Sona Sukiasyan

Alumni portrait of alumna Sona, from the Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies. Interview was conducted in January 2024.

Hi Sona! Can you introduce yourself shortly?

Absolutely! My name is Sona Sukiasyan, and I am from Armenia. I moved to Sweden around 3 years ago, to study for my second master programme at Lund University. I recently got a PhD position at the University of Gothenburg, in the Department of Sociology and Work Science. I am doing my PhD in Sociology. 

You graduated from Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University in 2022. What have you been doing since graduating?

Yes, it takes time until you find ways to develop your career. I am interested in working in academia, so my plan was always to find a PhD position in Sweden or somewhere else. I was actively looking for jobs, but also PhDs, when graduating from Lund University. I was very interested in continuing to develop my career in Sweden. I applied for several PhDs, and in June 2023 I got the invitation to an interview for a PhD position at Gothenburg University. Afterward, I got the phone call that I was accepted as a PhD student in Sociology, with a focus on Migration and Integration. I was very happy when I got the phone call! My research topic is within Migration Studies.

I was not prepared that I would get a PhD position so quickly, because I know that it is a competitive market, both in Sweden and in many countries, especially in social sciences. This also applies to any kind of job in social sciences. But this should not be something that should hold us from pursuing social sciences, I think we need more social scientists today. Maybe here I would go forward and encourage students in social sciences to not get disappointed when trying to find a job and continue to chase their dreams. Because I am sure that with a bit of hard work, it will be possible to find the job that you would like to do.

What made you specifically choose the Master Programme in Middle Eastern Studies? What did you enjoy about studying the programme?

I have my Bachelor’s and my first Master’s degree in Oriental Studies, and I have always found the Middle East an interesting field of study. I continue to do research and focus on the Middle East, specifically. When I was looking for master programmes, I found Lund University and the Middle Eastern programme, which had great opportunities with different courses being offered in the programme. Not just about politics and society in the Middle East, but also focusing on the theories and methodological aspects of doing research. Also having the opportunity to do an internship – I thought it would be a good opportunity. I did my research and found that Sweden has one of the best educational systems in the world, especially Lund University, which is one of the best universities in Sweden. I also chose Sweden because of the scholarship opportunities, I studied with the scholarship offered by the Swedish Institute. It was a very good opportunity as I didn’t have to think about tuition fees and other expenses. I was immensely happy when I was offered the scholarship as well as when I got accepted to the programme. I don’t regret anything!

Do you have any advice for prospective students regarding scholarships, specifically the Swedish Institute scholarship?

I would advise them to work hard with the motivational letter. It is short, and you need to be very concrete with your aim, as well as how you think that receiving this scholarship will help you; and help you develop your local context. Of course, everyone wants to study and receive a scholarship, but I think you really need to be specific about how you will benefit from the scholarship. Not only just you, but also how you will use this opportunity to get benefits for your local context, either in your own home country or the context of the country you will live in after finishing your studies. 

Additionally, keep up with your opportunities and try to explore other scholarship opportunities in other organizations and institutions – as scholarships are very competitive! 

Today, you are a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Gothenburg. What does a regular workday look like for you?

It depends on the period that you are in. Sometimes it might be that you are focusing on a specific project, or some specific tasks, similar things that you do during some days. But it is very different. Sometimes you do a lot of courses. It depends on where you are in your research project. The idea is to take courses that help you to conduct your research project. There are a lot of activities in the department, such as seminars and workshops, that you participate in. It is not mandatory, but they are useful, as well as for networking purposes. At this point, I am not very engaged in teaching, but as a PhD student, you also can get involved in teaching. Usually, you do it in the later stages of your PhD. 

There are also organizations for PhD students, like unions, and student associations, that you can also be an active part of. I am, for example, part of the Doctoral Student Committee on the faculty level, Faculty of Social Sciences, at the University of Gothenburg. We have regular meetings where we discuss issues that we are concerned about. There are a lot of opportunities to be involved if you are interested in getting a more active student life.

If I could summarize, my day differs depending on the period I am in. 😊

Looking back at your time at Graduate School, would you say that your time at Graduate School contributed to your professional development? If so, in what way(s) would you say that it did?

Yes, absolutely! I think it helped me in so many ways, to continue to become someone who wants to work in academia and continue her career in academia. The programme gave me opportunities to study courses which were very rich, both in terms of methodology and theories, in social sciences. The programme is interdisciplinary, and you have so many connections to different fields of study, political science, sociology, and gender studies, to name but a few. I also took courses that were related to Migration Studies within the Middle Eastern Studies programme. Through this, I learned more about scholars who do research within the migration field. This helped me to further understand what kind of research I want to focus on, and what I want to do for my PhD and my future career. My specific research topic for my PhD is the relationship between food and migrant identities sense of belonging, and experiences in their new place of settlement. Courses that I took in methods, also helped me a lot. Especially courses about ethnography and doing fieldwork. I continue to use the literature that I read during my master program to develop my PhD project.

You were an active student during your time at Graduate School, being an SI (supplemental instructor) leader for your programme. What did you gain from this experience?

It was my very first experience of being on the other side of the classroom.  As the SI leader, I was not a teacher, nor a student. but I was somewhat in the middle of them. It was my first experience working with students on a master level, having discussions with them about the literature and the material that they were supposed to read for the lectures, but also other issues they might have. I also received a short training on how to use different methodological tools to make these sessions interesting to first-year students. These are things that will help me in the future, in teaching, during my PhD programme, and after finishing my PhD.

I want to also encourage students to participate in these sessions as much as possible. It is also a good way to network with colleagues who are one year ahead of you. For example, I am still in contact with my SI leader, who was one year above me in her studies. 

Do you have any advice, be it career-related and/or study-related, for current students at Graduate School?

Yes! I can say several things that I think might be useful for current students. One of the things that you should keep in mind is to be open for, and explore, your opportunities. There are several possibilities for graduates in social sciences, in academia or outside, in NGOs, and other organizations. Another piece of advice is to think about where you see yourself in the future and take different initiatives based on that and explore where they can lead you. I also recommend exploring different internship opportunities, in different institutions, for networking purposes as well. If you are interested in academia, I recommend looking for positions such as project assistants, or short-term courses, that can help you in your future career.

I want to encourage everyone to not give up on their dreams! Believe in yourself, and never stop chasing your dreams. Never stop fighting. If you intend on staying in Sweden, I also want to encourage international students to learn Swedish, as this is highly beneficial when applying for jobs. 

Lastly, enjoy your student years! I enjoyed being a student at Lund University – it is a wonderful time, and it goes by incredibly fast.

Do you have any tips for prospective students who are looking into studying at Graduate School?

Yes. Again, I want to reiterate the importance of the motivational letter. It is a lot about you – and why you want to continue your studies, with, for example, Lund University. Be specific about your motivation, and why you want to study at Lund University. What is it that Lund University offers you that other universities might not offer?