Alireza Asgari

Master Program in Human Rights and Democracy

Give a short background about yourself

I come from Iran, where I have worked for years in social movements, including labor movement and workers’ rights advocacy, refugees’ rights, child rights advocacy and etc.

Why did you choose to study at University College Stockholm?

I chose UCS to construct the necessary basis for a specific Ph.D. program, though the journey I went through during this program took me to another spot. Perhaps a good spot that was not planned beforehand.

What are your experiences of studying in Sweden?

The best point about the Swedish educational system is that it does not relatively follow the top-down and hierarchy-oriented relationship between the lecturers and students. The students are not objects of education or tanks to be filled with data; instead – in the Swedish system – students are relatively considered an active subject within the learning process.

What are the three best things about studying Master’s Program in Human rights and Democracy?

First and foremost, I benefited from the liberty to look into the subject of human rights in a critical way and as a critic. This applies not only to the final papers I wrote for the various course but also to my degree project/thesis. Additionally, the Human Rights and Democracy program at UCS (2021-2022) offered fascinating and updated literature that was highly relevant to the subject of the courses. The fact that introduced literature followed the latest debates was one of the most interesting points to be remembered. Moreover, lovely and kind lecturers made the atmosphere friendly while simultaneously offering a deep level of knowledge and discussion. The program coordinator acted kindly and actively and was always available to support my confronted needs.

How helpful will your studies be to your future career?

The studies were quite helpful for both those who intend to take a profession in this field and those who intend to pursue academic studies/careers. Apart from the knowledge I obtained during my studies, I believe the courses, instruction methods, and assignments helped me to be improved in conducting academic research, even though I already had a master’s degree in a close field from another university in Sweden before starting to study at UCS.

What would you like to say to someone who is considering applying to the Master’s program in Human Rights and Democracy at UCS?

When I went through the courses, I learned that the program offered me considerable knowledge about the issue of Human Rights. After finishing this program, I became a new version of a critic of this field—this time, I was equipped with a more profound and precious knowledge provided by the program. Although my initial objective for which I attended this program was not fulfilled, I reached a more critical and considerable output. I cannot suggest to others what to do, but I’d say I would personally choose to study this program at UCS if, again, I were to choose a program and a college to study at. I learned a lot from the program.