Edition 2017
Internship Booklet
Are you ready for the international experience?
IAESTE IS ALL ABOUT INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS. IAESTE provides a fun way to discover the world, by working abroad. In this internship booklet you can read stories written by students, just like you, who went abroad last summer with IAESTE. The goal of this booklet is to give you some impressions, to remove all doubts and to give you the chance to get this great experience for yourself!
IAESTE is active in Ghent, Enjoy reading and we hope to Leuven and Brussels. The co- see you on the next IAESTE operating institutes are UGent, activity; sometime, someplace, KUL, VUB and ULB. If you are in somewhere in the world. your 3rd Bachelor or master in engineering, bio-engineering or sciences at one of these institutes you are able to Gert Weutens, Jelle Lanting participate in IAESTE. and Liesbeth De Ryckere Visit www.iaeste.be Facebook: IAESTE Belgium Don’t hesitate to e-mail us! LC Presidents 2017-2018 Gent: [email protected] Brussels: [email protected] Leuven: [email protected]
!3 Andrée De Cock – Ghent University – Bioscience Engineering – Brno, Czech Republic CZECH REPUBLIC ANDRÉE DE COCK
My name is Andrée. I study bio- science engineering at the university of Ghent. Trough IAESTE Ghent I got the opportunity to do an internship at the University of Brno. Brno is the second largest city in Czech republic and I totally loved it. I was an intern at the faculty of chemistry for six weeks during summer holidays. This IAESTE internship was such an amazing experience! Not only did I gain some more knowledge on Brno, educa onal level, I lived in another county by myself for the first me. Czech This gave me the chance to discover Republic the Czech culture, to meet new people, make new friends and to develop myself as a person. answer my ques ons. I am very exhibi ons,… During the weekends thankful for that, and will probably we made some trips with the The different topics and projects, I cherish this insight for the years to interns to some places nearby, such was involved in at the faculty of come. It was also very interes ng to as Vienna and Prague, both chemistry, gave me an overview and integrate and work in another beau ful ci es! Also, IAESTE Czech idea of the subjects the faculty university. In this way I discovered republic organised a kayak weekend deals with. This s mulated my different habits, rules and on the Vltava river. Here I interest to get to improve my behaviour of the people working at discovered the crazy drinking habits knowledge in this field. In this way it the faculty of chemistry. of the Czech people. They get up certainly helped me to widen my and have a beer, drink the whole view on “my” master specialisa on, An IAESTE internship is, of course, day and rest of the night… Never which is chemistry. not only about the internship. I did seen anything like that. And did you so many great things and made know Czech beer is cheaper then Also I learned that working in a high such amazing memories apart from water…..?! Not only the beer was standard scien fic organisa on is my work. I explored Brno, the city I cheap, Czech republic, in general, not only about scien fic knowledge lived in for 6 weeks. It was a calm was a cheap place to live. and analy cs. It is a lot about and quiet city in the summer period Restaurants, café’s, public transport, people and communica on. My because there were no students. cinema… And also the room I stayed supervisor and colleges were very Although there were s ll some nice in, located in a student resort, was kind and helpful. They trusted me in organised events like a beer fes val, half the price we pay in Belgium for what I was doing and took me for open air movies, beer yoga, art a room. me to explain me new tasks and
!4 Andrée De Cock – Ghent University – Bioscience Engineering – Brno, Czech Republic
Also, during my internship I culture. Not so healthy and a lot, discovered step by step the Czech really a lot of meat. And yeah… I am culture. In my experience, Czech kind of vegetarian so not the CZECH people are an introvert popula on. perfect combina on. They were almost never the first one to show interest in me, as a During this internship I met a lot of REPUBLIC foreign person. Although a er a awesome people from all around while I no ced that they opened up the world. Mexico, Bosnia, Ecuador, when you show them you are Colombia, Panama, Colorado, sincerely interested in them. And Scotland, Macedonia, Russia, then they are absolutely prepared Turkey,… Those six weeks went by to tell you everything about their so extremely fast. I wish I could life style, habits, educa onal have been there for a longer system, must visits in Czech period. I can only say: Don’t doubt, republic, beer and wine sugges on just do it!! etc. One thing I must admit.. I did not really like the Czech food
!5 Annelies Vandekerckhove - Ghent University - Master of Science in Sustainable Material Engineering - Quito, Ecuador ECUADOR ANNELIES VANDEKERCKHOVE
A er coming back from an amazing erasmus experience in my first master year I realized I couldn’t get enough of the interna onal experience. Unfortunately a second erasmus during my master was no op on so I decided to wait un l I would graduate to go abroad again. In June that moment had finally come and immediately a er my gradua on I le to Quito for a 3 month internship. And wow, it has been an amazing summer.
When I arrived in Quito everything went very smoothly; Johanna from the Ecuadorian IAESTE commi ee Quito, was wai ng for me at the airport with a name tag and gave me a Ecuador warm welcome. Soon we were heading to the hostel which was my home for the past 3 months. It was a one hour drive on which I My internship was in a company really close friends a er spending immediately was impressed by the called Grüntec. They provide all the lunch breaks together. amazing views around Quito, being environmental services to other Alejandra, my best friend at work surrounded by the immensely high companies, for example analyzing even invited me on a family event, mountains of the Andes. The waste water or soil samples from with her grandparents, aunts, neighborhood where our hostel was food or petroleum companies to uncles, cousins etc and this was a located was very nice, on a steep check wether they respect the really cool opportunity to hill with nice views and around the environmental guidelines. Grüntec experience the real Ecuadorian corner we had li le local fruit, was founded by a German couple, family culture. vegetable and meat markets, which and this reflected in strict working were very convenient during my hours and rules. Every day I worked A er work, there was no me for whole stay. The hostel was rented from 8 l 5 and I really learned a rest, I took Spanish classes, which only for IAESTE trainees so I was lot. They gave me the chance to for me added a lot of value to my living together with more or less 15 prac ce mul ple analy cal methods stay. A er some me I could other students from all over the and even develop and improve one conversate with my colleagues that world. It was pre y cool to come method which was quite new in the didn’t speak english and of course home and always have friends company, e.g. cyanide in general it made every day life so around, cook together, chill determina on in soils. Definitely, I much easier. In the evenings, we together, listen to music, prac ce can say that I gained a lot of some mes went to clubs, dancing Spanish with my roommate etc. No knowledge from this experience to reggaeton all night long, well at need to tell you that we had the and would recommend it to least un l 2 am as the clubs in Quito best me ever in the hostel and I anyone. I really liked working for closed pre y early. wouldn’t have wanted to live in any Grüntec, all my colleagues were other place. extremely nice and we became
!6 Annelies Vandekerckhove - Ghent University - Master of Science in Sustainable Material Engineering - Quito, Ecuador
Every single weekend, we made a Salinas, Otavalo, Cuicocha, Tena, weekendtrip with the whole hostel Mitad del Mundo, Papallacte, group. Some mes far, then we le Riobamba and Chimborazu. As you on a Friday evening and took a just read, we have almost seen ECUADOR night bus, some mes closer, and whole Ecuador, which is very cool. then we le Saturday early On top of that, I took some days off morning. One thing was for sure, to visit the famous Galapagos the weekend was not meant to islands. It’s expensive but believe rest! We went to Cotopaxi, me, so worth it! Quilotoa, Banos, Puerto Lopez, Isla de la Plata, Montanita, Mindo, Rucu No words can describe how Pichincha, Cuyabeno, Guayaquil, awesome the past 3 months have
!7 Annelies Verheijen – KU Leuven – Engineering-Architecture – Łódź, Poland POLAND ANNELIES VERHEIJEN
Last summer I did an internship in Łódź, Poland. A city nobody has ever heard of and everyone pronounces wrong. It was the best me of my life!
The flight took only two hours. By chance, there was another person from Belgium on the same plane who was having an internship in the same city. Once we arrived, we took the bus to Łódź. As soon as we arrived at the sta on, someone from IAESTE picked us up and showed us the way to the dormitory to leave our luggage. Łódź, A er that we explored the city and went to a colour fes val. In the Poland evening I met the other IAESTE trainees. There were people from all over the world, around 50 people in total. All of us had a room of them were s ll in the original A e r w o r k , I w e n t t o t h e in a dormitory of the university. It state and abandoned, while others supermarket (everything is was nice that we were all in the were already transformed into extremely cheap in Poland) and same building, as it made it easier another func on. cooked my meal in the dormitory. My roommate loved cooking as to get to know each other and My internship was at an well, so I had the chance to taste organize ac vi es in the evening. I architecture office which was Thai food many mes. One day, we shared my room with a girl from located in the main street of the organized an interna onal evening Thailand. She was doing an city. As there are many old buildings with all the trainees. Everyone architecture internship as well. in Łódź, the office only did prepared some food from their Although she was raised in another renova ons and didn’t design new home country. I had the chance to part of the world, we discovered buildings. I worked together with taste food from China, Japan, that we had the same thoughts and another IAESTE trainee from Spain. South-Korea, Spain, the USA, interests. She would be one of my Every day we took the tram Switzerland, Iran, Romania, Mexico best friends there! together to go to work. Our task and many more. The city I was living in, Łódź, was was to measure old workers’ houses the centre of the tex le industry in and draw plans of them. We had to Also, in the architecture office we the 19th century. As an architecture go on site as well to measure the had an interna onal lunch one day. student, it was interes ng to see flats from the inside. It was I tried the typical Polish food (many the old factories, workers’ houses interes ng to see how the people sorts of dumplings, pickled and palaces of factory owners, lived there, because the flats were cucumbers and cheese cake), but which were all over the city. Some very small. Most of them didn’t also tor lla de patatas from Spain even have a sleeping room. and a desert from Romania.
!8 Annelies Verheijen – KU Leuven – Engineering-Architecture – Łódź, Poland
Of course, a er a week of working, took off to Belgium. This was my it was me for the weekend! And chance to go beyond the borders of when you say weekend, you say Poland: I went to Prague with my travelling. Transporta on is very roommate. This weekend I enjoyed POLAND cheap in Poland so it was easy to the most. Prague is a beau ful city, travel around. I took part in two and walking around there with the weekends that were organized by best company I could think of, it IAESTE: one in Poznań and one in was perfect! Warsaw. These weekends were It was hard to say goodbye to great, because you had the chance people, knowing that they live at to get to know trainees from other the other side of the world and that ci es in Poland as well. Many you won’t see them soon. But I’m ac vi es were organized: kayaking, sure we will meet again in the city games, a jumping area, future. Friendships overcome amazing par es, … distance! I visited other ci es too with friends If you’re thinking of going on an from Łódź: Wrocław, Kraków and IAESTE internship, I would say: go Toruń. When people think about for it! It will be a life-changing Poland, they mostly think about the experience without any doubt. Also, grey concrete buildings. They exist, go a li le longer than the length of but there is so much more to your internship. This will give you discover. The main ci es all have a the chance to travel more. And if beau ful market place with you think that 8 weeks will be too colourful houses and other long, don’t worry, it will be over historical buildings. You can also go before you even realize! to the mountains in Zakopane and to the sea in Gdańsk.
When my internship was finished, I had some days le before my plane
!9 Bert Van Raemdonck – KU Leuven – Mechanical engineering – Ulsan, South Korea SOUTH KOREA BERT VAN RAEMDONCK “En we gaan nog niet naar huis, belange nie, belange nie!” Imagine singing this song giving your best impression of a drunk person, assisted by people from all over Asia giving their best impression of the Dutch language. Picture tall buildings all around you, decorated with colourfully lit signs, a church with a bright blood red cross piercing the night sky and the ominous silhoue es of hills barely visible in the distance. You’ve just had a wonderful me in a bar enjoying a glass of clear fluid (whether it’s water or soju is up to you) and using your by now divine Ulsan, chops ck skills to devour at least South Korea four delicious Gamjajeon pancakes. With K-pop playing in the background, you talked about educa on in your country, about if you were late! We explored against the background of a super geopoli cal problems, about bustling Busan with the Copacabana modern and well-funded ambi ous Kakaotalk’s way too bizarre of the East. We saw many Korean university with equipment from emo cons and about how you stars on a vibrant K-pop fes val with Samsung and LG everywhere. Some secretly steal cardboard boxes from a stage that puts that of the of us were more interested in their the trash of convenience stores for Eurovision song contest to shame. work than others, but no one was your internship. And our engineering hearts jumped as mo vated as me. Wouldn’t you Sounds amazing, right? Then you on seeing the huge car factory and be if your job is to design a kind of haven’t even heard what else we gargantuan shipyard of Hyundai, LEGO out of cardboard aid relief did! We visited ancient Korean which we learned to pronounce like boxes (that’s where stealing from villages where we made tradi onal Hyon-dé. convenience stores comes in) to give some emo onal relief to biscuits, held our breath decora ng Yes, we interns at UNIST did a lot of children in disastrous situa ons? our own fan and learned to prepare unforge able ac vi es together Wouldn’t you be if your work bibimbap: now I know how to cook and formed a mul cultural but ght involved what you do for a hobby, if at least one dish by myself!. We group. Each of us shared a room you could use fancy equipment in lived in a Buddhist temple complete with a Korean student, so we an environment full of with complicated dinner learned a lot about the culture. We knowledgeable people, some with ceremonies, lessons to become watched movies together, ate and some without a taste for knock- sunmodo warriors, an awe-inspiring noodles and of course kimchi knock jokes, and if those people statue carved out of the rocks and together, and suddenly spor ng would o en take you to restaurants the ritual of the 108 bows, which is became fun to me because we did it at the expense of the university? not as bad as it sounds, considering together. All of that happened you had to bow one thousand mes
!10 Bert Van Raemdonck – KU Leuven – Mechanical engineering – Ulsan, South Korea
When leaving for Korea and leaving their names and I had a warm my parents behind in Schiphol, I supervising professor who even was scared. I would be alone at the offered me a Ph.D. when I le . other end of the world, I would go IAESTE taught me to also try to be a SOUTH KOREA from a student to an employee and miracle for others. Because through I had already accidentally put my all those miracles, it took me way u lity knife in my hand luggage… less me to feel at home in Korea But then one miracle right a er the than it took me to feel at home other happened: the people from when I first went to university in IAESTE Seoul were so helpful, I Belgium! Thanks to all of those received a text to show to the taxi wonderful people, I really meant it driver to take me to UNIST, I that night when I shared our piece accidentally met my roommate, I of Belgium culture with the Koreans ended up in a wonderful group of that goes like “We gaan nog nie welcoming people, even though I naar huis, belange nie, belange had a lot of trouble remembering nie!”
!11 Blerta Osmanaj – Ghent University – Chemical Engineering – Thai Nguyen, Vietnam VIETNAM BLERTA OSMANAJ
As my final year at university was coming to an end, I was facing the hard decision of choosing what to do next. I was not really looking forward to the idea of star ng to work immediately so I was considering to travel for a year or to do some volunteering. But, while I was browsing through the possibili es of the IAESTE internships one thing popped out for me. It was an opportunity to teach English in Vietnam. As soon as I read the O-form I had already made up my mind to go for it. I had Thai never been in Asia before and Nguyên, Vietnam was definitely on my Vietnam travelling bucket list, making this internship just perfect for me. In the end I decided to go to Vietnam for 4 popula on of about 320 000 celebrity over here. Everybody months, from September ll the people. Even so, it is very poor and wants to take pictures with you and end of December. undeveloped. The traffic was one of on the street you are stared at I was so thrilled to go to Vietnam the things which shocked me the constantly. Nevertheless, you get that I barely slept on the plane. most. There are motorbikes used to this quite quickly and now I Ergo, huge jetlag during the first everywhere, nobody uses rear feel really at home in Thai Nguyen. days. I arrived in Hanoi and was mirrors, if they want to overtake a The Vietnamese food is amazing picked up by another trainee and a vehicle the drivers just honk. And I and incredibly cheap. I never cook IAESTE member. They took such mean seriously honk. As I am myself and usually pay less than 1 good care of me: took me out for wri ng this report there are euro for lunch/dinner. The lunch, helped me se le in my constant honking noises in the Vietnamese people are, when not accommoda on, showed me background. In addi on, traffic staring or taking pictures, actually around the city and introduced me lights are mainly ignored and the very friendly and extremely helpful. to other IAESTE trainees. I was so lanes are barely marked on the The internship itself has had its ups happy to be taken up in the IAESTE roads. However, nowadays I ride a and downs for me. I have been family right away because to be motorbike myself and have adapted teaching English to professors at honest it did take me some to get to the Vietnamese driving style so university in the last couple of accustomed to life in Vietnam. I am much that I am afraid that I won’t weeks and I love it. Although their doing an internship in Thai Nguyen. be able to following the rules back English is very limited, they always This is a city which is about 70km in Belgium anymore. try to engage in a conversa on and away from Hanoi. It is quite big A er 2 weeks I had really se led in. are so enthusias c. In addi on, (Belgian standards) and has a As a foreigner you are like a English teaching is very popular in
!12 Blerta Osmanaj – Ghent University – Chemical Engineering – Thai Nguyen, Vietnam
Vietnam. There are many English the other trainees. We are a close centres where anyone can take up group and meet up almost every classes. The Vietnamese families single day. The only real thing to do tend to invest large sums of money around here is going to a beer VIETNAM to send their children to these ‘place’ (it’s not really a bar and not centres a er school or in the really a café) which is called ‘bia weekends. I am staying at one of hoi’ in Vietnamese. The beer is not these centres myself. Hence, I also that good, of course, but it is super have to teach teenagers (11 to 15 cheap. A er that we usually go for years old) and in the first few weeks karaoke, in one of the many I also had a class with li le kids (4 karaoke places around here! to 8 years old). To be honest, the Anyway, this is it for now, as my teenagers are okay but even though internship has barely begun, but I I love li le kids, teaching them is am absolutely looking forward to not something that I could do for a the coming months! long period of me. A er teaching, I am having the best me ever with
!13 Cedric Dhont – Ghent University– Bioscience engineer, environmental technology – Quito, Ecuador ECUADOR CEDRIC DHONT
The first steps out of the airplane in Ecuador were already amazing. Just outside the plane, I was surrounded by mountains. If I looked a bit further I saw one of the most amazing rainbows I’ve ever seen. So it was a good entrance with those beau ful views. Leaving the airport was also really easy, one of the IAESTE members was wai ng there for me and took me directly to my hostel.
