HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg: Recent Episodes
Helsingborg International Connections
A podcast for international people living in Helsingborg, Sweden. Join us to find out how the city functions, pick up helpful tips and be inspired to explore! This podcast series is a #Visionsfonden project.
What challenges do foreigners face when they look for work in Sweden and how should they approach their job search?
We meet Ali Alabdallah, a Syrian journalist who came to Sweden in 2013. Starting from scratch, he got to grips with the language, applied his previous experience and qualifications, and drew on his positive outlook to find work.
Ali has gone on to write two books about job seeking and diversity in the workplace, and now works as a careers coach with Asuria AB, a company working with job seekers to help them fulfil their potential.
We hope you enjoy our conversation!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:Helsingborg International Connections
Asuria AB
Arbetsförmedlingen (The Employment Agency)
The International School of Helsingborg (ISH) was founded in 1995 to help serve the needs of the international community. It’s one of just a few state international schools in Sweden which takes students from age 3 to 19 and since August 2021 it has also offered a limited number of places to 2- year-olds.
The school follows the International Baccalaureate programme and all lessons are taught in English, making it much easier for international companies to bring their employees and families to the Helsingborg area.
We spoke to Michael McAneney, Head of School, to find out more about the school, the IB and its entry criteria. Please join us for an informative episode!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:
Helsingborg International Connections
International School of Helsingborg
Sweden has an excellent reputation for waste management and recycling. From providing household collections of nine different types of waste to recycling building materials and fuelling rubbish trucks with biogas made from food scraps, there are a host of different schemes in Helsingborg which make it easy for residents to dispose of their rubbish efficiently.
We spoke to Pernilla Ringström, Chief Communications Officer at NSR, the local waste disposal company, to ask her more about their activities and how we can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Please join us for an informative episode!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:
Helsingborg International Connections
NSR
GoLow
Volunteering is an incredibly valuable way of engaging with the community. It gives newcomers the opportunity to practice their Swedish, build a network, and demonstrate their skills. It’s also a perfect way to build a network and develop authentic friendships while doing good and providing a service to others.
We asked Mikael Ottebrant, Volunteer and Associations Coordinator of the Volunteer Centre at Helsingborg Municipality, to explain how it works and what opportunities there are for internationals living in the city.
Join us to find out how you can get involved!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:Helsingborg International Connections
Helsingborg Volunteer Centre
How many countries offer free language lessons to newcomers? In Sweden, this is an important part of the integration policy, so SFI (“Swedish for Immigrants”) courses are widely available.
We invited Anna Raselius, career and guidance counsellor at Adult Education in Helsingborg Municipality, to explain the study options available to us. As someone who has lived abroad in several countries, Anna understands well the needs of internationals and how important it is to get to grips with the local language.
Please join us for an informative episode!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:Helsingborg International Connections
SFI in Helsingborg
How do we make friends when we move abroad and what is it like when we move back toour own country? Is it hard to make friends in Sweden?
Join us for a relaxed conversation about the nature of friendship, expat life and integration.
Thank you to our good friends, Åsa Kadom and Maria Bullock, two Swedish women who have experienced life in other countries and returned to Sweden with an international family after several years abroad. We chat about what it’s like to make friends in another country and they give us some great insights into the Swedish psyche. Want to make friends with a Swede? Listen in to find out how!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:Helsingborg International Connections
Did you know that Helsingborg is one of the fastest growing cities in Sweden?
You can't walk or drive through the city without noticing the changes to the urban landscape over the last few years. So how much do you know about H+? We invited Anders Landsbo, former H+ project leader, to tell us all about the project in this episode.
To give you a few hints, H + is the largest urban renewal project in Helsingborg in modern times. By 2035, the old port and industrial area will be developed into a mixed city. The H + area will incorporate the new and existing districts of Oceanhamnen, the University area, the Husar area and Gåsebäck, which will be linked to the city center and the surrounding districts.
