Certificate of International Merits

Would you like to gain international experience that you can show in your degree certificate when you finish your studies? The Certificate of International Merits (CIM) is your chance to engage in international activities as a student at Malmö University and present them in your degree certificate. It is a concrete credential of your intercultural competence and will make you stand out to a future employer. Whether you collect your international experience in Sweden or abroad, CIM helps you gain useful skills for your academic and personal development. Show your intercultural competence and global awareness as you meet people from all over the world with CIM!

Information

Currently, only students at the Faculty of Health and Society, the Faculty of Odontology, the Faculty of Education and Society and the Faculty of Technology and Society can apply for the certificate. The certificate will be available at more faculties in the future.

How to participate in CIM

There are two paths for obtaining CIM: Home and Abroad. You can start your journey towards CIM on one path, but you have the possibility to change to the other if that suits you better. CIM is flexible and allows you to plan according to your situation.

Home

Home is aimed for you who does not go abroad at any stage of your studies. You will become a buddy in our Buddy Programme and additionally participate in three other activities in Sweden or online.

About the Buddy Programme

Abroad

This path is for you who goes abroad at some point during your study period. You will either do an exchange semester, a summer/short-term course, an internship or degree project abroad. Additionally you will participate in two other activities either physically in Sweden, online or abroad. The minimum number of days abroad is 10 days.

About exchange studies

About internship abroad

Degree projects abroad

Create your own activity

CIM-activities are activities with an international focus that is related to your studies or future profession. Many of these activities are posted on Canvas, but you can also create your own activity. Examples of activities that may be approved:

study abroad, do a summer course abroad, or write your degree project abroad
participate in international conferences and workshops
participate in seminars connected to internationalisation and your future career
become a buddy for international students in our Buddy Programme
do volunteer work

How to register for CIM

Register by sending an e-mail to your International Coordinator, see below. Once your application has been registered, you will get access to the Certificate of International Merits Canvas page for your faculty. There you will find everything you need to get started.

Education and Society: Register by sending an email to Maria Pihel

How Matilda got her Certificate of International Merits

For Matilda Öreberg, who studied to become a nurse, it was an obvious choice to go for a CIM. She wanted to cultivate her interest in global health and also be able to present her acquired international experience to future employers.

How Matilda got her Certificate of International Merits

–The international profile was one main reason for me to choose Malmö University when starting my nursing studies, so it was obvious to me that I should aim for a CIM as well. I wanted to take the chance to go abroad during my clinical placements and I also wanted to continue to cultivate my interest in global health. The opportunity to gather my knowledge, experiences and commitments in a Certificate of International Merits was valuable to me, as it is a convenient way to show my experience to future employers.

–To participate in CIM gives the opportunity to choose between activities that takes a few hours of your time and bigger projects that lasts for month – both at home and abroad. CIM has something to offer to anyone interested in internationalization. My first CIM activity was a lecture on medical care at the scene of a catastrophe with Johan von Schreeb, the founder of the Swedish Doctors without borders. This was an activity that I found myself and got accepted as part of my CIM after speaking to my CIM coordinator. The following activity I participated in was a 4-week exchange to southern India during a clinical placement in primary health care. I travelled together with two other nursing students, and together we got a good insight into Indian health care, society and culture. I also got an opportunity to practice my English. In addition, I also made new friends and valuable contacts with Indian nursing students and local faculty members as well as fellow exchange students from around the world.

–Due to the corona pandemic, I wasn’t able to fulfill my plans to do my bachelor’s thesis as a MFS* in Ethiopia, nor was I able to go to Slovenia for another exchange clinical placement during the last semester. Instead, I participated in a digital exchange project with nursing students from Hong Kong and Australia. We worked together during a couple of weeks with a patient case, and I got insights in how my international nurse colleagues deal with patient-related matters. I also learnt more about similarities and differences between our societies and health care systems.

–Altogether, I believe that the CIM activities has broadened my perspectives on the world in general and on global health in particular. I have started to build a valuable international network of contacts and gotten a chance to practice my English skills. To participate in CIM, which sometimes is challenging and take both courage and patience, makes you grow on a personal level. I would recommend giving CIM a chance to anyone interested with an aim for an international career or just an interest in global matters. It is fun!

* MFS = Minor Field Study. This is an eight-week field study as part of a thesis, founded by Swedish SIDA.

How Mustafa got her Certificate of International Merits

Mustafa Aljamal was in his final year of dental education when CIM became available at the Faculty of Odontology. He has now graduated and works at Wasa Dental Clinic and Avesta Dental Care. Through CIM, Mustafa gained new perspectives and experiences that benefited him in his work as a dentist.

How Mustafa got her Certificate of International Merits

– I became interested in internationalisation early on during my studies. When I heard that the Faculty of Odontology had implemented CIM, I didn't have to think twice about participating. One of the most rewarding events was a five-week intercultural communication course at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). It was an informative, evidence-based course that I can highly recommend. The main goal was to gain important insights to understand intercultural interactions. Among other things, we based our work on interactions one can have with people from different cultures, such as social dynamics, social standards in cultures, and various phenomena.

– Another activity I participated in was the international Osstell Symposium. The event focused on dental implants and provided CE credits (continuing education credits), which in some countries must be met annually by dentists to maintain their dental license. During the event, I had the opportunity to listen to several world-renowned speakers. I gained insight into current research on the subject and different approaches to the profession than those we are used to in Sweden.

– I thought it was too good to be true when I found out that the 'Buddy Programme' was also a CIM activity – it enables one to have fun while also getting a credit. The programme involves students welcoming new international students to Malmö University. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, all meetings with the new students were held online, but it was still a fun experience. We met online and talked about student life in different countries, as well as traditions, cooking, and more. I also created new friendships with our international students from the Student Union Board.

– Participating in CIM can benefit both your personal and working life. International events provide good networking opportunities that can lead to new opportunities. For a dental student, they can offer new perspectives on different approaches, technologies, and treatment options in dentistry, which in turn leads to professional development. My international experiences have enabled me to develop my communication skills with international students and people from different cultural backgrounds. Being interculturally competent leads to more individualised and patient-centered dental care.

– I was surprised when I learned I was the first student from the Faculty of Odontology to get my CIM. I hope my participation will inspire more students from the Faculty of Odontology to apply.