We spent about a week in Linz for Ars Electronica, and it turned out to be an intense but really rewarding experience. The festival was packed with works that connected science, art, and technology in ways that were sometimes playful, sometimes serious, but always thought-provoking.

Walking through the exhibitions, we kept running into projects that pushed us to think differently about everyday things — from how technology changes human behavior to how art can open new perspectives on research. There was a lot to take in, and at times it felt overwhelming, but in a good way. The variety of works made it impossible to see everything, yet that was part of the charm: you never knew what was waiting around the next corner.

What stood out just as much as the artworks were the conversations we had throughout the week. We met so many people — artists, curators, scientists, students — and each exchange added a new layer to the experience. Sometimes it was a short chat over coffee, sometimes a long discussion after a panel, but in all cases it felt like we were part of a community that is genuinely curious and open. Those connections already feel like seeds for future collaborations, or at the very least, friendships that will continue beyond the festival.

Linz itself added to the atmosphere. The festival spread across different locations, and moving between them gave us small breaks to take in the city. Sitting by the river in the evening, after a full day of installations and talks, became its own ritual — a way to process everything we had seen and heard.

By the end of the week, we were both tired and energized. Ars Electronica left us with new impressions, a lot of inspiration, and a sense that the conversations we started there will continue long after the festival. It’s rare to find a place where science, art, and technology come together so naturally, and we came back with both ideas and people we know will shape our work in the future.

My name is Katarina, I am a student of Environmental Sciences at University of Nova Gorica, and I spent the second semester of my third year of undergraduate studies in Lisbon, Portugal, as a part of Erasmus mobility programme.

I chose to attend Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA), a school which is a part of Universidade de Lisboa, because they offered the course Environmental Engineering, a closest match to my course of Environmental Sciences that I could find. Unfortunately, most of the undergraduate courses are in Portuguese, so I couldn’t follow along in classes, but professors did provide me with all study materials in English and were open to helping me in whatever way necessary. I did email each professor individually before even singing my OLA to ask whether I could attend their classes and if I could do the exam in English and they were all welcoming. When it comes to the content of study, since it is Faculty of Agronomy, a lot of the subjects and projects are taught from the perspective of agronomy which was interesting because it provides a different viewpoint on issues than the one you would’ve gained at UNG.

When it comes to Lisbon itself, it’s truly a gorgeous city, and so multifaceted that everyone can find something up their alley. From bars, hangout spots, and worldwide cuisines, I found it exciting to explore not just the differences and gems of Portuguese culture but also food and cultures from Middle and Far East, South America and Africa. Lisbon has become an insanely multicultural city and there are many opportunities to be exposed to a variety of cultures, what with the restaurants and festivals promoting specific countries or regions of the world. Additionally, many festivals and concerts are organised in Lisbon, especially during the summer, and a lot of them are free. This is a link which I used to find a lot of different events: https://egeac.pt/ but also pay attention to posters on the streets because they led me to some of the most interesting parties or experiences. Also, don’t sleep on Portuguese museums – Lisbon offers free admission to a wide variety of museums with just their tax number (NIF) and it is a cool way to experience Portuguese culture.

Portugal is a gorgeous country with truly mesmerising nature. If you have the opportunity, it’s a wonderful experience to travel wherever in the country. The top destinations are the south or Azores and Madeira. The islands are insane – their nature is unlike anything which can be experienced in the rest of Europe and the flights from Portugal can are cheap. Of course, it’s not necessary to spend money in order to sightsee Portuguese nature – the city transport card covers a giant area around Lisbon, and you can make wonderful daytrips around the area, one day visiting the mountain hiking trails while already the next you’re walking on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. And really, five months is not enough to see all the different places you can just in the Metropolitan area of Lisbon.

Erasmus exchange is really a good opportunity, no matter whether you want to live abroad for the rest of your life or not. Sure, it does come with challenges – such as paperwork, language barriers, cultural differences – but knowing that you’re going to spend a limited amount of time in a place really makes you appreciate it differently and encourages you to take advantage of every second of every day.

Earlier this year, a group of us had the wonderful opportunity to spend five unforgettable days in Girona, Spain, as part of an Erasmus+ exchange. We participated in two parallel courses: Videography and Joyful and Sustainable Future Technologies, each offering its own unique perspective and experience.

The Joyful and Sustainable group spent three days immersed in nature, hiking through the mountains and completely unplugging from the digital world, quite literally, as there was no phone signal. Instead of scrolling through screens, we found ourselves reconnecting with one another through long conversations, shared meals, and even a few competitive rounds of board games. It was a refreshing reset, both physically and mentally, and a beautiful reminder of how grounding nature can be. Being surrounded by the forest, walking together, and reflecting on sustainability helped many of us slow down and reimagine the future through a more joyful, connected lens.

Meanwhile, our peers in the Videography course were exploring the city of Girona through a filmmaker’s eye. They created short films inspired by the textures, colors, and rhythms of the city, each one capturing a different perspective. Whether it was through observational storytelling, experimental visuals, or interviews, every piece reflected not just Girona’s charm, but also our evolving view of Spain itself,  a perspective deepened by a day trip to Barcelona, where the vibrant energy of the city offered a striking contrast and complement to Girona’s quiet beauty.