Once arrived in the hostel, all the trainees were chilling in the living room and gave me a really warm Quito, welcome. I immediately felt like Ecuador home and a lot of friendships were made that day. The cool part of living all together in the same hostel is that you get to know people from Besides doing my internship at the and the heart of a palm tree. I never all over the world. At my first day I university I also travelled a lot in the thought I would say this, but it was made friends who live in India, weekends. Some mes I got a day really tasty, even the larvae. Argen na, Mexico, Poland, Spain off on Friday, so I could travel for The third weekend I decided to do and many more countries. even three days. I travelled in total some hiking. On Friday the 4 weekends. The first weekend I But now something more about the Pichincha mountain, up to 4650m. went to Baños for doing some internship itself. I lived in Quito for On Saturday to Quilotoa, a crater tremendous extreme sports like (only) 6 weeks. Quito is the capital lake which is very beau ful. At last I ra ing on a class 4 river, canyoning of Ecuador and has a wonderful went to Chimborazo on Sunday, the down huge waterfalls and mountain historic centre. Each day I had to highest mountain/volcano in biking downhill. On the other day take the bus to the university where Ecuador. We started the hike at we went for the infinity swing and I did my internship. First going for 4700m and ended at 5500m. did ziplining. Unique experiences in half an hour through the city and Although the lack of oxygen at this my first weekend. then another bus to the city part al tude, the hike was fascina ng, called Cumbaya. In this last bus, the The next weekend I went with some the view was astonishing and the view was amazing, I passed big friends to Tena, where we enjoyed kick of being above 5000m (higher canyons with a wild river flowing the beauty of the amazon. We lived than the Mont Blanc, highest through, so it was great to one day together with a tradi onal mountain in Europe) was amazing. experience this scenery inside a big family and of course this goes As for the fourth weekend… I don’t city. together with ea ng the same as know yet, because when I’m wri ng they do. The dinner consisted out of this, I s ll need to experience this the larvae of beetles, grilled frog
!14 Cedric Dhont – Ghent University– Bioscience engineer, environmental technology – Quito, Ecuador
last weekend. Although the plans once by a school of thousands of are already made of course, I will go sardines, or a sea lion that came to to Cuyabeno, a city in the hearth of me for playing. Of course we can’t the Amazon rainforest. As for the forget about all the different ECUADOR stories I heard this trip will be colourful fishes that you can see amazing too. immediately when you enter the water. Next to this I wanted to get Besides travelling in the weekend, I my diving license here, because also went two weeks earlier to what place is more iconic for its Ecuador. In this period I went for 10 aqua c life than Galapagos? The days to Galapagos. Very expensive, only thing I can say about this: ‘It but it’s worth every dollar you was the best experience ever!’ spend there. The wildlife encounters are enormous there. In I’m going to end this report by my first hour of being in Galapagos I saying, I can only regret that I was saw marine iguana’s, sea lions, here only for 6 weeks. There is s ll colourful crabs, a school of white so much I want to see and explore p reef sharks, some golden rays, a here in Ecuador. It’s a wonderful pelican and a frigate bird. So you country full of surprises and can imagine what the following astonishing experiences. As you can days were like. I constantly saw new no ce out of my enthusiasm, my animals I had never seen before or I IAESTE-internship was amazing. had even never heard of. When I Once more: I had an unforge able went snorkelling I was surrounded experience here in Ecuador!
!15 Danwen Zhu – Ghent University – Master of Science in Sustainable Materials Engineering – Dresden, Germany GERMANY DANWEN ZHU
Already being the interna onal student in UGent, I didn’t imagine that I could go for another interna onal internship via IAESTE. When IAESTE organiza on started to making the adver sements of the internship, I just tried to apply for it. When I got the call from the IAESTE that I was nominated for Dresden, I was so excited that I couldn’t believe it. It was a really long me for me to get the final contract from the employer. My documents were checked that I only got the final N5b document in the beginning of July and I was Dresden, supposed to start working at that me. Although there are various Germany twists and turns on the way, I firmly believe that all the wai ng is worth it. The trip and adventure in the plates, hot disk was used to impressed thing is that both my Germany is delayed but it will never measure the thermal conduc vity supervisor and colleagues are so frustrate me. and made the simula on to find the kind and helpful. I had a severe My employer is the Ins tut fur op mized modules for the hea ng trouble with my skin during the Leichtbau und Kunststo echnik process thus minimize the internship, but it was really difficult from TU Dresden which is one of overhea ng problem which will be and complicate to make an the best universi es in Germany. our next step. appointment with the The task distributed to me dermatologist by myself, especially The project went smoothly and immediately when I finished safety when I can’t speak German. They successfully. Before I finished my introduc on and study of the t r i e d t h e i r b e s t t o fi n d a internship, I measured the thermal literature. My main task was to dermatologist for me and helped conduc vity of this anisotropic inves gate the thermal conduc vity me with my insurance. I appreciate plate and gave a presenta on to the of glass fiber reinforced plas cs for what they did for me. whole team which is highly (GFRP) with snap-cure matrix recommended by my supervisor. At This is the technical side of the systems. Heat accumula on is quite the same me, I got quite well with internship, i.e. your work, is what severe in thick fiber- reinforced my colleagues who from Poland, brings you abroad and give you a polymers and will cause the Great Britain, Czech Republic, totally new experience of another deforma on or even microcrack in Germany and Spain. We spent quite culture and meet different people. the final products. In my project, I a lot of good me cha ng about The IAESTE trainees from all over used thermoset sheet forma on the different cultures, different life the world, Europe, Asia, South (TSF) to make AASET (epoxy resin) experience, and of course drinking America and Africa, it’s a real small and glass fiber plates. A er making together for many mes. The most interna onal family.
!16 Danwen Zhu – Ghent University – Master of Science in Sustainable Materials Engineering – Dresden, Germany
IAESTE Germany and DAAD then share the food with others. encourage students to explore the Before I leave, I have already tried German culture as much as Brazilian, Greek and Cyprus food. possible, every weekend one city There is also a Chinese and Polish GERMANY will organize the city weekend, we dumpling night, I made the Chinese can even get refund from IAESTE dumplings to them and I was quite for those cultural ac vi es. The city glad to have the compliments. weekend is another pla orm for Trainees went to hiking, swimming, you to meet new people. I took going to the picnic, watching part in Dresden weekend which football game for Dynamo together, included a guided city tour, military climbing, going to Karaoke, history museum, Volkswagen travelling, and so on. Every day is transparent factory, hiking in the full of ac vi es and par es. Bastei, party and enjoy the German It really hard to say goodbye to all beer in Neustadt. During this the new friends made in this weekend, I knew both historical internship, the IAESTE trainees, the and modern life, natural and man- colleagues, the supervisor, made masterpiece, economic and especially le on my birthday. leisure life of Dresden. Friends came and by to say happy During the week days, there are birthday and goodbye, I knew it regular mee ngs in Club 11 for the would be quite difficult for all of us IAESTE trainees and members on meet again to hold party like this Thursday, some mes it’s a anymore. But this experience, the barbecue party. Every Wednesdays, friendship we grew, the life in it’s the interna onal dinner, several Dresden will never be forgo en. trainees have the similar culture and cuisines will cook together and
!17 David Vercauteren – Ghent University – Computer Science Engineering – Graz, Austria AUSTRIA DAVID VERCAUTEREN
When wri ng this report, I have just finished my 2-month internship in Austria. The past two months have been amazing, and I would like to share this experience with you.
My IAESTE story began in a small city called Graz. On my arrival in Graz Airport, I was welcomed by an IAESTE Graz member who sadly didn’t have a lot of me to show me around because he had to leave for one of the famous IAESTE weekends. This was also where all the other trainees and members Graz, Austria went to, so my first weekend was going to be a quiet one in which I had me to explore Graz and se le in. But this would be the only quiet weekend that I was going to have weeks I am s ll unable to But that’s enough about work, during my internship here in Graz. understand everything they say. since IAESTE internships are much But all was well when I heard that more than just work. As I already On my first day, one of the IAESTE my mentor was a German guy from men oned in Graz another big part members took me to the Berlin and most of my colleagues of the internship were the IAESTE registra on office and a erwards, that I was working with were weekends. The is mainly due to the guided me to my workplace. As a Croa an who had a normal fact that Graz is very close to a lot mul cultural company, everybody German and English accent. of other IAESTE commi ees in was able to speak English since Austria but also neighboring some employees were not Austrian As a computer science engineer I countries. Since I do not have or German and therefore not able had to work in many different enough me to talk about all the to speak German. But since I project that were related to Big different weekends I’ll try to wanted to brag with the fact that I Data and Machine learning. The summarize one: The MOSTAR am able to speak German, I started thing that made this internship weekend. telling everybody that they could different from any other internship all talk to me in German. This was that I have done before was the Mostar is a city in Bosnia- about the worst mistake that I fact that I got to ac vely contribute Herzegovina, which is only a 12 made during my en re internship… to the solu on of the problem and hour bus ride away from Graz. The reason why this was a mistake now they are even using some of Enough IAESTE members seemed is due to the horrible Styrian accent my ideas and algorithms in the to be willing to sacrifice 12 hours which is almost incomprehensible project. on the bus for this weekend. So I for someone who only knows joined them and they were right, “Hochdeutsch”, even a er eight even with the mind numbingly
!18 David Vercauteren – Ghent University – Computer Science Engineering – Graz, Austria
boring bus ride, that weekend was commi ee. I have to say Bosnians the best of them all. For most really know how to throw a party, trainees, the Mostar weekend and by the way for anybody who started on Friday, which meant has never been to the Balkan, you AUSTRIA taking a holiday and leaving have to try the Rakija drink. Just Thursday a er work. But since I don’t ask ques ons and try it, had already taken all my holidays, you’ll thank me later. another trainee and I went a day A er a long night and a bit of rest later. So, we le Friday at 5 PM in we got up and spent our last day at Graz and arrived around 5:30 AM the beau ful waterfalls of Mostar. in Mostar. Since we couldn’t get Our bus back to Graz le at 9 PM any sleep on the bus, we slept for a so we s ll had enough me to get few hours when we arrived to something to eat before we le . prepare ourselves for an amazing We arrived in Graz at 11 AM, which weekend. Normally the local meant that we were all late for IAESTE commi ee plans a city work, so without a shower or fresh challenge, but due to the extreme clothes we went straight to work. temperatures in Bosnia, a city And that is how my the best challenge wasn’t really an op on, weekend of my internship ended. instead they showed us a few of the historic buildings in Mostar and A er reflec ng on the en re then took us to a river to cool off, internship, I have to say that it was have a few beers and have a one of the best experiences that barbecue. We stayed there un l I’ve had. The IAESTE people are the late a ernoon and then went great and will make sure that you back to the hostel to take a quick have a great me while you are shower. Dinner was up to us, but there. On top of that you might the other trainees had already also be lucky and have nice found a place yesterday that was working environment which makes going to be the perfect prepara on the internship all the be er. So, to for the rest of the evening. The all people considering I can only final ac vity of the day was say JUST DO IT! partying at a local club that was reserved by the local IAESTE
!19 Ellen Bond – Ghent University– Master of Science in Engineering: Architecture – Muscat, Oman OMAN ELLEN BOND
Having the possibility for doing an internship abroad was the most wonderful experience that ever happened to me. When I got the message from Annelies that I was accepted for the internship in Oman I was excited and worried at the same me. Excited in the sense of: exploring a new unknown country outside of Europe, mee ng new people from all over the world. Worried because I will be travelling alone: ‘what if everything will go wrong, what if I am not social enough to make new contacts, …’. Muscat, With that double feeling I took an eight hour flight from Paris to the Oman capital of Oman (Muscat) on the 29th of June.
I arrived around seven in the that way I had the me to explore Also the boss, Samir Al Azri, was morning and a nice Omani student the capital, make friends and really nice and had a lot of trust in picked me up from the airport. ge ng used to the summerheat of us, because he let us totally free in Twenty minutes later I put my first Oman, which can run up to 45 the designing process. So probably step in the accommoda on where I degrees. our concept will be actually build, stayed with the other interns for the which is a really nice start of the A er the weekend I started working next six weeks. I was one of the first career. students that arrived in Oman and in the architecture company called that is why we were with a small Al Azri Architecture in which I For lunch we always ate in an Indian group of five to eight people in the learned a lot about architectural restaurant together with another beginning of my adventure, which design and masterplanning in the intern from India, Vinit, because he for me was a very nice and easy way next weeks. Another intern from was working in an office close to to meet up with people and to get Serbia, Luka, joined me in the ours. Funny fact: ¼ of the them know. My double feeling that I company a er two weeks and we popula on of Oman is Indian. He had before vanished all the way worked together on a masterplan learned us a lot about Indian when I met those nice people and I for a new department of the Higher culture, food and language. He really had a home feeling for the College of Technology of Oman. He became really soon a very good next weeks. From in the beginning I was already a masterstudent and friend, which I will keep close to my knew that it will be hard to leave was very good in design. So I heart and we will surely meet up in those people by the end. learned a lot from him as well. We the future. That is why I refund my both learned how to convince and flight back to home and went two I arrived in the Omani weekend, handle with the client an how a weeks to his flat in India, Manipal, which is Friday and Saturday. So in client is involved in the final design. a er the six weeks in Oman. Vinit
!20 Ellen Bond – Ghent University– Master of Science in Engineering: Architecture – Muscat, Oman
showed me several places in the best trip in Oman. Musandam is Manipal and surroundings. We the upperpart of Oman, which is went for example to Goa, Kundadri not a ached to the mainland of the Hill, Serimane Falls, hanging country. It is a very quiet place with OMAN bridge, beach, … .This was ofcourse nearly no people, but such a nice another lifechanging experience, fauna and flora. So I visited a lot which made my summer and I could write a whole book unforge able and I will surely go about the trips and events. back to India to visit the whole So as a conclusion I can say that this country. first IAESTE experience in Oman So what did I do in my free me in and also my trip to India were the Oman? Ofcourse I tried to visit as best things that ever happened to much as possible. The university me and also it changed my view also organized very cheap or free about my life and how I think and trips to several places, but we also handle about stuff. Oman is such a planned trips from our own or with beau ful country and the people a tourguide. With the university I are really nice and open-minded. I went to for example Nizwa, Nizwa made friends from all over the souk, old Muscat town, the desert… world and we are s ll in contact . With the tourguide, Khaled, which with each other. I will surely try to was an IAESTE member in the past, do another internship with IAESTE we went to the turtle beach, Wadi next summer. People who are s ll Shab, … Also I went with 4 people not convinced: just pack your bags to Musandam, which was for me and go!
