Lukas Häusler is a Swedish language instructor and an undergraduate student at Lund University, South Sweden. A keen language enthusiast, Lukas has devoted his attention to studies in Modern Hebrew and Modern Standard Arabic alongside his BA studies in linguistics. With a passion for instructing, he has been offering extra Hebrew grammar classes to students at his university for the past year while also teaching Swedish to immigrants. Lukas has a special interest in the Israel-Palestine conflict and exploring means for peaceful communication. After completing his intensive Hebrew summer course at Rothberg International School, he aims to pursue a graduate degree in Biblical studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Niklas Nordenswan is an undergraduate student at Lund University. He is combining language and religious studies and is working towards a bachelor’s degree in either arts or theology. Thanks to the TTS Wergeland and Holst Scholarship, he will be taking a summer course in Modern Hebrew in Jerusalem, thereby fulfilling a longtime dream of visiting the ancient city. Unfortunately, he will be doing so with conflicted feelings and a somewhat heavy heart due to the recent development in the region. Nevertheless, Niklas has a deep-rooted fascination and appreciation for both Israeli and Palestinian culture, religious as well as secular, and hopes his first visit to Israel will help him gain a better understanding of their many complexities.
Karen Ornat from Denmark is studying towards a BA in Middle Eastern Studies and Modern Hebrew at The University of Copenhagen. Karen has a special interest in Zionism, historiography and contemporary Israeli identities. Thanks to the TTS scholarship she will attend a Modern Hebrew Ulpan. She hopes that by improving her Modern Hebrew she will gain a better understanding of all aspects of the Israeli society.
Yael Assous Philipson is born and raised in France in a multicultural family. In Norway, where part of her family lives, she is studying Business Administration at BI Oslo. She is a very energetic lady and passionate about Theatre and Gemology. She also has another center of interest, Israel. She previously worked as an intern at the Israeli Embassy in Oslo and she would like to deepen this experience by learning Hebrew and maybe continue her study in Israel. With the help of the Thanks To Scandinavia Wergeland and Holst scholarship, she will be able to widen her horizon.
Hugo Sandell is a student of Örebro School of Theology in Sweden. Traveling to Israel and especially Jerusalem will not only be an opportunity to develop his skills in Biblical Hebrew, but also to enrich his understanding of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition that is present there.
Emma Ziegler Steen is a Danish student, who is currently studying towards obtaining her bachelor degree in Laws at University College London. Previously, she has studied at United World College of Costa Rica, and has since then had a huge interest in how cultural differences, regional political dynamics, and international agreements affect issues of international security around the globe. Emma is therefore eager to learn more about the political and cultural dynamics between Israel and its neighboring countries. Consequently, she hopes to be able to immerse herself deeply in aspects of Jerusalem’s political and cultural identity throughout her studies of Arabic at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the summer of 2018.
Maria Virtala is currently on a study leave from a full-time career as a social worker to complete her Master’s studies in Social Work with an extensive minor of in Middle Eastern studies at Helsinki University. Work experience in child welfare and with unaccompanied minor asylum seekers inspired her studies in the field on Middle Eastern Studies for her bachelor’s thesis of coping strategies after a prolonged conflict.