I discovered UISS by pure chance in 2017 and decided to take a 6-week summer course. UISS surprised me by offering students an opportunity of scholarship and, more so, by offering afternoon classes — I’ve taken a lot of similar courses in Italy, France, and Germany, but this is the first (and perhaps only) summer course that offers stuff on the history and culture of the country. I also appreciate the Friday trips and other activities during the week; UISS does a wonderful job in arranging those and always has its mind on student participation: they are encouraged to show their talent and given a chance to perform in front of a loving, cheering audience. This year I was given the opportunity to give an evening lecture on Old Norse myth; it was great fun and good practice for me.

Apart from the programme, Uppsala is a charming place to be during the summer. Being the old capital of Sweden, it’s also a centre rich of history and culture. To get to Stockholm and other parts of Sweden is easy — I’ve had opportunities to explore a bit, which certainly made my trip to Sweden more memorable than it already is.

A few words on housing — the student housing is just wonderful. All rooms are en-suite. Some have well-equipped kitchenettes where you can cook proper food, or you can just use the big kitchen downstairs. Washing machines and gym are free to use. I must say that housing is one of the reasons I return to UISS this year. I’ve compared other similar programmes but UISS — with housing, weekday meals, Friday trips and all else — beats them all in terms of value of money.