My name is Karekin Esmeryan, and I’m currently a research associate at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. Here I deal with the development of readily available and inexpensive methods for the synthesis of superhydrophobic and diamond-like carbon coatings for applications in anti-icing systems, shipbuilding, medicine and so on. My touch with Erasmus program was in the academic year 2012/2013 when I realized there was opportunity for specialization in different European research institutes and universities. After a brief search on the Internet, I myself found the host institution, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, and after a conversation with Professor Glenn McHale, we reached an agreement for me to leave for 6 months. I was provided with full co-operation by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and by Prof. Barlieva and Mrs. Tomina Galibova in particular who worked extremely professionally on all my desires and claims.

For me, the participation in the Erasmus program, purely personally, was an adventure. I saw what it was like to be a member of the international academic community, and I also touched on the different lifestyle in North England. Professionally, the Erasmus program was one of the main driving forces for my further development, as in Newcastle, under the guidance of Professor Glenn McHale, I became familiar with the methods of synthesis of superhydrophobic surfaces (also known as super water-repellent surfaces) and their practical applications. On the basis of what I had learned, I made a preliminary defense of my doctoral thesis within the 3-year legal term which earned me a prize of 1000 leva, and then I received my doctoral degree in just 3 months which brought me a prize of another 1000 BGN. Outside of the financial side, however, the Erasmus program helped me to achieve the necessary qualifications to continue my work as a researcher and to get the names of an American and a Bulgarian institution standing side by side. In this line of thinking, I recommend to everyone who hesitates to participate in the program to stop these doubts and take advantage of the opportunities. True, Erasmus also has some minor shortcomings, for example, a grant that is a bit below the standard of host countries but with good motivation, organization and purposefulness, one overcomes these obstacles.

I have the best feelings about these past days, and I wish success to all colleagues who will be participating in the program.

As a PhD student at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, I was seconded to Venice, Italy under the Erasmus+ program in the period June-August 2015. During my mobility, I worked on my dissertation at Ca’Foskari University. The coordinator at the host institution who was responsible for me, Prof. Iliana Krapova, was one of the most prominent generational syntaxists in the world.

Due to the specifics of life and infrastructure in Venice, university resources are scattered across multiple libraries in different parts of the city. Prof. Krapova, besides advising me on the topic of my doctoral’s work, also directed me to the most useful sources. Although summer is not among the most active academic periods, libraries and electronic resources were available almost all the time except for a short vacation in August. Staying in a foreign university offers great opportunities for academic contacts; for me, for example, it was very useful to communicate with Prof. Rodolfo Delmonte, a specialist in computer linguistics.

Along with specialized professional contacts, I have to mention the presence of the so-called Buddy program. Under this program, students from Ca’Foscari are helping newcomers which is extremely useful in getting to know the life in an unknown university and a city as a whole. Venice is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, and the cost of living is high even in comparison to other well-known Western European cities. During my mobility, I was staying at the College of Jejuites, one of the many religious institutions offering dormitories to students while such a form of accommodation allows for longer stays at more reasonable prices. Also, the presence of a student canteen and the possibility of using student cards for water transport contribute significantly to reducing daily expenses.

The exceptionally rich cultural program in Venice is far from concentrated around the Venetian carnival that takes place in the winter months. In the summer, within the traditional “Biennale”, there are numerous festivals with separate weeks dedicated to literature, dance and fine arts and many others. In the field of humanities, the “Shylock” festival dedicated to Shakespeare’s work and his play “The Venice Trader” were particularly interesting. As part of this festival, talks with actors and directors from the Royal Shakespeare Theater were held. All of this was complemented by a student marathon in Venice and the Redentore Festival which is traditionally accompanied by spectacular fireworks at the Bay of San Marco and a temporary pontoon bridge linking Venice and the island of Giudecca. Of course, not only Venice but also the entire lagoon is a source of exciting experiences – Murano (the island of Venetian glass), Burano (famous for its exclusive lace and multicolored houses), Lido (with its beaches on the Adriatic) and Torcello (the island from which has stemmed the historic beginning of Venice). And as the culmination of the summer, the International Film Festival in Venice can be accepted with premieres of world film productions in the presence of prominent actors and directors.

The three months in Venice under the Erasmus+ program became a true scientific expedition that was very fruitful to my research and enriched me with many positive emotions and experiences.

This was my second participation in the Erasmus program, and this time I had to combine regular studies at a foreign university with research work at a foreign scientific institute as well. This gave me the opportunity to enrich my scientific knowledge twice and to go back to the university bench but under completely new conditions.

I had the opportunity to study in one of the newest and best equipped university campuses across Central Europe. I also participated in a number of university initiatives that allowed me to travel, get to know new people with similar interests and learn more about other cultures. The Erasmus + program is an inexhaustible source of knowledge, full of many possibilities, dynamics and prospectives for the development of a young scientist!

Sending institution: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Center for Phytochemistry
Host institution: Masaryk University and Institute of Biophysics at the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
Academic stay: Winter (autumn) semester of the academic year 2015/16 (4 months)