Jamaican student from Old Harbour nominated for the Global Swede Award

His nomination came about after two years of excellent academic achievements, extracurricular engagements and utilising his natural gift to spread a positive vibe on campus. 

A psychology student from the University of the West Indies, Thompson has been living in the Scandinavian country since 2017 where he is reading for a master’s degree in criminology.

“I am truly humbled by both recognitions. I can only continue to put by best foot forward and be the best ambassador for myself, my friends and family and Jamaica,” a delighted Thompson wrote on his social media handle Facebook.

Every year Swedish universities nominate an international student for the Global Swede Award, an event which recognizes innovative and entrepreneurial students who did exemplary work representing their country including Sweden.

“I put on a lot of social events for students to integrate and have fun while living here. Being away from your family can be difficult. I like to see people happy. It has also helped me, while living here, to be happy. As international students, it’s a new country for all of us,” he said in an interview with the university.

“I love to share my experiences with my friends, for example through social media. I thought it would be a great opportunity to share even more, not just for my friends but for other people to see Malmö and Sweden through my eyes.

“I’m excited to meet the other nominees. I love to network and I like to meet other young people who are inspired and motivated to do good things. I think it will be a room filled with those people.”

Jamaica’s high crime rate which averages over 1,000 murders per annum was a major factor in Thompson choosing criminology.

“I started the criminology programme thinking about how I could help Jamaica solve some of its crime problems and help some of the country’s vulnerable populations. I know I want to contribute to my home country as well as to the field of criminology,” said Thompson, a St Jago High School alumnus and 2014 Festival Song finalist.

The awards ceremony is set for May 21 in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

Upon completing the master’s programme, Thompson will go on to pursue a PhD at Sweden’s Lund University.