Özer Öskan - Master's student from Turkey

Özer is a Master's student at Stockholm University. He recently finished his internship at SEDU and there is a chance he and his supervisor, Associate Professor Arita Holmberg, will be published later this year.

A professor made Özer curious of the Swedish Defence University

During my Master’s studies at Stockholm University, Professor Kjell Engelbrekt held a guest lecture. I was inspired by his research and became curious about the Swedish Defence University, says Özer.

What was your experience of doing an internship at the Swedish Defence University?

Overall, it was a very positive experience. The work and research environment at SEDU is very inclusive and you get to practice your academic skills. In the project, I collected data and literature as well as designed the research report in close collaboration with other researchers, which gave me great knowledge on how to design my own future research. The project I worked on discussed the relationship between Turkey, NATO and the EU (Den europeiska säkerhetsstrukturens flanker utmanar – relationen mellan Turkiet, Nato och EU efter kuppförsöket 2016) and since I am from Turkey this was extra exciting.

What use have you had of the internship in your attempts at establishing yourself in the labour market?

Apart from working with the professors in research project, I also participated in several seminars and academic peer reviews where I discussed research. I received a network in this field.
The internship has mostly helped me decide my future purpose and my desire to become a researcher. When I finish my Master’s degree at SU, I intend to apply for the PhD program at the SEDU.

Would you recommend other students to do an internship at the Swedish Defence University? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend SEDU. Despite being a smaller university, SEDU holds a high international academic standard, especially within the area of research. I have learned a lot about working in the academia, but most importantly; trying out my opinions and ideas, while receiving feedback, in an open-minded and non-hierarchical environment. This has made me more confident and I felt both important and appreciated during the internship. The working conditions are also flexible which lets you participate in academic seminars, peer reviews and other conferences.

Arita Holmberg, associate professor in political science, supervisor:

It is a great positive addition to have interns in the research environment. The contribution Özer did to the research report we wrote together was substantial and extremely valuable. We have kept in touch and are currently working on a joint academic article that we hope to see published later this year. It will be a valuable merit for him if he applies for a PhD candidate position.