The benefit to society guides Livia Hallin
IVA's own technology leaper Livia Hallin has been interested in and curious about the engineering profession since high school. That said, she points out, she hasn't fully settled into what she wants to study for when it's time to apply to university and college. She hopes that her internship at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences will shed some light on this.
Maybe a journalist. Or engineer. What is clear, however, is that IVA's own technology leaper, Livia Hallin, wants to make something of her social commitment. In high school, she received an information sheet sent home and was able to read about Tekniksprånget. At the time, she thought that engineering was a rather vague job description, but she saw a chance to immerse herself in what the job could entail. Besides, she got a salary.
"It felt extra attractive because you get a good salary when you do Tekniksprånget. Before I continue my studies, I would like to earn money and be able to travel!
Went to France in the middle of the pandemic
So it had to be a trip. Livia Hallin put her studies on hold, took a job and earned enough to go to France to improve her French language skills, despite the pandemic raging in Europe. For six months, she lived with a mother and daughter in Aix-en-Provence outside Marseille. Even though there was a curfew, it was a developing experience to be able to spend time so close to your host family. Travelling gives perspective, she thinks, and dreams of travelling in Asia where you can be away for a long time for a relatively small cost – and Costa Rica of course, where you can surf.
The benefit to society is important
An academic education is something Livia Hallin has decided on, the only question is what direction it should take. An important driving force is to be able to contribute to the future, she says, and that is also what allows her to see herself studying a higher technical education. She hopes that the internship can provide a deeper insight into what the challenges of the future entail.
"We need to think about everything from water and energy supply to cybersecurity. What attracted me to IVA was being able to understand these challenges. There is an ongoing project here at IVA on hydrogen. It feels extra exciting.
At IVA, Livia Hallin saw the opportunity to learn about several aspects of the engineering profession and is looking forward to taking part in the exchange between researchers and industry.
"My expectation of the internship is that through it, I will better understand the breadth of what the engineering profession entails, and how the interaction between engineers, companies, researchers and politicians should work in order to lead society in the direction the future requires.