NEWS
Bastien Erpelding from France came to Umeå as an exchange student in 2007. The student-friendly environment and international atmosphere quickly captivated him, and he decided to stay for good.
The good reputation of Scandinavia’s educational system, and the prospect to experience a real winter made Bastien choose Umeå for his exchange year. After he had earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the University of Nice, he planned to spend one year of his master’s studies in Northern Sweden. A year he enjoyed to the full. “Umeå is such a nice place to be a student. The facilities are great. I lived in a corridor in Nydalahöjd, only 10 minutes by bike from campus. At home in France, I spent a few hours in public transport every day to commute to the university,” Bastien says.
Only after a few months, it was clear to him that he wanted to stay longer than just a year. He decided to complete his Master’s Programme in Physics at Umeå University. The quality of his education played an important role in his choice. “Umeå has a good university. I especially liked the proximity between the professors and the students,” he says.
After he had earned his Master’s Degree, Bastien landed a job at Umevatoriet, Umeå’s Science Centre and Observatory driven by Umeå University and Umeå Municipality. “Umevatoriet is a place to fascinate and raise interest for science, technology and mathematics. Large focus lies on astronomy, which is my field,” Bastien explains.
Bastien visited Umevatoriet for the first time during his exchange year. “I thought: This place is awesome, I want to work here,” he recalls. “I was thrilled when I got the chance to write my master’s thesis in collaboration with Umevatoriet.” When they were later looking for a new staff member, Bastien got the nod.
His job is to take care of visiting school classes, guide visitors for public openings, hold courses, and develop the learning environments and activities. “My favourite part of the job is answering the visitor’s and especially children’s questions. It helps me to get a deeper understanding of my own field. I also enjoy showing people around and seeing their interest,” Bastien says.
Teaching in a foreign language was challenging at first but turned out to be no problem. After a language course and some self-studies, having to teach in Swedish from day one was the boost for Bastien to become fluent.
Not only regarding his career, also personally, Bastien enjoys living in Umeå. After growing up in big cities like Paris and Nice before, he likes how quiet and close to nature Umeå is. “Every year I am anew fascinated by the change of the seasons. And the Swedish lifestyle feels less hectic and stressful,” Bastien says. “Still the city of Umeå offers everything you need.”
His favourite thing about Umeå is the diverse international student population. He has been active in Umeå University’s Buddy Programme since his exchange year. “Meeting people from so many different countries all the time makes you grow up and reflect on your own culture and personality,“ Bastien says. “It is like travelling without moving.”
It is not surprising to hear that Bastien has no plans of moving back to France any time soon. “Maybe I won’t stay for the rest of my life, but as long as I enjoy it, I am going to be here,” he concludes.
