Sparking Success in Switzerland
Aleksandra Kjemhus runs her own AI company in Switzerland. “I’ve always known I wanted to pursue an international career,” she says.
From Turkey to Bergen via Budapest
Through the CEMS program, Aleyna Karaca is gaining experiences she hopes will lead to an international career shaped by values such as fairness and equal opportunity.
As a child, Aleyna Karaca spent so much time with her nose buried in sci-fi books that her parents had to limit her to three books a week. Toward the end of elementary school, she discovered string instruments and learned to play the cello. At 15, eager to see more of the world, she chose Oslo for a high school exchange year.
Since then, Karaca has continued to seek out new challenges. ‘I'm an independent person who's always chosen to do things my own way,’ says the Turkish-born CEMS student.
This fall, she is back in Norway, this time as a CEMS exchange student at NHH. ‘I wanted to come back because of the high quality of both the education system and the standard of living,’ she says.
Back in Norway
It is the last day of September, and Bergen is experiencing its warmest day of the year so far. A neatly folded jacket rests over her arm. ‘It's nice today, but honestly, it's not that warm,’ she says.
A lot feels different from the Mediterranean city on Turkey's western coast where she grew up. Hot lunches have been replaced by packed lunches and simple sandwiches. Relaxing in the sun has given way to hiking mountain trails. Long swims in warm waters have been exchanged for cold plunges and saunas. Everything is digital. Everyone seems to know how to sew and knit. People dress similarly. And most are a little more reserved.
‘Sometimes I miss late dinners and a culture where everyone gets involved in everyone else's business. At the same time, I really appreciate learning that there are many ways to live a good life,’ says Karaca.
Karaca studies at Corvinus University in Budapest and is no stranger to living abroad. She applied to CEMS partly because she wanted the challenge of gaining admission to a highly competitive program, and partly because she wanted to combine business studies with international relations.
In the long run, Karaca hopes to work on issues related to equal opportunity, fairness, and human rights. That ambition is also one of the reasons she wanted to combine business with international relations. ‘I'm not particularly concerned about which country I end up working in. What's more important to me is finding work that makes a positive impact and aligns with my values.’
The Road to CEMS
Karaca is far from the only student who has found her way to Bergen through the CEMS program.
This fall, she is one of 17 incoming CEMS students at NHH. The number has remained remarkably consistent over the past five years, with similar figures expected when the next group of students arrives in January.
At the same time, nearly 50 NHH students have been admitted to the prestigious global master's program and are now preparing for exchange semesters at one of the alliance's partner universities.
NHH Vice Rector for Education Steffen Juranek sees tremendous value in the program. ‘The program offers students a unique combination of academic excellence and international experience.’
In addition to the exchange component, he highlights business projects with multinational companies, internships, and language requirements as key elements that prepare students for international careers.
Studying Among the World's Best
For Karaca, the quality of the partner universities was one of the main reasons she applied to CEMS.
Eighteen of the alliance's 33 member schools were included in this year's Financial Times ranking. Six of them placed among the world's top 15, including the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal.
Juranek emphasizes that CEMS is an alliance made up of leading universities from around the world. When students apply to CEMS, they also rank the schools where they would most like to spend their exchange semester. NHH was Karaca's fifth choice. Only a handful of Asian universities ranked higher on her list.
Seriously, what is it about Kjelleren at NHH? I've never seen anything like it. I'm used to school being a place where you go to study.
Aleyna Karaca
Student Life Was the Biggest Surprise
According to Karaca, an exchange semester is about much more than academics. She explains that in addition to learning new subjects and getting to know the country you're living in, you also learn a lot about different educational systems and student cultures. ‘Seriously, what is it about Kjelleren at NHH? I've never seen anything like it. I'm used to school being a place where you go to study. The social scene here is absolutely wild,’ she says with a laugh.
‘The access card system has also been an adjustment. At Corvinus, I'm used to moving freely around campus. Here, suddenly, I can't get anywhere without my card.’ She describes almost daily episodes of finding herself locked out, knocking on doors because she has left her access card behind in a classroom or study space.
What do you appreciate most about being an international student at NHH?
‘I love all the student clubs. There are so many to choose from. Among other things, I’ve started fencing. I've never fenced before, but when else would I get the chance to try something like that?’