– What I have taken with me is new knowledge about project planning and, most importantly, the awareness that we, society, must work actively to take care of our planet.” This is what Lisa Clarstedt says, one of the students who participated in the 'Circular Economy' intensive course in Reykjavik.

In April, three students from the International Business Management programme and one student from the International Marketing programme, had the opportunity to spend a week in Iceland at the University of Reykjavik to take part in the exciting 'Circular Economy' intensive course.

Course participants were students and teachers representing different universities from five Nordic and three Baltic countries. Together they were invited to explore the area based on this year's theme “Sustainable Oceans'. Lisa Clarstedt from the International Marketing programme shares some reflections from the course and intensive week.

– Before the course, three other students and I conducted a case study where we contacted Swedish companies to find out their position on the circular economy compared with how they worked. We also contacted customers to find out their attitude towards sustainable behaviour and buying patterns, says Lisa Clarstedt.

During the course, the students were divided into multicultural groups to study new cases based on Icelandic companies that work with sustainability in different sectors. Together they produced country reports and explored the local market's challenges and initiatives in this area.

– Participants were able to apply and develop a range of generic skills, including academic writing, collaboration, socialisation, oral presentation, critical thinking, problem-solving and giving and receiving constructive criticism. The group work resulted in well-crafted reports that they presented to the course participants, says Charlotta Edlund, a teacher representative from MDU.

– The best thing about the course was the opportunity to socialise and study together with students from all over the world and thus create a wide network of contacts. During the day there was a lot of studying and then we found different activities together after school. In summary, this course was really rewarding as I am very interested in sustainable development and sustainable business, says Lisa Clarstedt.

We at MDU are proud of our students and their commitment to exploring and working in these international cooperation projects. By participating in this intensive course, they have enriched their knowledge and contributed to promoting a more sustainable future. We look forward to continuing to support and promote such valuable educational opportunities for our students in the future.