"Vietnam is a magical place"

Are you looking for something meaningful to do after high school or military service? With Kulturstudier, you can choose to take one semester, an academic year, or an entire bachelor's degree.

No matter what, you will have an unforgettable experience. Eline stumbled upon Kulturstudier while looking for an opportunity to combine travel and studies:

– After high school, I was a dog handler in the military service and enjoyed it, but as my time there was coming to an end, I had no plan for what I was going to do next.

– I came across a Bachelor's in Development Studies while I was searching online for programs.

This was a study I had never heard of before, but it seemed incredibly exciting and perfect for me! I applied for the bachelor's program, prepared to study this in Oslo for 3 years.

But it didn't feel quite right – I wanted to experience more and travel as well.

Two months later, I was once again desperately searching for something to fill the next school year with. That's when, at the last minute, I came across Kulturstudier and Development Studies 1 in Vietnam.

You can apply directly to the 2nd year of the Bachelor's degree in Development Studies at OsloMet after you have completed Development Studies 1 in Vietnam and Development Studies 2 in Ghana. By combining semesters in the two countries, you gain insight into development issues from two vastly different cultures and parts of the world.

– It seemed too good to be true at first. The same study I had looked at before, but with the opportunity to travel!

Additionally, this seemed like a nice mix of going on an exotic and exciting journey, while still having some of the familiar and safe aspects there, through all the other Scandinavian students.

The icing on the cake was that the program is in collaboration with OsloMet, allowing me to continue the bachelor's degree I had envisioned in Norway after an adventure abroad!

– Five minutes after I discovered Kulturstudier, the application was sent, the deposit paid, and I was doing a little victory dance with mom in the living room at home!

I was offered a place a few days later, completed my initial military service in July, and traveled to Vietnam on September 1st – just a few months after I applied.

The study in Vietnam was an insanely good start and transition to student life! We received such good support and guidance all the time.

• Read the interview with seminar leader Marie

– I was stressed about how it would go to suddenly be a student and have exams, but Kulturstudier provides a gentle start as a student through skilled teachers and close supervision.

It was exciting to learn in a realistic way, both through fieldwork and when we did local research for the group project.

Hoi An is an enchanting city to live and study in. Vietnam also has much more to offer, from mountains to fjords, cities and beaches:

– Vietnam is a magical country in an exciting part of the world! I really appreciated that the city one lives in, Hoi An, is so safe and peaceful.

One could retain much of the freedom we are so accustomed to in Norway, such as being able to walk around alone, or being out in the evening and feeling safe in this cozy city.

Learn more about Hoi An

• Vietnam
• Development Studies 1
• Experiences

Hoi An sett med lokale øyne

Les mer

I went on two weekend trips abroad to Malaysia and South Korea, and two domestic trips to Da Nang and Ha Giang, and felt that I had quite a lot of financial freedom and could do what I wanted even with these travels.

Take a semester with Kulturstudier – you will never regret it!