!21 Eloise Dobbelaere – Ghent University – Architectural Engineering – Kraków, Poland POLAND ELOISE DOBBELAERE
Wednesday 12th of July, ready for takeoff and I was pre y nervous. For the first me in my life I was leaving the country for longer than two weeks. On top of that it would be my first internship ever. As you can see, a lot of things for the first me, so I had a reason to be anxious. Luckily my two lovely b u d d i e s M o n i ka a n d G o s i a welcomed me in such a way that I felt comfortable from the very first minute. They helped me with almost everything: they explained me the easiest way to Ikea or they Kraków, showed the hidden treasures of Kraków city. Without them, my stay Poland would not be that pleasant. But more important, they became very good friends! hidden but very useful op ons in Furthermore, it is a student city as During the week I had a nine-to-five those programs. For sure working well. Doesn’t ma er what day or job in the architecture office for the deadlines will be a lot easier me it is, you can always have some URBAarchitects. I could not image a now ;). Furthermore, it was a drinks in the cellars or eat be er office to do my first worthy eye-opener to see how an zapiekanka at the phenomenal internship. The Polish colleagues architecture office works in real life. stalls in Kazimierz. In no me Krakòw felt like a second home made me feel like a real member of Of course this experience was not town. the office. They were so friendly only about work. There was as well and grateful, it was as if I worked a lot of free me to do all kinds of Since the fact that the city is so with them for many years. The fun. Kraków is such a vibrant city. lively, I did not had the longing to things that I have learned there, I There were so much things to do, travel that much or go far away to could only learn them by doing it in that I do not know where to start. other parts of Poland. Obviously I prac ce. I did a bunch of different Actually, the city centre of Kraków visited all the main tourist tasks in AutoCad, Indesign, has more or less the same a rac ons in the city, as well as the SketchUp… All those various tasks atmosphere a Ghent. First, the old ones nearby, including the kept the job interes ng and centre is an complete pedestrian concentra on camps Auschwitz and challenging. Although I missed zone and with the green area Birkenau and the Salt Mines of making models (while this is the Planty, it is pleasant to stroll around Wieliczka. I cannot say that the trip main ac vity at university), my and enjoy the historic architecture. to Auschwitz was an enjoyable one, computer skills are upgraded to a Also like the Jewish quarter but it was worth to go there. The next level. I discovered a lot of Kazimierz, the city never sleeps. harsh history has to be
!22 Eloise Dobbelaere – Ghent University – Architectural Engineering – Kraków, Poland
but it was worth to go there. The drinks on the shores. We did some harsh history has to be ‘hiking’ as well to reach the highest remembered. If you are around points and had a stunning view! Kraków for such a long me, you POLAND During the whole summer other have to go there, you can see it LC’s in Poland organized IAESTE more like a pilgrimage. Another Weekends. I par cipated the ones weekend we went to the Salt in Krakòw and Warszawa. At those Mines. It is really impressive that weekends I met a lot of other since the 13th century people trainees, who were doing their worked there 200-300 meters internship in other Polish ci es. It underground. All the chapels carved was great to meet people from all out the rocks and chandeliers are so over the world. Together we did marvelous, you cannot believe it is some city games to explore a li le handmade. bit the city. We had a lot of fun and If you are into nature you can go to par ed hard. Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains, It was a wonderful experience. I will but more close to the city there is definitely go back to Kraków to see the ‘secret’ lake Zakrzówek. my Polish friends again and travel Actually it is private domain, the world around to visit the others. although if you find a hole in the Do widzenia! fence, you can swim or have some
!23 Hannah Notebaert – Ghent University – Biomedical Engineering – Lodz, Polen POLAND HANNAH NOTEBAERT
A er four years of studying and (probably) only one year le , the me had come for me to do an internship to make myself more appealing for future employers. I chose to do an IAESTE internship so I could make the most out of my summer while s ll working. It was an adventure, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
The procedure starts by choosing which internship you want to do. I took into considera on the subject but of course also the loca on of the internship. I was immediately convinced by a bioinforma cs internship in Lodz, Poland. You can Lodz, Poland apply for mul ple internships, but I took a chance and only applied for that one. Me wri ng this IAESTE experience story is probably already too heavy luggage. A li le p is to explore my city and the rest of a giveaway that I got the internship. not over pack. You can always do Poland. A er doing really a minimal amount the laundry there, and you need Besides work, the new people you of paperwork, IAESTE took care of some room for souvenirs! Next we meet is what really makes this everything for me (lodging, went on a li le tour of Lodz, experience unforge able for me. contract, etc.). The only thing le to meanwhile showing me where my IAESTE is an interna onal do for me was get to Lodz by myself. work is, where the best/cheapest organisa on, so there are people Travelling by yourself can seem very s u p e r m a r ke t i s , a n d m o s t from all over the world. My daun ng, but with some importantly where to have fun in roommate was from Brazil, and I prepara on (triple check if you have Lodz. Martha took good care of me, shared a flat with girls from all the necessary documents!!) it and I was ready for my first day. Macedonia, Croa a, Austria, India, isn’t the most difficult thing to do. Upon arriving there’s was some and Italy. This was only the p of Just remember that if anything goes miscommunica ng but once the big the iceberg. Every weekend there wrong you will be fine, and will boss arrived I finally got my tasks. I was an organised weekend by an laugh about it later. It makes for was processing data from a cancer IAESTE commi ee in a Polish city. great travel stories! database. It was really cool to have So every weekend there was the opportunity to do something When I arrived in the bus sta on of somewhere to go to get to know a that isn’t exactly what I study, but Lodz, Martha, an IAESTE member new city, but also IAESTE trainee’s what I’m really interested in. I was was already wai ng for me so I like you and IAESTE members. lucky that my job wasn’t that would have a smooth start to my During these weekends I met so intensive, so I had enough me to internship. She first guided me to many people from literally all over the dorm so I could drop of my way the world. We usually got to know
!24 Hannah Notebaert – Ghent University – Biomedical Engineering – Lodz, Polen
the city by doing city games. people, who became friends in such Imagine 50 students divided in li le a short period of me. It really is groups running around town doing unbelievable. crazy tasks. I learned a tradi onal POLAND I hope this sketches an image of Polish dance in the middle of the what amazing things can happen city square, which we then during an IAESTE internship. You performed in front of a lot of can expect the unexpected. If I tourists. We also piggy-backed learned anything, it is that the best through a busy shopping street, and things happen when you least hopped from one monument to expect it you just have to say yes to another with a cup of water in our it. This some mes means you can mouth. In the evenings there were go to Prague with 4 Brazilians you of course many epic par es who don’t know, mee ng 2 Columbians were accompanied with the local guys while roaming the city and liquor. In Poland this means a lot of have the me of your life. vodka and beer. The tradi on goes IAESTE is one of the best that if you drink a beer as breakfast opportuni es you will get in your you won’t have a hangover. Even life to go abroad in such a though many (Polish) people swore welcoming environment. Apply as by this method, I didn’t work for me fast as possible, you won’t regret personally. I shared so many laughs it!! with so many different kinds of
!25 Hannelore Van De Pu e – Ghent University – Bioscience Engineering: Cell and Gene Biotechnology – Msida, Malta MALTA HANNELORE VAN DE PUTTE
A er comple ng my bachelor thesis, I wanted to finish my bachelor degree in style. I got the first choice of my “top three” internships, so I didn’t hesitate and I le Belgium for an experience of one month in Malta. I didn’t regret my choice.
While arriving by plane, you can see the whole island of Malta as on a map.
It’s a very charming country with lovely people. They gave me a warm welcome. During my stay, a lot of interes ng and fun ac vi es were organized with students of my age, Msida, Malta from countries all over the world. If you like to exchange your thoughts with people from different origins, an IAESTE internship is certainly appealing. became independent in 1964. The Cospicua or we traversed the Malta Maltese inhabitants do not only capital Valle a. The ming was I shared a ny room with an have a lot of different origins, but excellent, as Valle a was in full Austrian and a Polish girl. A er they also live with 423 000 on one prepara on of being the European work, we travelled around nearly of the most populous countries in Capital of Culture in 2018. the whole island. We joined a group the world. While the eastern side of Malta is with other IAESTE trainees. busy and touris c, more rest and My work was varying every day and nature can be found on the other Malta has a rich history. They have I was happy that I could prac ce my side of the island. We visited the temples with strange names, such academic knowledge. At the me of beau ful historic ci es of Mdina as Ġgan ja, Ħaġar Qim or Mnajdra, my internship (July 2017), more or and Rabat, saw the Dingli Cliffs and which are even older than less 800 DNA samples were the famous Blue Lagoon, well Stonehenge and absolutely worth collected. The samples are analysed known from the James bond film. visi ng. and a erwards put in cryoboxes We also went to the small sister Because of its strategic loca on in which are safely stored in the Malta island Gozo. The citadel in Gozo was the Mediterranean Sea, Malta has BioBank. They are essen al for the one of the most beau ful places I been ruled by many civiliza ons. research about the origin and have ever seen. From up there, you The following popula ons have gene cs of the Maltese popula on could see the Mediterranean Sea on been domina ng on Malta for a and the causes of rare diseases. both sides of the island. certain period: Sicilians, A er the work, we o en walked Phoenicians, Punics, Romans, Arabs, through the picturesque “three I got the chance to be part of the Normans and Bri sh. A er the last ci es” of Vi oriosa, Senglea and Maltese culture in a way that is not domina on by the Bri sh, Malta
!26 Hannelore Van De Pu e – Ghent University – Bioscience Engineering: Cell and Gene Biotechnology – Msida, Malta
possible as a tourist. My warm- In my last week, we a ended the hearted Maltese colleague showed fire work in Msida, the region me the way to the typical Maltese where I stayed. It was a fabulous places. We went to the tradi onal spectacle. Many churches were MALTA fishing city Marsaxlokk, where we lighted, the water of the harbour tasted fresh fish of the day along was sparkling and the firework was with new baked Maltese pas zzis. spraying around from the A er, we went down to St Peter’s fairground. Pool. Malta is a great island for It was difficult to say goodbye to water sport loving people as me. such a sunny island with such open- You can swim nearby almost all minded people. beaches and there are several clubs for doing water sports like diving and even more extreme sports.
!27 Helix Van Leynseele - Ghent University - Master of Science in Sustainable Material Engineering - Belgrade, Serbia
SERBIA HELIX VAN LEYNSEELE
“Why Serbia?” is the ques on I got asked most o en when I told people where I was going for my internship. To be honest, I didn’t have any solid argument. Unlike neighbouring country Croa a, the country isn’t bordered by the sea and isn’t known for its great party places. In fact, I barely knew anything about the country, other than it being the birth place of Novak Djokovic. I do now, and I’ve gathered some pre y solid arguments to get you there on your next IAESTE internship!
July 06, Amsterdam: ready to board the plane towards Belgrade (or Belgrade, Beograd/Београд in Serbian), the city that would become my home Serbia for the next month. Upon arrival, I was told to join the IAESTE WhatsApp group, where the other trainees where making plans to go from which you can witness some Vesna for providing me with this to Ada lake that night. This would of the most stunning sunsets you’ve vocabulary! soon become one of my favourite ever seen. spots in Belgrade, not only because In order to discover more of this of the atmosphere (lots of people Of course, some work had to be fascina ng country, the local having barbecues and par es in the done as well, for me in par cular at commi ee organised a three-day park next to it), but also because it’s the university of Belgrade, where I trip to the southern part of Serbia. the ideal place to cool down a er a worked with another German We started by taking a li le train boiling hot day in the city (that’s intern. A er a ten-minute walk through the pris ne Serbian right, the temperature dropped from the hostel, we reached the landscape, and admired the first of below 30°C only twice during my metallurgy and technology faculty, many views we would gaze at stay). I decided to join, and only where I’d spend the day helping during the trip, such as the Drina then realised how large the group two PhD students with their river, which forms the natural of interns was. During the summer research. This could vary from border between Serbia and Bosnia- period, there are always at least 30 literature study to helping them Herzegovina. The absolute highlight to 40 other trainees, so lots of new with the set-ups of their was a boat tour on the Uvac, a clear friends are guaranteed! experiments and making blue river that leads you through a The first night was followed by calcula ons. In exchange they’d wonderful rocky landscape that many other great ones, not only teach me some Serbian words forms the habitat for some majes c spent at Ada lake, but at Skadarlija which were essen al to survive a eagles, which aren’t difficult to (a bohemian quarter in the city trip to the local supermarket, where spot. During this trip, the group of centre), Republic Square or English wasn’t really an op on. interns bonded even more, and Kalemegdan, the old city fortress Hvala (thank you) Natasja and friendships for life were made.
!28 Helix Van Leynseele - Ghent University - Master of Science in Sustainable Material Engineering - Belgrade, Serbia
The main thing which will make outside of Novi Sad (Serbia’s second your internship an incredible largest city). At the interna onal experience are the people you evening, I tried convincing people meet along the way. I exchanged that fries are not “French”, our SERBIA vocabulary with Spanish and chocolate is the best (although I Argen nian people (hearing a had some tough compe on of a Spaniard pronounce our ‘g’ or ‘ch’ is Swiss guy) and so is our beer (which truly hilarious). I’ve had many late was heavily protested by a Czech night cultural discussions at the friend). That same evening, I tried dorm, discussing all sorts of habits food cooked by Indian and Thai with Iranian, Omani and Chinese people, a er they reassured me it people. I’d con nue those was NOT spicy (they were lying). conversa ons with my Romanian And of course I could not go and Turkish roommates, who I through the night without tas ng definitely want to visit again one the Russian and Polish vodka. day. I tried keeping up with a Pales nian and an American guy In other words, an unforge able during a mountain bike trip a li le interna onal experience!
!29 Jana Dupont – Ghent University – Bioscience Engineering – Araraquara, Brazil BRAZIL JANA DUPONT
My trip to Brazil was one to never forget!
A er a lot of puzzling with official papers and mailing to IAESTE Brazil, I finally departed on my internship. Once arrived, I was very warmly welcomed by someone from the Brazilian IAESTE-team. I stayed the night at her place and took a bus to my home town for the next seven weeks: Araraquara.