H + stands for the addition of more inhabitants, more companies and more meeting places in Helsingborg. Tune in to find out more!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom
Find out more:
H+
Helsingborg International Connections
What's the best way to explore cultural life in Helsingborg?
With the Culture Card (Kulturtkortet), of course! Join us as we talk to Dennis Nilsson, project leader of Kulturkortet, to hear great tips on how and where to use the card. Did you know that it's also available as an app, with a useful calendar function?
Whether you love art exhibitions, live music, history, beautiful gardens or sport history, the card is for you! It gives you unlimited free access to some of Helsingborg's favourite attractions and a variety of discounts on tickets and in venues.
As their website says, "17 000 users can't be wrong"! We hope you enjoy this episode!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:
Kulturkortet
Helsingborg International Connections
Where can you find all kinds of tips and hints about daily life in Helsingborg?
Join us as we chat with Parul Ghosh of This Is Helsingborg. She’s made it her mission to make life easier for internationals living in Helsingborg, by sharing practical info, useful apps, stories, news updates and much more.
From giving blood to sourcing freshly grown food or navigating the corona crisis, Parul’s beautiful and easy to read blogs help us engage in city life and stay informed.
We’ll also hear about her project to help local businesses through the pandemic and discuss what it’s like to start over in a foreign country. Welcome!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:This Is Helsingborg
Helsingborg International Connections
How does the City of Helsingborg tackle the challenges of the future?
H22 is a huge commitment by the municipality to build a smarter, innovative, thoughtful and sustainable city. By engaging with the community and forging new partnerships both at home and abroad, Helsingborg seeks new solutions to the challenges of an increasingly elderly population, fewer tax resources, climate change, integration and the pandemic.
In physical terms, H22 is a city-wide expo taking place in the summer of 2022, but it's also the journey there and the building of an innovation ecosystem.
Want to know more? Tune into our interview with Soraya Axelsson, project leader of H22!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:H22
Helsingborg International Connections
Did you know that Helsingborg has a unique fund which grants up to 1 000 000 SEK a year for innovative projects in our city?
We interview Alexandra Hvalgren to find out how the Vision Fund works and how to apply. Do you have a great idea that you think can contribute to better quality of life or a smarter, more sustainable city? The Vision Fund welcomes big and small ideas, so listen to find out more!
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:Vision Fund
Helsingborg International Connections
Libraries are the cornerstones of our communities and for many they are a lifeline.
We speak to Eva Hveem, Sara Nygren and Layla Husain of Helsingborg City Library to find out about the many services it provides. In addition to all the traditional facilities you’d expect, there’s a well-equipped digital tech area and plenty of help in learning how to use it.
Above all, the library is a citizen-driven hub and meeting-place, and its staff warmly invite you to put forward your own suggestions and to engage in deciding its future.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom. For the same reason, some of the library services mentioned in the episode may not be on offer right now, so please check the Helsingborg libraries' website below.
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Find out more:
Helsingborg City Library
Helsingborg International Connections
We interview Martin Arkel, Communications Manager of the Contact Centre, to find out about the different types of help, advice and information available to the residents of Helsingborg.
In 2020, the Contact Centre solved 75% of the queries about Helsingborg city and had around 200 000 contacts with residents. Martin explains the issues they deal with, how to get in touch and when/where to find them.
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:
Contact Centre
Helsingborg International Connections
Meet the co-founders of Helsingborg International Connections, the organisation which supports international residents living in the Helsingborg area.
We learn about this attractive city in southern Sweden and find out how HIC makes life easier for new international arrivals, long-term residents and returning Swedes.
Finally, Sally Russell and Jenny Wieslander chat about their experiences of living abroad and why they saw the need for a network like HIC.
HIC Talks: Welcome to Helsingborg is a Vision Fund project.
Due to the pandemic, we are currently conducting all our interviews over Zoom.
Find out more:
Website: www.hiconnections.eu
Facebook: Helsingborg International Connections
Linkedin: Helsingborg International Connections
Instagram: @hiconnections