as the CEO of Affibody, a Swedish biotech company. Prior to that I worked at HealthCap, a family of multi stage venture capital funds.
I hold a M.Sc. in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics, where I was awarded the Karl-Adam Bonnier Scholarship to Darden Graduate Business School, Charlotteville, Virginia, and the GELS Scholarship. |
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2000 – Fredrik Cornell |
Setting out to California with a quite clear task on who we wanted to meet and what we wanted to achieve on studying the effects on the need to "touch and feel" products or only ordering on Internet. Arriving spring 2000, the Internet had been booming, and the bubble basically burst as we arrived. All doors were closed – when we called our contacts they were either not willing to respond or sometimes even shutting down… So what to do? We decided to try the other angle and hit the retailers and ask their point of view on Internet sales vs. store sales – and by that we managed to reach our set out goals – but from another angle. A key learning is to never give up – there is usually more than one way to reach your goals in life. Sometimes the alternative ways that you need to take when the one that you have chosen proves to be a dead end might be the one that allows you to reach your goals.
After graduating from SSE in 2001, I worked at Ernst & Young (later Cap Gemini) as a Senior Consultant where I initially focused on the public sector and later on risk management. This led me to meet with Securitas, where I started working in 2004. My path within Securitas started as a Strategic Development Manager, running Securitas Management Training, Strategy Meetings and various internal projects around Securitas' large divestments during 2007. Subsequently I became Country Product Manager for Aviation Sweden, growing the Swedish Aviation division from 30 guards and 10msek sales to 1100 guards and 300msek sales. From 2007 I work with the development of Securitas' 1000msek Maritime & Logistics Security sector in Europe as Strategic Development Director.
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1999 – Hussein Kanber Agha |
My "project" was not typical for the projects that the GELS ideally would prefer to select for its scholarships. Nevertheless as the recipient first GELS scholarship I have a lot be grateful for. The Global Village opened many doors for me and provided me with many cherished friendships and memories. GELS is not merely a scholarship awarded to high achieving SSE students to conduct a business project in a foreign country; GELS is also a lifetime membership in it alumni club. It is the combination of the prospect of conducting one's own project, and the privilege of being member of the GELS alumni and the opportunity to being useful for future SEE students that makes GELS such a unique and valuable scholarship.
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