Philipp Seuferling

Philipp came from Germany and graduated from the MSc programme in 2017. He is currently a PhD student at Södertörn University continuing with his research interests from the master's programme, in which he has about 2 years left with his project. What Made You Choose this Programme and Lund University? I was looking for a master’s which combines media studies and communication studies from a critical perspective – two fields which are a bit more separated back in Germany. Also, I was interested in studying in the Nordics again, having spent some time in Finland before. So, I ended up in Lund. Looking Back, How Would You Describe Your Experience?  Basically, a good combination of a high-quality university, and vibrant student life. While it is a Swedish small town with nothing to do, it’s maybe exactly this which creates communities. And Malmö and Copenhagen are just next door. Given that I’m continuing within academia, my studies at Lund have of course prepared me directly for my job right now. Maybe on a more personal level, Lund was also my pathway into Swedish academia and life in Sweden in general. What Was Your Master's Thesis On?  I wrote about how media create narratives about historical migration into Germany. Basically, I was interested in how societies understand and remember their migration histories, which influences how they relate to current day migration. Many Western countries have such rich histories of migration, and media are central actors in remembering this, which puts contemporary events into perspective. So, I studied how media make use of these memories or also fail by distorting or repressing certain voices. What Was Your Experience with Supervision and Research at the Department? I got very good, constant and helpful support throughout the thesis phase. While it can be annoying, it’s also useful to have someone ask tricky questions. This makes the research eventually better, even if you at first don’t think so. Still learning this at the PhD stage.