In Araraquara we were with twenty IAESTE interns from different countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Araraquara, Poland, Argen na, India,… We hanged out together a lot and Brazil became a real group of friends. Friends who I believe, I will see again very soon! With these friends slowly they let me engineer and we went on trips during the conduct my own experiments. This weekends: A citytrip to São Paulo PS. For those who didn’t no ce: I internship let me acquire a lot of lab and a day at the beach in Santos, advise everyone to do an internship skills and learned my how to think the marvelous waterfalls of Foz do like this one and to just jump in the like a real researcher. Thanks to this Iguaçu, a ra ing a ernoon and unpredictable, because it is internship I will have a published swimming under a waterfall in definitely worth it! paper on my name, which I consider Brotas, enjoying the wonderfull as impressing. nature and beaches on Ilhabela (with 20 interns from all over My small fears for the unknown Brazil), ge ng a tan in Ubatuba, before my departure were Trinade and Paraty (including a completely washed away by a boo rip to the different islands in strong desire to return to that front of the coast) and last but not colorful country with its beau ful least a city trip to Rio de Janeiro, a nature, super friendly people, a dazzling city right next to the wild li le to good food and the nature on the mountains. embracing warmth of the sun! This internship really broadened my The weekends were amazing and view on the world and I only feel every single me I got to meet new like discovering more of this people! During the week, I worked beau ful earth and its treasures! Up in the lab at the university. The first to my next adventure! week I was guided in every step and
!30 Jana Dupont – Ghent University – Bioscience Engineering – Araraquara, Brazil
BRAZIL
!31 Jurjen de Jong - Ghent University- Master Mathema cs – Tunis,Tunisia TUNISIA JURJEN DE JONG
Let me start with telling you that Tunisia is a beau ful and interes ng country that currently is s ll undergoing a transforma on since the revolu on in 2011, but is worth a visit. In this review, I will tell you my story about my 7 weeks there as a trainee. During my stay I worked at EPPM. This is an EPC contractor, where they focus on oil/gas, water treatment and industrial plants. My goal was to explore the mechanical and process departments and to learn more about engineering. I learned about stress calcula ons of Tunis, Tunisia storage tanks, calcula ons of pipeline construc ons, and almost all the aspects of the process of gas and oil transporta on through pipelines. In the end, I had a small (comparing with taxis in Northern student house environments. I only project, where I created an excel Europe). By sharing a taxi with two had problems with ge ng enough sheet to calculate stress and other guys I could go to work for sleep in the first weeks, because of dimension analysis of different around 1 dinar, which is less than 50 the heat and the singing mosque at types of li ing lugs. eurocents. 3.30 a.m. The colleagues were friendly and I lived in a flat in the region La The IAESTE Tunisia members were helpful. Almost everybody in the Goule e in the capital Tunis. The very helpful, ac ve and kind. I company was interested in my fl at wa s a l mo st en rel y i n should thank them a thousand or background and reason to come to possession of IAESTE Tunisia. So, even more mes for everything Tunisia. They taught me some almost everyone there was a IAESTE they did for me and for all the trips Arabic and I taught them some trainee from abroad or a member of and ac vi es they have organized. Dutch. The sandwich bar, where I IAESTE Tunisia. I shared my The highlight was a big trip to the daily went for lunchbreak for a very apartment with 3 guys. One was South of Tunisia. Wherefore they richly filled and cheap sandwich, from Spain, the other from Slovakia even called all our bosses to give us, started to greet me with “hello my and the last one from Belarus. Every the IAESTE trainees, a week off and Dutch friend” and asked me o en apartment was a mixture of people every employee agreed with this. about the work I was doing and if I from different countries. Only male This shows that Tunisian people can (s ll) liked their country. and female were separated. The be very generous and flexible Some of the IAESTE trainees in Tunis apartment itself was not very towards foreign trainees. During had to take more than one hour to luxurious, but had the minimum to this trip, we slept in five star hotels, go to work, but I was lucky, because survive. Luckily, I lived in many raced with 4x4 cars through the I could arrive within 10 minutes at different dormitories before and Sahara, saw the movie set of Star work by using a taxi. Taxis are cheap was used to adapt to different Wars (Tatooine for SW-insiders),
!32 Jurjen de Jong - Ghent University- Master Mathema cs – Tunis,Tunisia
drove camels, saw many beau ful things for me, such as Tunisian Brika beaches, visited real oasis, saw an and Chapa (which you can old amphitheater, and had pool consider as fast food as well), is the par es at night, and much more. ‘real’ culinary side not as special TUNISIA Everything included for less than and interes ng as I hoped it to be. 200 euros. Besides this big trip, we So, most of the me I cooked for had every weekend a small trip and myself. during the week we did almost every evening something. Ranging During all the ac vi es and by living from playing card games, smoking with all the trainees, I obtained shisha, drinking beers with nice many new friends and I have views to going to beaches and created memories that I will never playing football or basketball. forget. Therefore, I want to thank everybody who I have met and with There were also some downsides whom I shared this experience. I which I should men on. First of all, also need to thank my colleagues, there is too much trash in the because by working in Tunisia with streets in Tunisia, which could be Tunisian people I could step out the easily solved by having more trash IAESTE-bubble and see the ‘real’ bins. Secondly, it is strange how side of Tunisian life all the be er. It Tunisians deal with alcohol. They is hard to describe how special my sell it in special dark shops and give me here was, because le ers on a you black bags, such that nobody paper or a screen don’t express the sees that you are carrying alcohol feeling that you obtain a er being on the streets. Thirdly, are there too here. I just advice you to visit many fast food places where they Tunisia. all sell the same. Besides a few new
!33 Karen Dedecker - Ghent University - Engineering Physics - Msida, Malta MALTA KAREN DEDECKER
Before this IAESTE internship, I had never been abroad on my own. I did not really know what to expect from my internship and the day before I le I was a bit nervous about all this new stuff, but there was no reason to. As soon as I arrived, Elisa (who works for IAESTE Malta) picked me up from the airport and took me to the place where I would stay the following month. I shared a room with 2 other girls and we got along very well. They taught me a lot about how to get around in Malta, where Msida, Malta to go, etc. Also the other people in the house soon became friends. The house had a roof terrace, with an amazing view. During summer, ques on. The weather was went to Blue Gro o (a cave), a there are fireworks every night in extremely hot (about 37°C during cra s village, cliffs and a huge Malta and si ng on the roof terrace day me and no colder than 26°C market on the other side of the at night, we could see almost all of during the night), so this was even country (which means that it was as them. another reason why I did not mind far as 10 km away). Due to this large Two days a er my arrival, Elisa took at all to stay inside during the offer of places to see, there was me to university (where I had to do warmest part of the day. Thank god always a place to go to a er work my internship) and introduced me there was aircondi oning at the that I had not yet visited. to my professor. My project was university! One week a er I arrived, IAESTE very interes ng and the professor A er work, and when the sun had organized a kayaking and BBQ was very friendly and helpful, so I lost a bit of its power, I had enough event. I went there with one of my didn't mind at all to get up early in me to go and explore the country. roommates (also an IAESTE intern) the morning and walk to university Malta - though it is a small island - and for me it was the first me I for the rest of the month. The has a lot to offer. I went to many met the other IAESTE interns in project was about optomechanics, beaches (Tuffieha Bay being my Malta. We had a great evening, the which is a field I was not acquainted absolute no. 1), with friends or kayaking was awesome and I was with before, but I learned some alone, depending on when we got glad to have met the other interns valuable things. The phd-students home from work. I also visited some too. who were working in the same nice towns, such as Mdina (the room as I was, were always pre est, a small medieval town), During my third (out of four) week prepared to help me out of I had a of internship, four Belgian friends
!34 Karen Dedecker - Ghent University - Engineering Physics - Msida, Malta
(my boyfriend being one of them) conclude that night buses in Malta came over. By that me, I had are nothing but a hoax... already seen quite some places in MALTA Malta, so I was able to guide them During the fourth weekend, me and around to the pre est beaches and my friends took a ferry to Gozo, ci es. We also did an escape game which is a small island north of in Sliema (probably the most Malta. We rented a car and touris c city in Malta) for my explored the island, which was boyfriend's birthday, which was the really worth the trip. Our last stop best one we ever did. was at a beach where once was the Azul Window (known by all Game I have been very enthusias c about of Thrones fans). We stayed there Malta so far, and justly, because it's for a couple of hours, because it an amazing country, but no country was so beau ful and a great place is perfect. If there is one bad thing for diving, a er which we wanted to about Malta (but Belgium isn't any get back... but our care broke down. be er), it's the public transport. Someone from the rental company Even though Malta is a small island, came to help us out and an hour it takes you quite some me to go later we were able to take a ferry from one place to another. Don't back home. get me wrong, you can get everywhere in Malta by public During my final week, I bought transport, but it just takes a while. some souvenirs, went back to my One me, we went to Mdina, from favourite places for a final me to which you have an amazing view say goodbye and finished my over Malta. We watched the project at the university. Looking fireworks, had dinner in the city and back, all I can say is I had a great four of us went home by taxi. me and I would recommend However one of my friends - who anybody to go on an IAESTE stayed in another city in Malta - internship, as it is a great decided he would not pay for a taxi opportunity for an experience and wait for the night bus. A er (making a bunch of new friends two hours of wai ng, he had to included) that you will never forget.
!35 Kevin De Temmerman – Ghent University – Industrial Biosciences– Karlsruhe, Germany GERMANY KEVIN DE TEMMERMAN
I chose to do an internship in Karlsruhe for 3 months at the Karlsruhe Ins tute for Technology. There, I develop species distribu on models to do a study on the impact of global warming on tree species in Germany and Italy. Currently I’m halfway through my internship, but I think I can already give a representa ve summariza on of my daily life here.
I have to men on that the LC has played an important part in my experiences here so far. Not only did they take care of pre y much Karlsruhe, everything administra on-related, Germany they also made sure I was fully immersed in the German culture. First of all, there’s a weekly mee ng, perfect when you’re a (China, Brazil, Lebanon, Turkey, whether it was an enormous foreigner trying to meet some like- Czech Republic,…). waterfall or some dense forestry, it minded people and trying to get to never got boring. Definitely a must- One example of an IAESTE weekend know the city you’re going to spend see! I par cipated in was the Munich a considerable me living in. Next weekend, where I really got to know The people here at work are really to that there’s a nice weekend trip the Bavarian culture (which mostly kind and welcoming as well. They planned almost every week. This includes lederhosen, big beer mugs made sure I was properly can be a weekend to one of the and pretzels). There was a city introduced and shown around, and I other LC’s in Germany (e.g. challenge as well however, that got to know everyone very well Dresden, Stu gart,…) so you get to really showed the best parts of both during and a er work. The know the bigger and more touris c Munich. work itself is not really within my ci es in the country, but it might as Another trip was to the Black field of specialty, but with a lot of well be a visit to a historical or Forest, probably one of the most pa ence and effort on my mentor’s cultural interes ng town with our a rac ve tourist des na ons here side, Klara, everything worked out own small LC. Next to the members in Germany; the views are really well in the end. I picked up of the LC there are of course plenty spectacular and with some up and skills that’ll probably be invaluable of new trainees I got to meet. It’s downs (in the most literal sense) I for wri ng my master thesis, and amazing how much I got to know could call this nothing short of an got to broaden my horizon as a nice about so many different cultures in adventure. In the end, I actually li le extra. such a short me, since the trainees visited the Forest three mes in came from all over the world Furthermore, this was the first me three different places, but each for me personally to have been on loca on had its own charm,
!36 Kevin De Temmerman – Ghent University – Industrial Biosciences– Karlsruhe, Germany my own two feet; learning how to I think lots of people are hesitant of do my own laundry and how to doing an internship abroad since cook (with trial and error) and such you might get homesick, especially have been really valuable ‘life in the first few weeks when GERMANY lessons’. It also makes me everything is new and unknown. appreciate the luxuries I have back For me personally this has been at home just that li le bit more. only par ally true; I do miss being at home or going drinking with I believe going on an internship like friends, but I looked at it from the this is great for improving your bright side. Social apps allowed me language skills as well. I haven’t to stay in contact with the home go en fluent at German of course, front at all mes, and I also had my but my English is bound to get a parents and several friends coming boost. I even suspect I might’ve over so I didn’t have to miss them picked up a few words of Chinese all summer. This aside, I think (apart from my terrible accent making new friends here is easy if apparently)! As for social skills, I you’re just willing to make the don’t believe there’s a be er way to effort! improve them, since you must communicate with people here one way or the other.
!37 Leander Wasiak - Ghent University – Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Zilina, Slovakia SLOVAKIA LEANDER WASIAK
I wanted to go on an internship ever since I heard of it in my first year of university. Now that I was in my final bachelor it was me to make that wish a reality. Seeing that Erasmus had no fun des na ons for my course I had to look elsewhere. And that is how I discovered IAESTE.
When I first arrived in Zilina I had a warm welcome from Lukáš, my IAESTE guide. He gave a quick tour and brought me to the dorm where Zilina, I would meet my roommate for the next six weeks. Another two interns Slovakia would join us over the rest of my internship, luckily not in the same room. The dorms were very basic for all IAESTE interns from over the but that was expected, I was there world. I had a lot of fun and we got Of course it wasn’t all fun and to learn, not for an all-in vaca on. I to see the city while doing a city games. During the week I had to was however very glad that the game. work for the local university IAESTE guide stayed in the same developing code for their in-house dorm, because no one working in And of course we did things in robot the YRobot. I studied some the dorm could understand a word Slovakia as well. It is a beau ful exis ng code and soldered already of English. But even if I say that, the country to hike. Zilina is very close developed extension modules. vaca on part of the internship was to the Tatra mountains and we A er that I more or less had free s ll very much present. went on several hiking trips, from reign what I wanted to work at. I easy to a bit more challenging. The decided to write a library for an Almost every weekend we made a nature is very beau ful and the new extension module for NFC. My trip with all the interns to a loca on country has so many castles colleagues were very friendly and of our choosing, both local and in sprinkled around so you can never would always help me if I had the neighboring countries. And in visit them all. problems. One of those problems the week we would just go out in Most people I met were very actually needed two colleagues and Zilina a er work. Thanks to this I friendly. One weekend I went to the an oscilloscope to resolve. got to see Prague and Krakow with hometown of my IAESTE guide to someone that spoke the language. hike in the surroundings and I was The food and culture was a plus in We went to Prague for the IAESTE invited by his parents to stay the my book. They like to eat heavy Prague challenge, this is a mee ng night at their home. food with lots of sauce and always
!38 Leander Wasiak - Ghent University – Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Zilina, Slovakia eat soup before the meal. They very first day there it was clear how also love their sheep cheese and fast the weather could turn in the eat it as snack like you would eat evening. With the mountains so SLOVAKIA chips. I actually got a very stern close it was possible to go from a warning to never use it for normal summer day to a something like pizza, it just wasn’t thunderstorm in less than an hour. done. The food was delicious and But this only happens in the we o en went to eat in a evening when it starts to cool restaurant instead of cooking. But down. It did give some spectacular one of the most pleasant surprises views of the sky. was the price of the beer. For me and my roommate (from Belgium The internship was a treasure trove and Germany respec vely) the of experience both work related beer was very cheap. And we and life related. I am very glad I happily made use of that. They went and I will try to go on one once took me to a pub ‘Beervana’ again next year. If you are looking that served ‘flavored beer’, it for a des na on for your internship actually reminded me of the beer and like nature and hiking, I can back in Belgium. recommend Slovakia with whole my heart. I had the luck to have six weeks of very nice weather. Although the
!39 Levi Vuylsteke – Ghent University – Electromechanical Engineering: Control Engineering and Automa on – Coimbatore, India INDIA LEVI VUYLSTEKE
Hey there! Glad to have you reading my IAESTE experience of this summer in India. An amazing experience which I will never forget. Last year I went on Erasmus to Porto, Portugal, but my hunger for interna onal experiences wasn’t s lled. I wanted to go further. In the big list of IAESTE internships, I found an electrical engineering internship at Karunya University, located in the south of India. Even though I was kind of scared (hearing crazy stories from other students Coimbatore, about India), the email that I got accepted was an euphoric moment. India
Two months later, I set the first step onto Indian lands. S ll suffering from a humid heat shock, they put During my six week internship, I did From relaxing on a houseboat on me into a taxi right into the crazy a s t u d y a b o u t ‘ H a r m o n i c the beau ful backwaters of Kerala Indian traffic where I assumed elimina on of cascaded inverters’. It to experiencing the overcrowded myself death in every turn. If that i n v o l v e d a l o t o f M a t l a b colourful Indian ci es. Crea ng wasn’t enough, the waiter of the programming and SimuLink. Every memories worth remembering. first restaurant I went, didn’t week I met with my supervisor to Every intern got an IAESTE buddy understand the “non” into the discuss and correct my research. At assigned, so that for every ques on sentence “NON SPICY”. Crying in the end, I wrote a 20 page long or concern, you could speak to an front of every restaurant guest, I report, for which I also can get 6 experienced Indian student. For realized India is quite a culture ECTS credits at my home university example when you discover Indian shock. Ghent. But an IAESTE internship is much more than just the internship. toilet moments don’t involve toilet Luckily, arriving at Karunya paper or when you need some University, I experienced the first Every evening all the interns went transporta on to a hospital when big advantage of being on an IAESTE for dinner, played sports/games and you get food poisoning (four mes). internship. Being surrounded by talked ll the late hours on an But also these six weeks changed interns from all over the world and amazing roo op while looking at all me as a person. IAESTE gives you the helpful local commi ee of the bright stars. Every weekend we the opportunity to go into IAESTE, the culture shock quickly travelled and explored India. From discussion and to eventually turned into tons of fun and medita ng in Hindu temples to understand each other’s culture, laughter. seeing wild elephants in the forest. belief and habits. The local
!40 Levi Vuylsteke – Ghent University – Electromechanical Engineering: Control Engineering and Automa on – Coimbatore, India commi ee learnt us to dance IAESTE internship in the south of Indian style, to taste all the India, and me travelled from the tradi onal (spicy) food and play south to the north of India. Despite INDIA their sports. It made me a more being hours in overcrowded tolerable and open minded student. sleeping trains and buses, we made tuns of memories. We drank In the end, I realised that it wasn’t cocktails and ate delicious fish on the country nor the work I did that India’s most beau ful beaches. We made my internship one of the best saw the huge class differences in experiences in my life. It were the Mumbai and scootered around people I met. Students, all with lakes. We saw our first world different backgrounds, but with the wonder, the Taj Mahal, and same hopes and dreams. Open watched the Himalayas on a hiking minded, social people eager to trip in the north of India. learn about your culture and thoughts. In these six weeks, these Nine weeks of my summer, nine of people became like family to me. I the best weeks in my life. s ll skype them and I started learning Spanish from an Argen an To the people who are doub ng to intern. go on a IAESTE internship, remember: ‘Life begins at the end A er the internship, my Belgian of your comfort zone’. friend Thomas, who also did an
!41 Liesbeth De Ryckere – Ghent University – Civil Engineering – Accra, Ghana GHANA LIESBETH DE RYCKERE
In the beginning of July 2017, I le my familiar hometown in Belgium for the vibrant city of Accra, Ghana. For almost two months I discovered the contras ng lifestyle and wide culture of Africa for the first me in my life. This experience was definitely an astonishing and unforge able one for me. Here’s why:
My adventure started from the moment I stepped off the plane from Lisbon to Accra. A er some hours of wai ng and not having any idea of who was going to pick me Accra, Ghana up, a cheerful, elderly lady showed up with a worn out ‘IEASTE’-sign. This spontaneous woman, Beatrice turned out to be my host mum during my stay in Ghana. The same prepare tendering papers for new relax a er a ‘hard’ week at work. night I met the other trainees that projects. Another weekend I went with the were hosted in her house. The day other trainees and some people By the end of July ten trainees were a er, I went to work for the first from IAESTE Ghana to the northern living together in Beatrice’s ny but me. A er three hours of wai ng at part of the country: the greener, lovely house. Beatrice cooked for us the office I met Felix, the happy scarcer populated area compared to every evening a er work and opera on manager of my company. the south of the country where helped us out with all small He invited me to par cipate in a Accra is located. During this four prac cali es. She was for example mee ng with all the managers of days-trip we visited some nature an expert in the complex tro-tro the company. From that moment reserves with wild animals like network (the local transport system on, I finally found out what this elephants, antelopes and different of old vans where a tro-tro guy, road engineering company was all species of monkeys. I was in hanging out of the van, is yelling the about. The three main ac vi es par cularly impressed by the miles des na on), this was very helpful in were the repair of roads, and miles of driving through order to arrive approximately at construc on of new roads and ‘nothing’: no cars, no houses, no your desired place. construc on of drains. As you can people, just nature! Another trip imagine, road construc on is a big During the weekends, I usually was one to the ‘mountains’ of business in Ghana and therefore planned a trip out of the city with Ghana that I organized myself. very interes ng for me to take part the other trainees. Some weekends Simply a breath-taking experience in. Most of the me at work I joined we went to the beach nearby. These to hike around in this undistorted a specific construc on team to site beaches were in a big contrast with wild nature with absolutely no one or worked at Felix’s office to the very crowdy city and perfect to around except the many mosquitos,
!42 Liesbeth De Ryckere – Ghent University – Civil Engineering – Accra, Ghana maybe some monkeys and a (apparently during some days crocodile if you’re (un?)lucky. Ghanaians don’t eat for three days in a manner of a fas ng period), I In general Ghanaian people are very ate these dishes with my co-workers GHANA faithful to God and Jesus, the a er work. This resulted in several (usually Chris an) Church has a funny moments since Ghanaian significant impact on the daily life of food is in general quite spicy and most of them. Moreover, they have European people are mostly not a very different percep on of used to a lot of spices. religion and faith from the one I got to know in Europe. That’s why I was Being back home now, I’m happy very curious to take part in a mass. I and proud to look back on this got invited by one of my co-workers lifechanging, extraordinary to accompany him for going to his experience that will always have a Church on Sunday. Therefore, I special place in my heart. I stayed with some other trainees a experienced some very funny, joyful weekend in Accra to take part in a moments but at mes also typical Ghanaian mass. The encountered some heartbroken expected image we had about these feelings and tough situa ons. masses were quite accurate: a To conclude, I would like to colourful, popular event with emphasise to all interested students singing, dancing and happy people the importance and impact of an everywhere around you. internship abroad. From my own Another aspect of the Ghanaian experience, these seven weeks culture I endeavoured to experience taught me so much on both a as much as possible was the African technical and personal point of food. I explored the local Fufu, view. Banku, Kenkey, Jollof rice, Tilapia, … and surprisingly I really enjoyed each of them. On the food-days
!43 Lorenz van Herwaarden – Ghent University – Computer Science Engineering – Greater Noida, India INDIA LORENZ VAN HERWAARDEN
Hi there! When I applied for a couple of IAESTE internships in February, I really wanted to go somewhere where I would experience a culture shock and where I could learn something new i n a c o m p l e t e l y d i ff e r e n t environment. Luckily, I got nominated to go to New Delhi, India. A er 3 trips to the Indian embassy and many extra documents, I was able to leave mid-July.
