To stay on exchange through Erasmus+ mobility program is an ideal opportunity for students to develop and increase their opportunities for professional development. In this way, many of great number of IUS students who spent the past semester abroad, took advantage of their exchange, and participated in various activities in their fields of expertise as well as cultural ones. Many of these students also made contacts and managed to obtain seasonal internships in large international companies, institutions and embassies, where they were able to learn a lot and gain experience in industrial sector. International Relations Office of IUS, which coordinated for some of the internships, is continuously in touch with the students, and recorded some of their experiences:
ELMA KIČUKOV, Kamara Office Solutions, internship through the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program
“I think that Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs offers us, the youth, the opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who currently manage small companies abroad. The most important thing here is that the program supports internationalization, acquiring experience, learning and networking. Since the program takes place abroad, the access to new markets and partners in business is much easier. The experience which I will acquire in this program will surely help me with founding my own business, and also in my future work. I would recommend all young people to join this program and use the opportunity to learn something new.”
AMINA AGOVIĆ, Institute for Material Sciences and Nanotechnology - at Bilkent University
„Being accepted as an intern at UNAM - Institute for Material Sciences and Nanotechnology - at Bilkent University is a great honor but a huge responsibility. Bilkent is among three best universities in Turkey and such an experience offers a wide spectrum of opportunities for my future research. As an Erasmus+ exchange student at the neighboring Middle East Technical University, I have realized that a good use of my free time would be discovering different options for myself, to improve my future scientific career. During my summer internship, I will be working with Prof. Dr. Ayse Begum Tekinay, who is a great role model among young scientists in Turkey. The topic I will be doing most research on is Heparin Mimetic Peptide, and how it can be used for repair of tissues affected by different kinds of injuries.“
ADEM DINAREVIĆ, Parkyeri
„For me this is an amazing opportunity to gain an even broader international experience and expand my knowledge. I was part of Erasmus+ program last year in Turkey as well, in which I broadened my horizons and made friends all over the world. For me this is like a continuation of that, meeting even more people and having an amazing time. It is not just about the acquaintances and friendships a person makes, it is also about the knowledge that I gain at the company where I am doing my internship. We are involved in an interesting project; I can utilize the skills I acquired at the university, and learn new things from the employees of the company as well as from my fellow interns.”
SAMRA HODŽIĆ, Parkyeri
„Thanks to the Erasmus+ experience that I had last semester I realized how studying abroad can be a beautiful thing. You are living in another country with a different culture and customs and at the same time, you are surrounded by internationals that came there for the same reason as you did - to learn about others, to improve and develop themselves and to have the best experience of their life. While doing an internship in Istanbul, I saw as a new opportunity for gathering more experience similar to one that I had with Erasmus+, so I applied for and got accepted by Parkyeri, a Turkish software company located in Istanbul, and now we are working on a project named 'Smart House', with other internationals from Thailand, Nepal, Kazakhstan... Together we are traveling around exploring this beautiful city and learning more about each other. This is a perfect opportunity to have a wide reach of international friends and knowledge. I would recommend everyone to be brave and to grab opportunities like this. Believe or not, such experiences will change your life!“
