 It's an invaluable experience. You can sit in a classroom and learn about these things all you want, but to actually get into it and experience it, no amount of studying will replace that. The program in Global Development Studies is relevant for everyone who is interested in global development issues. We discuss inequality, climate change, migration, cultural change, but our students also get insight into how these large issues impact people in different parts of the world. The students have the possibility to come with inputs about how to make the class better and how to improve the whole study program in itself. It's not just like a one-way, like I show up to lectures and sit in a chair and then go home. There's a lot of involvement and I think that's probably one of my favorite parts. The program enables you to go into the field the first year, the second year and the third year so you can really get your hands dirty and get that feel of what development studies is about and what development work is about. So exhilarating and challenging to be out on UN projects in 30 degree heats and working with Norwegians and then also international students and Sri Lankan locals. We got to meet so many different people and so many different organizations in Sri Lanka. You kind of get to see the world in a new way because you learn different perspectives and you learn to be critical. It's one thing to look at economic development at the global level with a bunch of people that you grew up with or see the world the same way but to get to do it with people who are from Norway or from Russia or Sri Lanka or China and contribute all of those different perspectives I think is really incredible.