When I arrived in Greater Noida (approximately 1,5 hours from New Delhi), my IAESTE buddy was Greater wai ng to show me around and Noida, India lead me to my hostel. Taking the cab to the hostel was already a shock. The roads were full of cows, nobody riding in their lanes and a you hear IAESTE stories, they lot of ghost riding. In Greater Greater Noida is quite new and in mostly consist of mee ng many Noida, students mostly stay at a full development (hence the many interna onal students and going to hostel with 1 roommate. Food is power outages at our hostel). Many many places with IAESTE members. prepared 4 mes a day and gym universi es and colleges are We decided that we should just facili es are available. Only during situated there. Unfortunately, this make the best of it and plan a trip the trip to the hostel, I found out meant that there was not a lot to on our own each weekend. We saw that my roommate was going to be do in the neighborhood. We went quite some amazing things! The a student from Ghent University! to the nearby market a couple of best trip was to Jaipur I must say. What a coincidence. I only talked to mes and to quite some malls. As We went there by plane. We saw Rikkert once before during the most Indians I met don’t drink and some amazing forts, a beau ful Interna onal Days, but he became because it’s dangerous to be out at city, stayed at a very nice a good friend during my stay in night in Greater Noida, everybody interna onal hostel that organized India. We were the first foreigners stays inside their hostel a er their a pub crawl and had some great to have stayed at the hostel and school day. It was also not possible meals. We were extremely lucky this resulted in quite a lot of staring to go to New Delhi as the trip takes that we got there because we the first weeks when we were at least 1,5 hours one way almost missed our flight! We were passing by or ea ng. However, the consis ng of a cab and metro. stuck in typical Delhi traffic and students in the hostel were very decided to step out of our Uber helpful and friendly. I was surprised Unfortunately, Rikkert and I were and run past the traffic in all the by how open they were. It was nice the only IAESTE interns and IAESTE pollu on. Once past the traffic we ge ng to learn so much about the Sharda University didn’t really plan took a Tuk-Tuk. A er a minute, his Indian culture by talking to them anything to do except for a dinner. fuel was finished and we took yet during our meals. This was quite frustra ng. When another cab. Eventually, we arrived
!44 Lorenz van Herwaarden – Ghent University – Computer Science Engineering – Greater Noida, India
Eventually, we arrived at the were very quiet at the university airport 15 minutes before take-off. due to the ongoing holidays. We skipped all the queues and ran Fortunately, the holidays were like crazy to get to our gate whilst soon over. Sharda University is INDIA hearing “Last call for Lorenz van known for its many interna onal Herwaarden and Rikkert Van students and Rikkert and I met Durme”. But, we made it! Among some very nice and interes ng other things we saw the Taj Mahal people. It was easy mee ng them in Agra and the Hare Krishna even though they were not temples in Vrindavan. We got to associated with IAESTE because we both places by train. Vrindavan is were both working in professor’s considered to be the center for the offices (due to a lack of any other Hare Krishna movement and there space for us to work). So students are no foreign tourists to be found would come by to ask our there. The temples were quite professors ques ons and instead unique and we experienced a more we would meet new people and rural India. hang out with them. My internship was at the computer science department of Sharda All in all, it was a great experience. University. I performed research India really surprises you each and into online face clustering with every day! I got to work in a neural networks. The difference completely new environment with other approaches was that it which was very challenging, saw should not require a lot of many different places and resources and be able to run on a monuments, met some interes ng mobile device. I worked alone and and very nice people, ate very didn’t meet my promotor a lot as good food and experienced a he is a very busy assistant completely different culture. professor at Sharda. The first weeks
!45 Luka Lambrecht – Ghent University – Engineering Physics – Athens, Greece GREECE LUKA LAMBRECHT
My first (but hopefully not my last) IAESTE internship was in Athens, the lively capital of ever sunny Greece. It had been my first choice when applying, and I was very excited I was allowed to go there. My job was to program a basic version of the finite element method (FEM), in order to model, calculate and visualize the stress in mechanical structures subjected to loading, or electrosta c fields subjected to certain boundary condi ons. A p: don’t filter the available internships by study program! Mine was Athens, categorized as civil engineering, so I would never have found it should I Greece have confined my search to the ones labelled (engineering) physics.
I arrived in Athens about a week I lived and worked at the Na onal streets are dirty and full of graffi before my first working day, so I had Technical University of Athens. It is and many a miserable homeless some me to visit the city and the situated in one of Athens suburbs, person can be spo ed, especially at surroundings (I had no idea Athens so in order to go to the center I had night. Yet I also witnessed the had such lovely beaches), and to to walk 15 minutes and then take mental strength of the Greeks and meet the people of IAESTE Athens. the metro, but it was worth it every their self-mockery, laughing with These people helped me with the me; Athens at evening is always their situa on and knowing that life necessary paperwork, which comes full of people, the temperature has will go on anyway. in very handy in the Greek dropped to a mild and enjoyable The university itself was quite bureaucracy where most office warmth and there are bars abandoned when I arrived. It turned clerks barely speak English. But of everywhere where bands are out that examina ons where going course, this was not their only bringing the tradi onal Greek music on and most students do not stay at benefit; they showed me around, to life. And all this is supported by a the dorms during this period. This made me meet the other interns, background of the most beau ful was a drawback, but fortunately I took us to visit the Acropolis at and stunning monuments mankind could s ll go to the center as I told sunset and last but not least, they has ever built… This is the good life! before. Or if I wasn’t in for the even housed me for two nights Of course the good life is not for journey there and back again, the since the place where I was everyone. Every now and then I was suburb center where the university supposed to stay was not yet reminded to the fact that Greece was located was a good alterna ve: available on my arrival due to a was hit drama cally by the financial watching a game on big screen in miscommunica on. crisis. People lost their job, their the pubs or just enjoying a good pension or even their home. The meal in one of the amazingly cheap
!46 Luka Lambrecht – Ghent University – Engineering Physics – Athens, Greece restaurants. Gradually, as my obliga ons, the governments and internship progressed, the secretaries themselves certainly do university was becoming more and love their documents and more crowded and lively. The other procedures. I have spent hours GREECE IAESTE students and me could go walking to and fro, searching for and play basketball with some some hidden offices or employees, Greek students, or watch a thrilling then wai ng for hours, signing game in the crowded communal some documents which are of area; one night, the central square course not available in English and of the university even turned into a so on. However, the IAESTE huge open air rave party. commi ee was really helpful in this respect. The Greeks are not really keen on rules and obliga ons, so I had a lot I was in Athens for only one month, of freedom in how to complete the which was considered too short by internship and when to work. In everyone. Though scep c in the fact I saw the professor responsible b e g i n n i n g , n o w I s t a r t t o for my project only twice, mostly at understand why this is true: the last the beginning of my stay. couple of weeks flew by and every Fortunately, the work was very day I started to love this city more interes ng; it perfectly coincided and more. with my interests (however, this I am really glad I had the was of course also due to the fact opportunity to do this and I can that I could in a great extent choose only encourage people to apply! the details of my work myself). But contradictory to the hate of the average Greek for government
!47 Lukas Liekens - KU Leuven - Engineering - Ilha Solteira, Brazil BRAZIL LUKAS LIEKENS
The day before the applica on deadline I was going through the internships and saw that no one was applying for this internship in Brazil. I decided to put in the effort and write my mo va on le er. Four months later, I was on a plane to Sao Paulo.
My first impressions of this city were that it was absolutely huge, but in many ways not so different from the south of Europe. I called up some IAESTE people to hang out with and we visited the famous Avenida Paulista, consis ng of Ilha skyscrapers as far as you could see. Solteira, Brazil We also visited the Sé district which is the oldest in Sao Paulo and goes back to its roots as a Jesuit se lement. A er having spent two people lived in a republica, which is community there for these two days in Sao Paulo, barely scratching a typical Brazilian student house short months. On top of that, the surface of this huge city, I ed to the university and which Brazilian people are some of the hopped on a bus going north. houses about ten Brazilian students. nicest you will ever meet. Because of this, you are really Everybody wants to have a chat and Twelve hours later, I arrived in the inserted into the lifestyle of these is willing to share their beer. furthest corner of Sao Paulo State in people and there is no escaping the a small city called Ilha Solteira. The My job there was to help a PhD Brazilian culture or their people. city is located along the Parana student with his work. The goal was Sadly the same goes for their awful River, which is one of the biggest to implement a design on FPGA music. rivers in South America (second to using VHDL. Every day I would only the Amazon), and is home to Ilha Solteira had a nice community spend about four to six hours at the the engineering faculty of UNESP, a of “gringo’s” (as they called us university to work on the project. I well-regarded university in the state foreigners). We were there with could come and go whenever I of Sao Paulo. about 15 IAESTE students from all wanted and taking days off for a trip over the world: Poland, Jordan, was not a problem either. I didn’t I was picked up by a Hyago, a Germany, Hungary, Israel, France, work that many hours a day, but I Brazilian student, with whom I Croa a, etc. There was always really felt like all of the work I did would live for the next two months. someone willing to hang out or go was very useful and with come in We would live in a small house, sightseeing. Everybody was spread handy later on. together with another IAESTE out over different republicas, which student from Germany. This During days off, we mostly travelled resulted in us mee ng loads of new however was an excep on as most or went to the beach. There were people. We were really part of the
!48 Lukas Liekens - KU Leuven - Engineering - Ilha Solteira, Brazil few public trains in Brazil, so we did and quirky animals to go with almost everything by bus. Nothing them. You saw toucans and parrots in Brazil can be considered close for all the me, hanging out in the a European, so during a trip we trees. And some mes you could BRAZIL spent at least twenty hours on a spot the occasional coa (tapir) or bus. Fortunately, we got used to crocodile. that rather quickly as the buses are Lastly, I went to Ouro Preto. The quite comfortable and we always old Capital of the Minas Gerais had sleep to catch up on. state and centre of the Brazilian Brazil is home to some of the most gold rush in the middle of the 18th amazing natural wonders and we century. It is one of the more discovered this right on the first historic ci es in Brazil and the trip. This one went to Foz do Iguaçu traces of colonialism and slavery and was truly amazing. These were definitely present here. The waterfalls on the border between city is unique in that it is spread out Argen na and Brazil, located in the over the mountains with tens of middle of the rainforest, came right churches s cking out of the out of a movie. They are unlike landscape. It is another side of anything in the world and we Brazil and was definitely worth needed almost three days to visit seeing. them en rely. It is hard to sum this trip up in li le Another great trip we did went to over a page. There were so many Bonito. This city close to Paraguay amazing moments and experiences houses a lot touris c a rac ons: and somehow the trip managed to snorkelling, waterfalls, caves, be produc ve as well. South diving, etc. You could spend a good America is truly something week there if you wanted to. This different and there is no doubt that place really felt like the defini on I’m going back someday. of Brazil. Waterfalls everywhere
!49 Natalia Karolina Danielewicz – VUB - Biomolecular Science - Karlsruhe, Germany GERMANY NATALIA DANIELEWICZ
During my first year of master degree I have decided to go on a trip. Since I consider myself to be a quite produc ve person, I have decided to combine my travelling passion with work. Therefore, I applied for the internship through the IAESTE organiza on. The idea to go for such an adventure came to me almost at the end of the academic year. So, I was not expec ng much. The only mo va on I had was to simply learn something and be able to visit Karlsruhe, another country. Germany A er a month, I have got response that I was accepted! It really came to me then that it is really happening! I am finally on my way The city, called Karlsruhe, was such great neighbors. We shared culinary to achieve my goals and get some a beau fully city. The main thing experience and many mes experience, which of course, I will which a racted my a en on was organized a cooking night where be happy to put on my Curriculum that the whole city was covered each person had to prepare meal Vitae. Moreover, I will be travelling with parks and forest lands. People from which their country is famous to Germany…to the land of beer, were literally spending whole their of. It was an easy thing for me since gigan c forests and juicy sausages. lives on bicycle and none of them Polish tradi onal meals are travel with cars or public dumplings or bigos and either of When I was packing my bag, I also transporta on. The most important them are quite cheap and simple. started to imagine how many informa on, however, about this Our team liked to spend me by amazing things I will be able to try city is that it is very cheap. This type walking around the student dorms. and also how my new work will look of news will always bring a smile to We also took a few trips with bikes like. What kind of people I will meet a poor students face. to the great black forest, which is there? Whether I can communicate famous for its very dark and intense with them all in English or is it going The place I happened to live was a green colors. My final dorm to be more difficult than I thought? bit further in the north-east of the experience was to collect Will I be doing any important center. The greatest advantage was mushrooms and also learn which research or just making a coffee and its loca on, surrounded by amazing are eatable. cleaning dishes? All those bushy areas. The student dorm was ques ons, of course, cleared out an unique place to live. I had the About my work, most days were when I finally arrived to the place. chance to spend me there with busy, but well organized. Daily
!50 Natalia Karolina Danielewicz – VUB - Biomolecular Science - Karlsruhe, Germany rou ne seemed to be working Karlsruhe it seems like it will be a pre y well for me. The atmosphere me spend on drinking beers, going at workplace was always pleasant to cheap restaurants offering GERMANY and each intern and student were amazing prices and doing loooots of helping each other out. Even my bicycle trips. Each weekend we supervisor turned out to be a very could travel with IAESTE to nearest kind person with a lot of pa ence. ci es and sightseeing tremendous The last advantage was very places. All this adventure brought beneficial for me, since I tend to do me so much pleasure that I am so lots of mistakes. In the beginning of sad leaving this place and it really my internship, work was not easy to changed my life to be here for those understand but once I was 3 moths. I will always recommend introduced to everything I needed to visit this place or maybe apply to do, it no longer seemed like a big for internship as I did. I am right deal. A er several trials and now full off mo va on and really failures, it turned out that I cannot wait for my next adventure. completed my daily work much Who knows maybe another faster. Also, the quality of my work internship? improved. A er the busiest day at work, students and interns And if someone asked me right gathered in a small self-sustaining now: would you trade your café where each of them could internship back for an exo c and enjoy a sip of a cold beer or during long holiday for free? I will the windy days a small cup of obviously respond nega vely. It coffee. Once the day was coming to seems almost impossible to not an end, whole this group usually grab a possibility as this. I cannot end up in Oxford. It is a pub- simply believe that some people restaurant with a great variety of can just spend their 3 month on burgers and so on. I really liked this doing absolutely nothing when place since it could sustain my there is so much to discover vegetarian appe te. around. So do it guys! They need your work and you will never regret I think the most important is how to it !!! spend your me off. And in
