Lund Learning Culture

The Lund University School of Economics and Management adopts a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. There is a lot of support in terms of pedagogy, and the teachers are available to help you and to ensure course content is fully understood. Our focus is on enabling you to develop your critical and analytical thinking skills, independent research skills, team work, and problem-solving and leadership skills so as to prepare you for your future career.

At the School, you will experience an open, informal study environment with teachers and students usually on a first-name basis. The traditional academic hierarchy is replaced by a more collaborative approach, where you are respected as junior colleagues and your opinions are valued and encouraged by more experienced peers. This approach encourages dialogue and collaboration between you and your teachers which creates opportunities to bring forward new ideas and innovations.

Critical thinking and freedom of mind are the cornerstones of academic life in Sweden.

By critical thinking, we mean the ability to assess information on different topics and to form independent opinions, to scrutinise and question beliefs that are sometimes taken for granted, to revise opinions in the light of new evidence or knowledge, and to give and receive criticism in a constructive and generous manner.

By freedom of mind, we mean the ability to liberate oneself from narrow-minded and conventional wisdom, to value the authenticity of ideas and experiences in whatever shape they may come, and to appreciate and seek fresh perspectives on old ideas; in short, the ability to think outside the box.

LUSEM has a very strong international profile. About 50% of our students are international students from a wide variety of countries all over the world. This creates global classroom environments where students encounter different cultural perspectives and start to build their international network.

The studies are usually undertaken one course (unit/module) at a time, with an examination or essay at the end of each individual course. Courses can be anything from 2–20 weeks long.

The exception is the BSc International Business where most courses run in parallel.

A large part of the learning process takes place outside the classroom as students read and discuss the course material with each other. Students are trained to efficiently assess large amounts of information. Study techniques are taught in the classroom and also by study advisors and through workshops.

Teamwork has been central to the Lund Learning Model for more than four decades. The goal is for students to practise teamwork in small groups, across different cultures within the class, and also to develop problem-solving and leadership skills. The Lundian approach uses innovative methods to engage students in goal-oriented projects that draw upon and refine teamwork skills. Team work is an important aspect to the learning experience in order to simulate the real dynamics of an international work place.

Cooperative and team-based learning activities can be challenging for some students, especially in an internationally-diverse setting like LUSEM. Some students prefer to work independently, some may have communication difficulties when working in groups and others can feel less confident with their English-language abilities. To ensure that all students are given the best possible learning experience, we offer academic skills services.

The teaching methods that are used focus on the critical analysis of the course content with the use of real case studies, wherever possible. International guest lecturers and speakers from business, government, NGOs and research regularly feature as part of the curriculum to further connect studies to the professional world.