From March to June 2023, I completed a three-month internship under the Erasmus+ programme in Leoben, Austria, at the Department of General and Analytical Chemistry at the Montanuniversität Leoben (MUL).

My work there, as a PhD student at the University of Nova Gorica and a young researcher at the Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS), was related to the activities within the international project MURmap, in which GeoZS and MUL, in collaboration with the National Institute of Chemistry (NIC), are trying to obtain data on the environmental geochemistry of conventional and modern inorganic pollutants in a European river basin – the Mur/Mura river.

More information about MURmap project you can find here: https://www.murmap.at/en/

During this time I gained knowledge and improved my skills in analytical chemistry, laboratory work, and social skills. After joining the university, I visited the department and laboratories of the Department of General and Analytical Chemistry and familiarised myself with the rules for safe work, especially in the clean room and the limitations of working with chemicals. I spent most of my time in the lab, where I learned abound the process of cleaning lab equipment and sample preparation procedures (e.g., measuring analytes). After acquiring the basic knowledge, I participated in the measurement of the chemical composition of the Mur/Mura water using inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition to determining the chemical composition of the water, I was also involved in preparing samples for Sr isotope ratio measurements and calibrating them, using state-of-the-art equipment. In May, I also had the opportunity to participate in the Junganalytiker*innen Forum, where I presented a poster with the results of the MURmap project.

The whole experience was excellent. The people at the university are very friendly and the city is cosy and beautiful. I am very grateful for the excellent integration into the department group and participation in all their activities. I learned new skills that will help me improve my PhD, met new people and made contacts. I had the opportunity to work with renowned scientists, improve my English and get to know a new city.

Barbara Čeplak

V študijskem letu 2022/2023 sem se v prvem semestru udeležil izmenjave v Baskiji v Španiji, natančneje v Bilbau, na Universidad del País Vasco. Za to univerzo sem se odločil predvsem zaradi znanja španskega jezika, ki sem ga želel tekom svoje izmenjave izboljšati.

Z gotovostjo lahko trdim, da je bila moja odločitev pravilna in sem zelo zadovoljen z izbiro univerze na katero sem odšel na izmenjavo. Lahko rečem, da me je v Bilbau navdušilo vse, od same univerze pa tudi do mesta nasploh. Edina stvar, ki me je malo negativno presenetila in za katero sem potreboval nekaj časa, da sem se privadil nanjo, je bila vreme. To je namreč zelo spremenljivo, v enem samem dnevu pogosto večkrat dežuje in posije sonce. Po končani izmenjavi me zato dež ne preseneti več.

Začnimo z univerzo. Kljub temu, da gre za veliko univerzo, študentje za njih niso le številke. Med predavanji sem dobil občutek, da so profesorji na univerzi res za nas, študente, in da jim je zelo pomembno da predavanja razumemo. Že med samimi predavanji sem se zato veliko naučil, kar mi je močno olajšalo pripravo na izpite. Z veseljem bi Universidad del País Vasco priporočil tudi ostalim študentom ki se odpravljajo na izmenjavo.

Bilbao je srednje veliko mesto, v katerem se vedno nekaj dogaja kot v kakšnem večjem mestu, a kljub temu zagotavlja nek občutek varnosti manjšega mesta. Premikanje po njem je precej preprosto zaradi zelo dobrega javnega prometa, ki pa med tednom deluje le do 23ih. Vendar tudi to ni ovira za prebivalce Bilbaa, ki pogosto hodijo na zabave tudi ob četrtkih, in se potem vračajo domov v petek s prvim metrojem ob 6ih zjutraj. Ker sem tudi sam ljubitelj španske glasbe sem se jim seveda večkrat pridružil.

Tekom izmenjave sem nekaj časa namenil tudi potovanjem. Obiskal sem večino bližnjih vasi in večjih mest, kot so San Sebastian, Santander, Burgos, Vitoria-Gasteis, Pamplona … Za nekaj dni pa sem se odpravil tudi v prestolnico Španije, Madrid. Bilbao pa, s svojo lego, poleg relativno dobrih avtobusnih povezav za raziskovanje okoliških mest, ponuja tudi plažo z valovi primernimi za srfanje. Priložnost, da se prvič podam med valove, sem z veseljem izkoristil.

Kot sem že omenil, sem Bilbao izbral predvsem, da bi izboljšal svoje znanje španščine in razširil svoja obzorja. Ta cilj sem brez dvoma dosegel, predavanja sem namreč imel v španščini, veliko prostega časa pa sem preživel v špansko govoreči družbi. Tako sem tekom izmenjave spoznal veliko novih kultur in spletel številna nova prijateljstva. Izmenjava mi je ponudila veliko več, kot sem na začetku pričakoval, in težko opišem, kako vesel sem, da sem izkoristil to priložnost.

Matevž Gros

After I defended my PhD, since I kept a good communication with my supervisor from the University of Santiago de Compostela, I had the opportunity to return another time in Spain with Erasmus+. The goal of my visit was to extend the work I did for my graduate studies. I had a nice time, I already knew the places so it has all been easier and relaxed, also … I didn’t have strict deadlines.
I acquired extra knowledge in the field of research and working experience.

Marta Trini