!51 Nele Reyniers - Ghent University- Bioscience Engineering: Land and Water Management - Warri, Nigeria NIGERIA NELE REYNIERS
“Hi Everyone! You all applied for an IAESTE traineeship but u n f o r t u n a t e l y d i d n o t g e t nominated”. Back then, I was terribly disappointed with not ge ng accepted for my first-choice traineeship, but I didn’t give up and quickly applied for a different internship that was s ll available: at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE) in Warri, Nigeria. Li le did I know that this would lead me to the most eye- opening interna onal experience in my life as of yet! Warri, Nigeria When I arrived in the domes c airport of Benin City, Otabor was already there to pick me up. He is the na onal coordinator of IAESTE Nigeria and he has been truly seeing the organisa on grow in Warri is worse than in Benin City, amazing during my en re stay in years to come. but it also became a great way to Nigeria! In the weekends, he took bring our small group of trainees Ok, me to talk about the elephant us out on trips and to restaurants together for weekend trips and in the room. Obviously, I had some and bars, which I am especially good company! During my weeks serious ques ons concerning grateful for because Nigeria is not a spent in FUPRE, my fellow trainee security before going on the country where you can just easily and I were not allowed to go internship – it would be foolish not travel around by yourself or find outside the university without the to – and my family, friends and nice places to eat/drink if you don’t approval of the chief security officer boyfriend were also a tad know the system or the state of the and the company of a trusted concerned about me ge ng roads – especially as an “oyibo” (= Nigerian local. This implied that, in kidnapped, robbed or disappearing white person). Besides taking care prac ce, boredom was for us the forever in a puff of smoke and of us trainees, he was busy main disadvantage of being in a gli er. However, both the university expanding IAESTE Nigeria to other country with security problems. Nigerian universi es and companies and IAESTE Nigeria take no risk with and ge ng mo vated people the safety of us trainees, and I felt My internship at FUPRE was in the involved with the organisa on. The very safe in their hands. For several environmental department, newly recruited universi es and years, trainees at FUPRE have been researching water quality and later company I got to visit with him all spending their weekends in Benin analysing a drainage basin using looked like good places to be for an City, bringing them together with all GIS. To be completely honest, internship and I look forward to other IAESTE trainees in the IAESTE FUPRE was not very well prepared lodge. This was originally done to receive an intern and I had to because the security situa on in wait one or two weeks to get a job
!52 Nele Reyniers - Ghent University- Bioscience Engineering: Land and Water Management - Warri, Nigeria and even longer to get a job that was really nice that people were was remotely interes ng. I didn’t always happy to discuss these really do the field work that was in differences, even when it came to the job descrip on I applied for, but poten ally sensi ve subjects like NIGERIA I did get to experience first-hand religion and marriage. how difficult it is to get stuff done To conclude, I am extremely glad I when you have no reliable constant did this unique internship in Nigeria tap water supply, there is only and would advise anyone who gets electricity from 10am to 3pm in declined for their first-choice university buildings and the only internship to not get discouraged – sources of internet are your own you might s ll go on the best mobile hotspot (with o en bad adventure of your life. What I network) and one e-library with learned there through experience extremely slow wifi. During certainly widened my perspec ve weekdays, I stayed in the on the world, made me appreciate university’s girls hostel, where we European convenience and had electricity and tap water from structure like never before, and last 7pm to 12pm and had a hand water but not least: it made me at least pump for the rest of the day. 200% more tolerant for hot and Obviously, Nigerian culture differs spicy food. enormously from our own, and it
!53 Olivier Degroote – Ghent University– Electromechanical Engineering – Effurun/Warri, Nigeria NIGERIA OLIVIER DEGROOTE
The Nigerian culture is one to discover once in your life me, the hospitality of the people overwhelmed me and the posi ve way of living is a lesson to take back to Europe. ‘No wahalla’, which means as much as ‘Don’t worry’ is probably the most o en used expression in Nigeria, apart from you’re welcome. On the other hand, I think there is no such thing as ‘punctuality’ in their Pidgin English. Ge ng used to the slow way of walking and the mentality of ‘if not today, then Effurun/ tomorrow’ was something to adapt to in the first week. Warri, Nigeria
Nothing is fixed in Nigeria, no planning in advance and no fixed prices in stores as well. Be prepared appreciated here. Some chocolate someone tries to convince you not to bargain during your me in Naija or cookies will make everyone love to go, try to work it out if you really (Nigeria in Pidgin). Although the you instantly. And you can return want to go. people are nice to you, everything with a bag full of Nigerian clothes in Nigeria is about money. The for you and the rela ves. Do not forget, they consider you as storekeeper doubles the price for staff here. You have all privileges of Ojebo’s (that’s what they call all There is a great chance that at the staff and also all the opportuni es foreigners) because they know it’s point of your arrival, nothing is to come along with the students as s ll very cheap for us. So it’s be er ready yet. Most of internships are well. Best of both worlds if you ask to go with one of the students to not well documented and if you me. What surprised me the most the market in the beginning un l have an idea yourself, don’t hesitate was that even the first year you know the prices a li le. proposing it to someone. They students are my age or older than Furthermore, less is more in welcome every good idea, me. I met no one who was 18 and Nigeria. I mean bringing a lot of especially if it comes from a got into university directly here. stuff is no necessity here, you need European. Even if one of the Maybe it depends highly on the to hand wash your clothes so just students wants to do a side project region or university you’re in, I bring what you need and what is together, you can use the facili es mean the financing part of studying, easy to wash. And since they expect of the university for that. Also do but in general, people tend to not you to buy one of their na ve not withhold yourself from hurry themselves up in finishing clothes, there need to be space in travelling the first few weeks, there their studies to start a career. They the luggage for that. Bringing is a lot more to see than the are also most of the mes surprised something from home is much internship you come from. Even if about the knowledge that was built
!54 Olivier Degroote – Ghent University– Electromechanical Engineering – Effurun/Warri, Nigeria up during my educa on, standards Mangrove forests, the oil wells and lay way lower than in Europe. Like the local fishermen is really worth it instead of learning concepts of paying a visit as well. math and then solving big systems Lagos, Benin, Idanre Hill and Port NIGERIA with the computer, they need to do Harcourt are things in the region to all calcula ons by hand (up to 24 go to, since there is nothing to see equa on systems), even though in Warri itself. We went to Obudu as they are in computer science. well but that was an 8 hour drive for nothing, roads in Nigeria are It is a wonderful country, we went really exhaus ng because of the to mountains which reminded me potholes, military check points and of Austria or Switzerland, but there crazy drivers. Have fun in Nigeria! are also exo c beaches where you can surf. The Niger delta with the
!55 Rikkert Van Durme – Ghent University –Engineering – Delhi, India INDIA RIKKERT VAN DURME
When I le the airport in Delhi and felt the heat and smelled ro en eggs and garbage, I immediately knew I was heading into a most enjoyable me. I took a cab to my IAESTE buddy and together we went to the student dorms to se le in. By that me, I felt lucky to have survived the chao c traffic. My buddy told me I paid 2,5 mes the normal price for the cab ride, but ge ng ripped off like this reminded me to always bargain before buying. I would learn a lot more during my stay. Delhi, India In the first weekend I met a second IAESTE intern, Lorenz, also from Ghent University. We heard from the IAESTE local commi ee that no other interns would come for the working day started in a different Students also warned us not to next five weeks, unfortunately. way. Some mes the computer lab leave the residence on foot a er 8 Because we were the only was locked and we had to call the p.m. if we did not want to lose our foreigners in our residency, some professor and go from one place to kidneys. students looked very surprised to another for a key. Some mes the I need to talk about the food. Four see us. Later on, everybody got security guards would not let us vegetarian meals a day were used to our presence and started pass because exams were going on, provided by the residency. For lunch talking to us to hear our story. I so we could not reach our lab. This we got rice with a spicy sauce recommend everybody to learn was rather frustra ng in the (mostly curry) and potatoes, for basic Hindi before going to beginning. A er only four weeks, dinner we got rice with some other (northern) India. Many Indian locals we were assigned a fixed place. In spicy sauce and potatoes. We did I encountered, including the the student restaurant on campus not get rice for breakfast which was residence staff, did not understand we met students from Congo, disappoin ng. During trips, I ate English very well. Mexico, Gambia, Greece and India very tasty Indian dishes in of course. The service was not A er the first weekend, my restaurants. In almost every meal I organized efficiently, but they internship at Sharda University, not had, there was some spicy element. offered some tasty meals. far from the residence, began. Be warned. As hygiene standards in IAESTE members showed me India can be low, it is important to around and helped me with some It was a disadvantage that there be careful what you eat, drink and formali es at the university. I had to was not much to do in Greater touch. To lower the risk, I made use conduct research in solar powered Noida, where we lived and worked, of a hand sani zer and never drank vehicles. The following weeks, every 2 h away from the city of Delhi. from tap water (unless purified) or
!56 Rikkert Van Durme – Ghent University –Engineering – Delhi, India unsealed bo les. Bringing your own I can say that I had mixed toilet paper is not the worst idea, experiences overall. The unless you want to go full Indian accommoda on and the and use your le hand and a water traineeship had some issues, but INDIA hose. Fortunately I did not get ill, there were enough good moments but diarrhoea was a constant and encounters to make it worth throughout my stay. The idiom my while. On my last day, IAESTE “Delhi belly” actually refers to planned dinner with the whole traveller’s diarrhoea, an intes nal team, which was a nice way to say infec on that keeps you ed to the goodbye. A er five weeks, I was toilet for a day or two. happy to go home, if only for the weather. I would recommend It is a good idea to plan trips to everybody to go on an internship in spend the weekends with other India. The experience is beneficial interns. We have seen beau ful for your personal development and places and buildings, such as the Taj you learn a lot from being in Mahal in Agra, Delhi itself with another culture. Hindu temples and monuments and Jaipur, the “Pink City”. These trips are an opportunity to meet more people. It was a plus that India is generally way cheaper than Belgium. We spent much less on food, transport and 4G data.
!57 Sebas aan De Vrieze – Ghent University - Sustainable materials Engineering – Msida, Malta MALTA SEBASTIAAN DE VRIEZE
When I’ve heard of IAESTE for the first me, I was already in my sixth year of university. I had never done an internship before so I had to take this opportunity. While scrolling through all the internships that IAESTE offered, one caught immediately my interest. An interes ng internship at the university of Malta, a ny island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea where the sun always shines. What there is not to like! You can imagine my joy when I heard that I could go. Msida, Malta So in the beginning of August I took the plane to Malta. Immediately a er I landed I’ve met one of the kindest professors I have ever met. Since I had s ll some days before for that purpose. You can hop from Even at 1 am the supervisor of my my internship started, I could one club to another. This was the internship waited for me at the already explore the island a bit. I perfect way to get to know the airport just to see me for 5 minutes! walked to Valle a, the capital of other interns. There was no ice to A er my short mee ng with the Malta. A really nice and beau ful be broken. Actually it was like I professor, a Maltese girl brought me “city”. They like to call it a city, but knew them already for a long me. to my apartment in a car that barely in 15 minutes you can cross Valle a. It was on this evening that I realized even started. Luckily it was in the As I have said it really is a ny I would have a wonderful stay in middle of the night, because, as I island. A er spending a hot Malta. My first weekend consisted would later experience, Maltese a ernoon in Valle a, the very kind mostly of exploring the many drivers are mad! The first thing I Swiss guy who stayed in the same hidden beaches, which are no ced about the apartment is that room as me, took me to a bar abundant in Malta, with my newly is was quite hot. You have to realize where I would meet some other made friends. that during the me I arrived there, interns. They were from all over a heat wave was scorching Malta Europe and they immediately made A er reading all this you would with 40 °C. As you can imagine it me feel welcome. A er enjoying a almost forget that I was in Malta for was quite the challenge for a guy few drinks in the nice reggae bar, I an internship. But on Monday my used to the Belgian climate to sleep got introduced to the Maltese internship started. A er a fi een comfortably with only a fan to cool nightlife! One thing I can definitely minute walk in the scorching sun you. But I had nothing to complain. I say is that Maltese people know (yes, even at 8:30 in the morning), I enjoyed making my Belgian friends how to party! There is district called arrived at the university. There I was jealous with my sunny pictures! Paceville that apparently only exist welcomed by the friendly professor
!58 Sebas aan De Vrieze – Ghent University - Sustainable materials Engineering – Msida, Malta with a big smile. There wasn’t a most beau ful beaches I have ever fixed subject to work on for my seen. Rock beaches where sea has internship, so the professor let me the most intense blue colour and is more less choose what I wanted to crystal clear. No wonder the MALTA do. A er discussing this with his lagoons are called Blue lagoon and colleagues in Maltese, a really, Crystal lagoon. The only nega ve really strange language, they found side of this small island are the a perfect subject for me. I could many tourists, but it is really learn how to work with a certain worthwhile to visit it. And of course program while on the same me a weekend wouldn’t be a weekend helping them with their research. I without some weekendpar es. was supervised by a post-doc who Unfortunately my stay in Malta really was helpful all the me. The would only last four weeks. So in other people in the research team my last week I had to say goodbye were all really nice and I learned to to everybody. Luckily I had brought know them be er at the barbecues some chocolates from Belgium. This that were organized at the is always a nice way to lure people professor’s home. Even his students to Belgium. Because the people were there. You see how loved this that I have met during my stay, I professor is. Oh, and one important really will see them again. thing about the university: they had I would really recommend people air-condi oning! to go Malta for an internship. I A er a whole day of working, a really learned a lot and gained a lot jump in the sea was the perfect way of experience at my internship, to refresh and in the evening I met even if I did it only for a short me. up with the other trainees. We Malta is such a beau ful country, went to a bar or cooked at with so many beaches. It is like a someone’s place. There weren’t (really) small paradise. But the one many evenings where I stayed at my thing why I would never forget place. In the weekend we had more Malta are the really nice people I me to explore the rest Malta. We have met there! To conclude: It was did some trips to Gozo and Comino. AMAZING! Thank you Malta! Those are the two other islands of Malta. Comino has some of the
!59 Shawnee Weynants – Ghent University – Architectural Engineering – Madrid, Spain SPAIN SHAWNEE WEYNANTS
Well here I am, back in Belgium a er an incredible summer in España, the land of sun and costas. I don’t even know where to start with all the memories I have in my head. So I guess I’ll just start from the beginning. Before leaving Belgium, I imagined two possibili es in my head: or I will die trying to live on my own in a foreign country or maybe I’ll have a good me and make a few friends. Well it’s obvious I didn’t die, but “I’ll have a good me” is the biggest understatement of my life. Now I just regret one thing and that’s not Madrid, Spain having the guts to go sooner!