Beyond the structured activities, there was plenty of time for play, exploration, and connection. We laughed a lot, danced a little, got lost and found again, shared stories in multiple languages, and learned from one another in the most unexpected ways. It wasn’t just about learning new skills,  it was about being open, curious, and present.

We came back with hearts full of impressions, eyes full of color, and notebooks (and SD cards!) full of ideas. And most importantly, we brought back new friendships and a fresh sense of what it means to live and learn together.

My name is Emilija Vučićević, and I am a student of the MA program in Humanities Studies (Literary Science) at the School of Humanities, University of Nova Gorica. Although an internship is not a mandatory part of my curriculum, I decided to spend the final semester of my studies in Malta, doing an internship at the National Archives.

In this post, I will briefly present my internship experience.

Life in Malta

Before coming for the internship, I had visited Malta only once – when I came to see a friend who studies there. Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily and close to Africa. In terms of architecture and culture – along with the Maltese language – it truly represents a blend of these two continents, with additional layers left behind by various colonizers throughout history. Beyond all that, Malta is a well-known tourist destination, and because of its small size and the large number of people moving through the island, it often feels overcrowded. The number of people and cars on the streets was a big change compared to the calmness of Nova Gorica.

However, what you won’t find in Malta’s tourist brochures – but what I experienced many times during my five-month stay – are fireworks and religious processions. Malta has the highest number of churches per square meter in the world, and almost every church organizes a procession for its patron saint: a festive street celebration with relics and saintly statues carried out of the church. These processions are well attended and usually end with a large amount of fireworks at night. Malta was also one of the most heavily bombed countries during World War II. That tragic recent history has been transformed – nowadays, leftover bomb materials and gunpowder are used to make fireworks, and they take it very seriously. During my stay, I even attended a fireworks choreography competition. These were things I couldn’t have imagined before arriving.

Also, I had assumed that – since English is one of the official languages – everyone would speak it fluently and use it with each other. However, Maltese is very much alive in everyday use, and English is spoken mostly when necessary, with foreigners and tourists. That actually made me happy – Maltese is a beautiful, very difficult language, completely different from anything I’ve ever heard.

Working at the Archives

My internship took place at the National Archives. The National Archives of Malta is not housed in a single building – different departments are located in different cities: Valletta, Rabat, Mdina, and Gozo. This is partly due to the lack of space that would allow proper storage conditions for all materials in one place. I mostly worked in the central archives, located in Rabat. This department is actually housed in one of the oldest hospitals in Europe – Santo Spirito Hospital – which is mentioned in documents dating back to the 13th century. The old hospital has been slightly adapted for archival work, although the original architecture and layout of the rooms have remained mostly unchanged. Because of that, I would often see groups of tourists standing in front of my workplace during my lunch break, which reminded me to stop and appreciate the extraordinary setting I was working in.

My tasks varied by day: on Mondays, I usually worked on cataloguing passports and visa/residency applications from the 1950s, as well as scanning and digitizing materials ordered by people in the reading room. On Tuesdays, I digitized films and photographs from the archives of Malta’s biggest daily newspaper, The Times of Malta. Wednesdays were for working with other interns, usually in the storage rooms, organizing materials, arranging boxes, cleaning documents of dust, and replacing metal staples with archival-safe materials. From Thursday onward, it was back to cataloguing and digitizing.

This way, I got to experience different departments and meet most of the staff. Almost everyone was from Malta, except for a few people in the conservation department. I learned a lot about the Maltese temperament – my colleagues were warm, sociable, very open to communication and the world around them, spoke loudly, and ate food quite similar to what we eat in the Balkans: meat, bread, sweets coffee. I never felt excluded, even when I didn’t understand the language being spoken.

I’m sure I’ll return to the archives next time I’m in Malta – hopefully to volunteer and help, because there’s always more material to process, and also to visit all the new friends I’ve made!

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My internship in Malta gave me an amazing experience in getting to know a place and a culture in a way I couldn’t have imagined. I didn’t know much about Malta before arriving, but after five months of living there, I feel a close connection to it. I’m glad I now know so much about this small country on the edge of Europe – one of the smallest in the world, with a long history of fighting for its own authentic place.

I’m also glad that I got to see the other side of a popular tourist destination, both its strengths and flaws – from its warm and kind people, to crowded public transport, a lack of sidewalks, and intense heat.

On the practical side, the internship equipped me with valuable skills for working with unpublished documents. I learned how to approach documents both physically and technically: how to catalogue, scan, preserve, and make them accessible in different contexts. I’m certain that this work will benefit my studies and future career – especially in research related to samizdat materials I’ve worked on so far, or in working with the Letters collection currently being developed at the Research Centre for Humanities at my faculty.

In that sense, the entire experience was extremely positive, and I would recommend working in the Archives and spending time in Malta to my fellow humanities students!