The SASNET travel grant is designed to give journalism students the opportunity to conduct on-the-ground reporting in South Asia, encouraging a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the region. During their stay in Sri Lanka, Sofia Nyström and Ida Nilsson aim to explore the broader effects of the country’s recent crisis - each through their own journalistic lens.
In their applications, Sofia Nyström and Ida Nilsson outlined two potential angles each, which will serve as starting points for their fieldwork. Depending on access to sources and developments on the ground, their stories may evolve, combine, or shift focus as they engage with local communities and experts.
Sofia Nyström plans to investigate how young people in Sri Lanka are responding to the current situation - either through a story on declining birth rates and shifting family expectations, or one on the "brain drain" of young professionals leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
Ida Nilsson’s initial focus includes either a reportage on why many journalism students in Sri Lanka do not continue into the profession despite a strong media culture, or a piece highlighting the experiences of Sri Lankan women who have worked in the Gulf States under the controversial Kafala system.
While each student will work independently, they will travel together and support one another throughout the reporting process. They are preparing by building a strong network of local contacts - including journalists, researchers, and human rights advocates - who will help guide their work.
Read more about current and upcoming SASNET grants here.