The IAESTE team took great care of everything, the paperwork, the apartment which had a great made friends, I learned some together and shared all our loca on just in the centre of Spanish and I could join experiences of work, buying Madrid, the welcoming at the conversa ons more easily. When I groceries and trying to airport… They were a great help and had to leave the office, I even felt communicate with the Spanish it’s amazing that an organisa on kind of sad because I had just met people. Soon we gathered with like this even exists for us, students. great people and now I had to go other IAESTE trainees, a guy from Everything went great, and when back already. Because we worked Ecuador, a girl from Serbia, another there was a problem, IAESTE would during the week and travelled in the girl from Dubai and a guy from help to fix it. Those guys did an weekend, weeks flew by extremely South-Korea. And before we even awesome job which I want to thank quickly. realised, we kind of became like one them for. big family. A er work we came Now the most awesome thing together to talk about our I did and internship in an about IAESTE is that you make internships and plan our trips for architecture office, called Louis incredible friendships in a really the weekends to visit other ci es in Vidal just in the centre of Madrid. short amount of me with all the Spain. We cooked together, played I’m not going to lie, in the beginning other trainees that come with the games, went to the pool, and we it is hard to get to know people organisa on. I remember my first laughed, ohhh we laughed so many because, well, you’re “the new weekend in Madrid, when my two damn mes haha. It was the best girl”, a young trainee that doesn’t roommates (Polish and Lebanese summer. have a lot of working experience in girl) and I decided to go out and the field. Some mes it was hard to discover the nightlife in Madrid. Spain is especially a great country join conversa ons between A er that first night together, we for students to visit. There was colleagues. But a er some me I instantly got along. We lived everything you would like for a
!60 Shawnee Weynants – Ghent University – Architectural Engineering – Madrid, Spain great summer: sun, playas, great culture had completely took control paellas, great fiestas and also really of my soul and spirit. beau ful architecture with a lot of Well now, I hope a er reading this, charm and character. Two ci es in SPAIN you caught the same bu erflies in par cular catched my heart. The your tummy as I did during my first one was San Sebas an in the summer. If not, I also made a small NW of Spain. It’s really a charming video of my trip to Spain that will city and it is a lot greener than the be online soon (facebook Shawnee Southern part of Spain, which is Weynants). Not only I learned a lot much more dry. We climbed to the professionally during my internship, top of the hill where we had an but I completely fell in love with the incredible view on the whole city whole IAESTE experience; I made and the main beaches. We watched great friendships all over the world, the sunset while drinking some I collected wonderful memories beers at Playa de Zurriola and which I know I will cherish for the watched the surfers catching those rest of my life, but most of all, I last waves before sundown. Life felt grew as a person by having a more amazing. The second city was open minded a tude towards Seville. Even thought we had 2 days other cultures and by learning how in a row of 40°C, this city just blew to live independently, which means my mind with his wonderful a lot to me and which makes me architecture. Especially the Plaza de proud of myself. I want to thank all España, with their buildings made my IAESTE friends and the IAESTE of red brick and blue les with community for this chance and the flower mo ves. We saw some wonderful moments, cheers to you people dancing the typical guys! And hasta la vista España! flamenco dance and I bought a fan and a big flower to put in my hair. For the rest of the trip, the Spanish
!61 Sien Staelens – Ghent University –Architectural Engineering – Limassol, Cyprus CYPRUS SIEN STAELENS
Hello there, my name is Sien Staelens, a civil engineering architect to be, now going to my 2nd master year. Doing an IAESTE internship is about the best decision I ever made. I hesitated a very long me if I should go on an internship or not. But reading the ar cles from students that went abroad, really convinced me to accept such an adventure. So last year, I started making documents and applied for 3 countries (Cyprus, Spain, Romania). A few weeks later I heard that I was accepted for my first choice, so I could go to Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus. I was so excited and con nued making my files to get Cyprus further in the nomina on process.
A few months later, I le Belgium only a week a er my last exam and met a girl from Poland who was bit scared to go alone by bus to the took a flight to Cyprus. I was so already at work and guided me office and to a lot of people I never scared and so nervous, flying alone through the city. From that moment saw before. But that was not and arriving on my own in a strange I knew this was the best decision needed. From the first moment, country, really exci ng. I’ve ever made, the people were so everybody was really grateful to me. nice and friendly. During the first I had my own desk and a er a talk So that’s how my adventure weekend, everybody else from with my promotor from the office, I eventually started! Once in the IAESTE arrived too. So I met my could start working. In the airport, I took a bus to the city roommate, my neighbours and all beginning, it was a bit scanning centre of Limassol and from there, a the other students living in the what I could do because they hadn’t taxi brought me to my living place. other building a few minutes away a real task already. But they let me This was a very nice apartment from ours. The first weekend looked choose and speak with them, so I which I should share with a girl from like we already knew each other for could look and study a lot of files to Serbia. My place was only a 5- years. We went to the beach with check the differences and minute walk far from the coastline, the IAESTE volunteers, went out, go procedures they follow. The the shopping street and the old shopping, having dinner together,.. technology in Cyprus is not that town centre with nice bars and developed as in Belgium. Everything Monday the 3rd of July, my first day restaurants. I couldn’t live at a is on paper in big folders, which was at work was planned. The people be er place! strange in the beginning, but also from IAESTE Cyprus were very kind nice to learn working in that kind of From the first day, I met the and took me to the office to method. students from IAESTE that already introduce me my new colleagues. arrived, which was really nice! So I That was so kind, because I was a A few days later, I got my own
!62 Sien Staelens – Ghent University –Architectural Engineering – Limassol, Cyprus
A few days later, I got my own girlfriend. He was studying in the project to give my ideas about Netherlands and on vaca on that landscape architecture. These me in Cyprus. It was so nice to projects were not accepted yet by meet them and probably I will visit CYPRUS the office and they wanted a them again in the future. second opinion from me. Because it Besides the daily work, there was was about landscape design, it was so much more to do. Every day a er also new for me, but really work I was in touch with all the interes ng of course! They always IAESTE students and we went to the appreciated my work and the beach or to a bar, cooked together, images I made, so I felt helpful and went to yoga and many more. In they tried to use a few of my ideas the weekends we planned a trip in the further process of those further away from Limassol. We projects. In total, I made 5 projects visited Ayia Napa, Nicosia, Malindi’s on my own during the 4 weeks of beach, Paphos, Kourion… Each one internship and besides that, place was beau ful and each me, some mes I could join a site visit we visited a lot of things. with one of my colleagues. I just want to say: if you ever My colleagues were such nice hesitate about going on an IAESTE people, they were all very different internship, just do it. You will have but each person was so an amazing me, a lot of new sympathe c and sweet for me. I friends from different countries a even joined a family dinner with wonderful experience and a lot of one of my colleagues, Yiota, and fun! met her 3 sons and their girlfriends. One of her sons had a Dutch
!63 Simon De Clercq – Ghent University –Electromechanical Engineering op on Electrical Power Engineering – Tehran, Iran IRAN SIMON DE CLERCQ
‘May I ask a ques on: how do you see Iran?’ Before my arrival to Tehran to spend two months working and traveling in the country, I would have answered this ques on by denouncing the bias of western media and recoun ng the overly posi ve travel stories that I heard from friends that visited the country. But in fact, I did not really know what to feel for this much-debated yet li le-understood country in the Middle East. Neither could I have guessed that conversa ons Tehran, Iran ini ated by this ques on would almost become a daily rou ne during my wanderings around Iran and its capital. Human interac on, undoubtedly using the Persian script means that For me, now lucky enough to have partly due to my European looks, is simple interac ons such as buying visited this beau ful place, ‘seeing’ just a ma er of making eye contact breakfast or taking a bus can Iran has become synonymous with (‘Hey mister, where are you become rather complicated affairs. experiencing its borderless from?’). Through spontaneous I like it though, learning the basics hospitality. An airport pickup by the conversa ons, I have no ced that of a new language is a rewarding local IAESTE commi ee at three Iranians either want to disprove the challenge and gree ng someone o’clock in the morning, minute-old world’s stereotypes towards their with Salaam, chetore? never fails to acquaintances insis ng on paying country, confirm their openness for break the ice. my bus fare, strangers taking an the west or simply prac ce a hour of their me to show me the foreign language. Being by yourself At my work at the Research way, people in the street handing in public, as a result, is fairly Ins tute for Energy Modelling and out lemonade and biscuits to impossible and leads to a quickly Planning of the University of Tehran passers-by, are only examples of growing list of contact numbers my colleagues luckily speak English. what generosity means over here. who want to hang out. I con nue the research that I In an instant, people will adopt you started during my master thesis as their guests and take care of you Besides the borderless hospitality and receive feedback and follow-up no ma er what you are doing or and social spontaneity, what from other researchers at the where you are going. consistently strikes me about this ins tute. The workplace is stress- place is the language. That words free and I have a lot of freedom to as well as numerals are wri en pursue the topics that I enjoy. It is
!64 Simon De Clercq – Ghent University –Electromechanical Engineering op on Electrical Power Engineering – Tehran, Iran located on the top floor of a high The ques on ‘How do you see office building with a great view, Iran?’ reflects this na on’s self- tea is being served throughout the consciousness and global IRAN day and at irregular intervals cake awareness and Iran’s richness in and ice-cream go around. I could terms of cultural and natural not wish for more. heritage is echoed in its peoples’ pride. Living here has been an Tehran in summer can be described overwhelming experience that has as an over-populated city that is dazzled me more than I could have bustling with people, cars, and imagined. Working at the research cats. Bank managers, university ins tute, walking in the streets of students and mullahs in horning Tehran, Esfahan and Yazd, hiking up taxis and zigzagging motorbikes, Mt. Sabalan, spending an looking for a place away from the a ernoon cha ng and singing with heat. Luckily, Tehran’s parks are fellow IAESTE interns; a set of always cool and offer an alluring special moments that will s ck with retreat for a picnic or a Persian me for a long me. Iran is a place barbecue. I also like to spend the that is impossible to understand latest part of the a ernoon in the without experiencing it first-hand, mountains in the north of the city, and even then it can be a a great place for hiking, rock challenge. I am very glad that I can climbing and watching the sun set. li at least a small p of its veil and No greater relief than the have come to understand this part mountainous silence a er a few of the world a li le be er. days in Tehran’s non-stop buzzing chaos.
!65 Thomas Geldhof – Ghent University –Mechanical Engineering - Manipal, India INDIA THOMAS GELDHOF
“This is the first me you will be staying outside Europe?” I confirmed, and replied the lady from the travel agency: “Yes.. but why?” , “Well, actually we don’t recommend India as a first des na on outside Europe, as it might be quite of a culture shock.” Full of confidence, I said: “Aaah don’t worry, I’ve been on Erasmus last semester for 5 months, I’m ready for this!”
We’re going on an adventure! On July 13, I le my cozy home in West- Manipal, India Flanders for something I’d been longing for for a long me: an internship abroad. Des na on: Manipal, South-India. It couldn’t start be er: for no reason, I was about the analysis and modeling of wicked stories about taking busses promoted to business-class right the effect of roughness geometries and trains crossing India, by day or before the flight took off. They even on heat transfer in solar air heaters. by night. Ask me about it! called me ‘Herr Geldhof’! A er 20 A subject that suits my mechanical The local commi ee of Manipal hours, I finally made it to Mangalore energy engineering major very well. really took care of us. Every airport. An impa ent professor from As working on the University wasn’t weekend they organized ac vi es Manipal Ins tute of Technology was the favorite part of my day, the and trips. During one of those awai ng me with a sign which said evenings and especially the weekends, we went to see the tea ‘Mister Geldhof’. I almost started weekends made it all up! We were planta ons in picturesque Munnar wondering why I didn’t bring my with a big group of about 35 interns in the south. The best weekend I suit to India. Although it was raining from all over the world. Philip from had with the other interns was all the me because of monsoon- Austria, Susoke from Japan, Ansisha when we organized a 3-day trip season, and the temperature from Thailand, the three Ola’s from ourselves to ‘Hampi’. Cruising some mes was as high as 35 °C, I Poland; they were all part of the around by scooter, ge ng up every was ready to embark on my gang. We o en went to the beach in morning at 5am to see the sunrise internship-mission. Udupi at the Arabic Sea, which was only 30 minutes away from Manipal at Matanga hill, taking the hundreds The next following 6 weeks, a by bus, and this for only 20 rupees! of steps towards the Monkey professor from MIT (not (= 30 cents). Yes, the transporta on Temple. That was a great weekend. Massachuse s) was my mentor in India is cheap, but some mes The last week of my internship I during the internship, which dealt very crowdy. Oh well, I can tell you filled my evenings planning the 3
!66 Thomas Geldhof – Ghent University –Mechanical Engineering - Manipal, India weeks of travelling, which we headed to Delhi. The 5 days a er planned to do a er our internship. we went to the nearby Himalayas Together with Levi, one of my best for a hiking trip. Food, INDIA friends from Belgium, I had the transporta on, guides, everything magnificent idea to cross India from was arranged! Even though Levi and south to north by public transport me spent half of the trip being food (see a ached map). It all started poisoned (again), it was a great with 2 days of chilling in Goa, the experience. Before spending our party and surfers paradise-state of last 4 days in Delhi, we made a India. A night bus took us to quick stop in the holy city of Mumbai, where we went to see the Haridwar, where Hindu pilgrims biggest slum neighborhood in worship the river Ganges every South-East Asia, the ‘Dharavi evening. Slums’. The expression culture shock suddenly started making 9 weeks I spent in India, and I must sense. One day a er being food say it changed me, in a way. I got to poisoned, we headed off to the learn so much about the Indian state of ‘Rajahstan’ by a 16-hour culture, about other people and night train. Cruising around in how to respect and appreciate one Udaipur, city of lakes; climbing the another, and definitely about walls of Mehrangarh fort in myself. It might seem as a big step Jodhpur; running up Nahargarh fort to take, but going on an IAESTE hill to see an epic sunset over the internship is a once in a life me capital city of Jaipur. A er Jaipur, journey you won’t regret. our first (new) World Wonder was Life begins at the end of your wai ng for us in Agra: The Taj comfort zone. Mahal. 1000 rupees to get in, but totally worth it! That same day we
!67 Tim Vandamme - Ghent University - Civil Engineering Computer Science – Łódź, Poland POLAND TIM VANDAMME
A er receiving news of having no retakes, I departed on the 8th of July to Poland for two months (to be honest I would’ve gone with or without retakes). Destination: Warsawa airport and then the bus to Łódź. I would have an internship of 2 months in the Polytechnic University of Łódź, focussed on image processing techniques. I didn’t know what to expect since I’d never been to Eastern Europe before, nor did anyone of my family. One thing is sure now, I didn’t regret going. Lodz, Poland A er arriving at the university dorm, we took a small tour through the city with one of the LC members as our guide. I quickly noticed Łódź was very big, but members and some other trainees about a different culture. at the same time it didn’t really who also were already there. Halfway July, and a er ge ng lost feel as busy as any of the other a couple of mes, we could go Work started on Monday with big ci es I had gone to. This made around pre y much everywhere mee ng all supervisors and an that it was very pleasant to just we wanted using public transport. introduc on by my own supervisor walk through the streets and parks So people started organising more to as what I would be doing the whilst sightseeing and taking many city trips and ac vi es. Or we just following weeks. All trainees, as pictures. went to the centrum of the city by did I, were assigned tasks to work Our guide learned us the ropes night and had a drink in one of the on in group or alone. Working about ge ng around in the city. many bars along Piotrkowska hours were flexible and all We could use the bus, tram or street, which is the main supervisors could be approached if bike. The public transport was commercial street. It became our you wanted to shi a day to go on always perfectly on me and you favourite street in the whole city a trip somewhere. could rent bikes for free, as long as very quickly. you didn’t use them for longer Once the first couple of days had At about the same me work than 20 mins. Taking the tram, we passed I had made new friends started ge ng more interes ng were shown a huge shopping from all over the world: Malta, too, especially in my case because centre where we could buy Romania, Scotland, Poland, I was allowed to use extremely everything we would need for the Mexico, Turkey… Too many people pricy equipment to take 3D scans following months. We finished the to men on, but everyone came of random materials. My day with mee ng other LC there with the same goal of supervisors gave me a deadline mee ng new people and learning but allowed me to work at my own
!68 Tim Vandamme - Ghent University - Civil Engineering Computer Science – Łódź, Poland pace within that me. What really stuck to me while staying in Łódź was the fact that In the middle of the summer the almost every day there was other ci es in Poland started something to do in the city. And POLAND organising their IAESTE weekends. with so many people around you One of them was the Kraków from so many different countries weekend. Everyone was excited for and cultures every trip was worth it. this one since you had the op on to I could ask in the chat if people go to Auschwitz. People said it would want to go out and within a leaves an impression and it really couple of minutes you had a small did. There were rooms filled with group of people who were ready to belongings of real people that had go. No two days went by without a been misled in going there. Maps party or seeing friends. which portrayed the influx of people from all over the world to I can only encourage people to go the deathcamp. Vast landscapes on an internship with IAESTE, it’s an with train tracks, the kind you see in easy way towards real experience movies. For an accurate descrip on and you obtain memories and you have to go yourself, the friends you’ll keep for the rest of buildings and the feeling of the your life. place are something you have to As they say in Poland: Łódź you experience yourself. go (back) to Łódź? I certainly would.
!69 Tomas De Backer – Ghent University - Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Technology – Quito, Ecuador ECUADOR TOMAS DE BACKER
Going to exo c places far away is always a thrill you can hardly describe in a few words. You are most likely ge ng stuck with the phrase: “You had to be there”. My experience these last two months is not different than that one sentence. I went through highs and lows, but in general you had to be there to really understand the full expense of my trip.
Before, I didn’t really go anywhere outside of Europe, let alone more than a couple of weeks. This made the trip to the other side of the Quito, world a very scary adventure. I was about to go to a country I Ecuador didn’t know at all for more or less two and a half months. The thrill and fear of the unknown had me si ng on the edge of my seat for a direc on. In the mean me, I It is a combina on of beau ful long me un l it was finally me started to explore the foreign coastal areas, massive mountains, to start and leave everything country I found myself in. The mesmerizing jungle and behind. As expected, the first few beauty is rather indescribable and everything in between. This made weeks of my internship were for a Western soul like me, it was every trip not only completely rough. Ecuador could be hard to grasp. The nature was so different in scenery and wildlife, compared to Europe 100 years versa le and beau ful I had no but also in climate. We traveled in back in me in my field of work, so words most of the me. I tried to busses and when we got out it was there was not much to work with. use my camera every me I saw possible the temperature had Not only was there a language something beau ful, but a er a risen or plummeted 10 degrees barrier from both sides, they also while I realized that technology is and you went from dry mountain didn’t really get my specialty in not nearly advanced enough to air to wet jungle air in only a environmental engineering. This really capture the whole thing as I couple of hours. made the job kind of hard in the could with my eyes. beginning, since I had nothing to This went on for weeks on end and start from and they couldn’t grasp Every weekend the other interns a er a while, I really got used to the techniques I had studied in the from the hostel and myself went the Ecuadorian way of life. I went past. out on trips with busses for hours from being a student in the center to li le parts of the country. We of Ghent to a hard-working gringo A er a few weeks, I found ways to tried to see as much as possible, in the heart of rather poor go back to the basic and figured but there was just not enough Ecuador. Even the culture out where to go from there to turn me. The country is in South- differences, which were a lot to the company I was assigned to American terms a rather small take in at the beginning, I got used into the right environmental one, but in our eyes, it was huge. to in me. The way of living in
!70 Tomas De Backer – Ghent University - Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Technology – Quito, Ecuador
Quito namely is nothing like here. people I met. The group of interns I People are either disgus ngly rich started with in June became sort of or very poor. There is almost no family. That happens when you are middle class. This makes the city a with them for about two months in ECUADOR buzzing place of poor sellers trying the week every day and of course to convince you to by their every weekend as well. I was products, honking cabs who try to blessed with an amazing group of make a living and people talking people and a great vision on what loudly without caring too much. In life should be. They gave me Belgium, the en re city would be different perspec ve on things and overflow with people complaining made it one of the best two months of nuisance, but their nobody of my life. I am sure that in the cared. It is the La no way of life future I will be seeing them again in someone told me dancing like his person or even in magazines with life depended on it to the tunes of their own inven ons or brilliant reggaeton that blasted through his ideas. Therefor I recommend this speaker. journey to everyone who can do it. It opens your eyes, gives you a The internship was a life changing perspec ve on life and just makes experience and I’m so glad I was you a person who knows the world fortuned enough to be able to do it, we live in. but I think the thing that made it worth every dollar where the
!71 Vincent Polfliet – Ghent University – Civil Engineering Computer Science – Thai Nguyen, Vietnam VIETNAM VINCENT POLFLIET
During the summer holiday of 2017 I was able to go and partake in and internship in Vietnam. The internship for which I applied was to teach English on a university in a small city in the north of Vietnam. The teaching job was quite different from what I originally expected. I didn’t receive any guidelines for my lectures nor did the class have any end goals that the students needed to achieve. The assignment was just make sure they’re talking English and correct their pronuncia on Thai, when needed. This gave me the Nguyen, freedom to plan more interac ve Vietnam and fun ac vi es for my students, instead of worrying a lot about grammar and vocabulary exercises. But the classes could get annoying some mes when you trips to Sa Pa and Hoi An. The first quite repe ve when I didn’t have have to spent half an hour each one is was quite unique for me that much inspira on. Another classes making sure they say since it was my first solo travel disadvantage of the internship ‘swim’ instead of ‘shwim’ or ever. Which was a bit frightening, itself was that the Vietnamese ‘beach’ instead of ‘bich’. I have no but as soon as I arrived in my people are quite bad when it regrets of doing the teacher des na on my fear quickly made comes to organiza on and internship, it gave me an way for excitement. Sa Pa itself is a planning and keeping their experience that I won’t forget and must do when you go to Vietnam. promises. Which could be quite one that I will value for quite some The region has amazing rice field frustra ng when you’re in your me. terraces with the rice plants themselves being the greenest class room at 8 o’clock in the The most interes ng part of my green I’ve ever seen. During my morning but none of your two months in Vietnam was the me there I also visited some poor students showed up because the travelling in my opinion. I tried to local villages to get a feel for how class was postponed last minute visit some places each weekend. Vietnamese people really live in without the university no fying My boss gave me quite flexible smaller villages. Going on my first me. The teaching itself was quite working hours so I could plan solo trip meant that I was also able fun. I thaught between the ages of some longer trips from me to to meet a lot of other people 6 and 45. This meant that I me. She also arranged and paid doing a similar holiday as me. This thaught children as well as for a trip to the famous Ha Long resulted in us exchanging students and some teachers or Bay for me and some of my experiences and recommending professors of local high schools colleagues. The two most each other things we should and universi es. It could be quite memorable trips for me were the
!72 Vincent Polfliet – Ghent University – Civil Engineering Computer Science – Thai Nguyen, Vietnam absolutely see during the rest of Top Gear describing it as one of the our stay. One of these things that I most beau ful route to do on your got recommended was my second motor bike. I was also able to meet highlight of my Vietnamese some people during this motorbike VIETNAM internship and that was the trip to trip and form a li le biker gang with Hue and Hoi An. I took an 18 hours them to make the experience even bus drive to Hue first. I arrived more amazing. When I arrived in there in the morning the next day Hoi An I also stayed in one of the and this gave me the opportunity to best hostels I’ve ever stayed in. explore this ancient city a bit. It also Everyone there was very social, gave me enough me to make which made it very easy to make arrangements to rent a motorbike new friends and which also in turn for the next day. The next day I gave me always some friends to do went on a 150 km motorbike trip to the ac vi es with that I wanted to Hoi An. The hostel were I stayed in do. Hue was kind enough to provide me All in all I really enjoyed my a map with the route to Hoi An and internship in Vietnam and would some landmarks I could visit along highly recommend it to everyone. the way. One of the landmarks I could visit is the Hai Van pas. Which was made famous by the TV-show
!73 Vincent Cardoen – Ghent University – Electrical Power Engineering – Amman, Jordan JORDAN VINCENT CARDOEN
Riding on camels like Lawrence of Arabia, stargazing in the middle of the desert and floa ng on the Dead Sea. Who doesn’t have these items on their bucket list? Thanks to IAESTE, I was able to see these dreams come true. I did my internship in Jordan, a beau ful country with the most friendly people I have ever met. An oasis of peace in an otherwise turbulent region. Everywhere we went, we were greeted very warmly and some mes even invited for tea and dinner. At my internship company, Amman, we had also a teaboy, who was in charge of making delicious tea and Jordan also took the lead in the prayers, which were held twice a day in the office. project evolved. As the deserts of Sea. Although, in reality, it was At the first day of my internship, I the Middle East are full of sunlight, impossible to really swim in the was asked whether I preferred to the region provides a huge Dead Sea, because my feet were work in the office or do fieldwork. opportunity for sustainable solar popping out of the water all the As temperatures can go up to 40°C energy. me. in the desert, the decision was Of course, an IAESTE internship isn’t A few weeks later, we had our rapidly made. My first task was to all about the work itself. There were Golden Trip, which included a visit program the communica on a lot of ac vi es planned during to one of the Seven UNESCO World devices to control and monitor the weekends and at nights. As I did Wonders: Petra. It was amazing to equipment of a water purifica on only share pictures of these leisure walk among these huge temples, installa on in the Azraq refugee ac vi es with my Facebook friends, sculpted in rocks, where camels are camp. I got a good training on the they actually thought I was on gree ng you at every corner. Later company’s equipment and so ware holiday for six weeks instead of that day, we went for a ride in the tools. Eventually plans changed and doing an internship. Honestly, it desert of Wadi Rum, where we not I got to work on a solar plant really felt like being on holiday as only admired an enchan ng sunset, together with Anas, a super friendly we were travelling around the but also spent the night looking at colleague with whom I commuted country. The first weekend we went the stars above. Some of us even to work. for a walk in the rivers and stayed up all night to see the sun As an electrical power engineer it waterfalls of Wadi Mujib, the ideal come up again. The last two days of was very interes ng to learn more place to cool down from the heat the trip we went to Aqaba, a city about the solar project and we even and have a good shower. A er that, where it is so hot that you cannot did a site visit to see how the we went for a swim in the Dead avoid ge ng sweaty. There we
!74 Vincent Cardoen – Ghent University – Electrical Power Engineering – Amman, Jordan stayed in the Radisson Blu hotel at downtown to another hotel to the Red Sea. In contrary to the Dead explore the rest of the city and eat Sea, the Red Sea does contain living my last falafels and shawarma’s. animals. The first day there, one guy These days, there was also an JORDAN got stung by a jellyfish and it really outdoor film fes val going on at looked painful. Bad luck or not, the nights, in which the spectators sat second day, another guy also got outside and had and amazing view stung by a jellyfish. Fortunately over the city. When the green there were also large swimming illuminated towers of the mosques pools to relax in a safe environment. also started to broadcast their In the beau ful surroundings of the prayers over the city, it was a very resort I got my first yoga session, by enchan ng moment. an even more beau ful young lady. In order to please my family and At night there was a spectacular fire friends, I did also buy some show and some sexy belly dancing. souvenirs during my last days. I We absolutely had the me of our really got in love with the Jordanian life! sweets, so I decided to buy 7 kilos of Besides the trips organized by the them. It was an organiza onal IAESTE volunteers, we also did a lot challenge to get them all in my of explora on on our own: walking luggage and s ll not exceed the through Roman ruins in Jerash, weight limits, but I was able to watching mosaics in Madaba, manage it. hanging out at the boulevard in For me, this summer internship was Amman and much more. a once in a life me experience and I As I did book my flight before I knew really recommend everybody to also the precise dates of my internship, I par cipate in an IAESTE internship. had some days le in Amman before I came back to Belgium. Together with some other trainees, I went
!75 Wout Debaenst – Ghent University – Industrial Sciences in electronics ICT– Barcelona,Spain SPAIN WOUT DEBAENST
Immediately a er my last exam at my university I went to Barcelona, Spain with the single goal of enjoying my trip to the fullest and mee ng a lot of people and learn about their culture. At my departure I was prepared for working from 8-18h with two hours and half a day on public transport to get at work. I thought learning Spanish would take me a huge effort. I expected that it would take me a lot of me to meet people and make friends.
Well, everything turned out way Barcelona, be er than I expected! During the Spain summer my company shortens their working hours from 8-18h to 8-15h and a colleague proposed to pick me up at the train sta on which Austria, Mexico, Spain … The Barcelona stop for a red light when shortened my daily commu ng me amount of people I got to know there are no cars coming, they are dras cally. This way I was home at 4 during my IAESTE adventure was tourists! o’clock and had the whole evening tremendous (for some reason half Da ng a Chinese girl taught me a lot to go enjoy the amazing city life in of them were from German about the Asian con nent and more Barcelona. speaking countries). All of them had specific about China: Asian people Because I first followed beginner such an interes ng stories about take everything literal and don’t classes Spanish and later obligated their country, their culture and their understand sarcasm which can turn myself speaking Spanish at work, I personality. could express myself pre y fast in out in very funny situa ons. It’s just their language. During my stay, I For example I learned that ‘oida’ is a not in their culture to use sarcasm started speaking it more fluently, word that’s usable in every as a way of conversa on. In with more vocabulary, making thinkable situa on in Austria. Mandarin there doesn't exist a jokes,… Bolivian people feel uncomfortable difference between calling someone if they go to a bbq and everyone ‘He or she’, so don't get offended if But the thing that turned out the has to take his own food. In their a Chinese boy/girl mixes it up to best way possible, was the IAESTE culture one family usually prepares you. Being white in China makes community in Barcelona. On my a meal and organise everything for you look a rac ve and many will second day I was added to a their guests. Austrians also really strive for that ideal image by using Whatsapp group where I introduced feel like they lost something in the creams and evading the sun. Whiter myself to end up two hours later second world war, even the new people look wealthier because they ea ng a delicious meal together genera ons talk about it with a lot don’t have to work as a farmer in with people from China, Bolivia, of emo ons. Fun fact: If people in the sun. Also glasses can make
!76 Wout Debaenst – Ghent University – Industrial Sciences in electronics ICT– Barcelona,Spain young people more a rac ve immense, they don’t feel Spanish because they look like a be er but Catalan. This sen ment is also student. the base for the long strived Catalan independency. In SPAIN I learned a lot about other September 2017 the cultures and certainly Catalan independency was a big deal for people and culture too. I could all the Catalans, especially with form a nice image of Catalans by the referendum planned on the 1st working with them all day and of October. There wasn’t a day at living together with a Catalan work that independency is not a middle aged man. They are very hot topic. This way I could closed towards non-Catalan profoundly create an in depth people and hard the make friends image of this problem. with. The two guys I had a lot of fun with at my company, were I had the me of my life in both not originally Catalan while Barcelona and achieved my goals the rest was. But saying they are in a way I never thought possible! closed doesn’t impose they aren’t nice to have around. They are really kind, caring and have great cooking skills. Their patrio sm is
!77 Yarne Hermann – Ghent University – Computer Science Engineering – Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom UNITED KINGDOM YARNE HERMANN
Hi there, pal/lass. One year ago, I was considering going on an IAESTE internship just like you might be right now. Maybe just like I was, you’re also not sure whether you want do an exchange semester or an internship. If that’s the case, I have only one advice for you: just do both! I’ve always wanted to go abroad as much as possible and being a musician and a computer science engineering student, IAESTE provided me with the most perfect Glasgow, internship. Scotland, UK I went to Glasgow Caledonian University, where I worked together with a PhD student to make a hearing loss simulator. For me, knew this wasn’t something I could having just finished my bachelor’s miss. Plenty of me to get used to A er this weekend, I had my first degree this was a very educa ve Glasgow a erwards. day of work. At the university I was experience. Prior to this internship, received by my supervising I felt that my knowledge about This was already an amazing professor and PhD student. They signal processing was too basic and experience. Aside from the showed me around the beau ful mainly theore cal. Working on the dis llery, we took some walks campus and were always very hearing loss simulator finally had through the beau ful nature of the friendly and helpful. This is me apply theory in prac ce and island, visited an old castle ruin and something I no ced about Scots in also introduced me to some spent a cold evening next to a general, they’re always so kind and concepts that where new to me and campfire. This was also an amazing helpful, which makes you that will definitely prove useful in opportunity to meet other interns immediately feel at home. My the future. from countries such as Norway, supervisors were also very flexible Poland, Kazakhstan, India, China, on working hours, which allowed When I arrived in Glasgow, I only Tajikistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, me to work from home some mes had a very small amount of me to … . On Saturday evening I also had and take days off when there get used to my home for the my first experience with haggis, and happened to be a trip during the following two months, seeing as the I have to admit that it’s not my cup week. next day the IAESTE Glasgow LC had of tea. But that shouldn’t stop you arranged a weekend trip to the Isle from trying it though, seeing as The trips were definitely one of the of Arran. Looking at the i nerary for most of the other interns actually best parts of my me in Scotland. this trip, I saw: “Visit of the Arran really enjoyed it. I preferred filling It’s such a nice country with very whiskey dis llery, whiskey master my stomach with fish ‘n chips beau ful nature and ci es and a lot class and whiskey fes val”, so I however. of history.
!78 Yarne Hermann – Ghent University – Computer Science Engineering – Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
The one I enjoyed the most, was room of the hostel where we the one to the Isle of Skye. During stayed. These were absolutely the this four-day trip we saw the best nights of my whole stay in Hogwarts Express riding, saw Loch Scotland. UNITED Ness, hiked to the top of a mountain, were able to swim in the I’m wri ng this a er I’ve been back Fairy Pools, a series of pools for almost a month and I’m telling KINGDOM connected by small waterfalls, and you, this was one of the best did so much more. Sco sh weather experiences of my life. This country is known to be quite rough, but that is so close, was able to offer during this trip we couldn’t have and amaze so much. I learned a lot, hoped for be er weather, the sun both within my internship and was always shining, and with outside of the internship. I visited temperatures around 20°C we so many beau ful places and most actually felt warm. important of all, I met some wonderful people and made friends One of the evenings we also had for life. the “Interna onal Night”, where everyone made a main dish, a drink And no ma er which country you or a desert from his or her home go to, I’m sure your IAESTE country. This was a very tasty diner internship will be something you’ll I can tell you. Every night we would also look back on for the rest of also spend our me together with your life, with nothing but the everyone in the very nice living greatest of memories.
!79 !80 !81 ARE YOU READY FOR AN INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP?
• Apply for IAESTE IAESTE BELGIUM • Wish list from 30/11/2017 to 10/1/2018 LC GHENT - [email protected] • Applications online from 28/1/2018 • Applications deadline at 16/2/2018 LC BRUSSELS - [email protected] • Nomination at 20/2/2018 LC LEUVEN - [email protected]
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