Erasmus + Success Stories

"WE EXCHANGED RESEARCH IDEAS WITH MANY OF THE LEADING RESEARCHERS IN THE HIROSHINA UNIVERSITY

Erasmus+ Period: 03/07/2017 - 07/07/2017

My Erasmus+ experience in Hiroshima gave me exceptional opportunity to see how one of the leading universities in Japan works, as well as a chance to personally experience Japan!

From academic point of view Erasmus+ exchange gave me insight of the Japanese approach towards personal dentistry and medicine – I visited the biomaterials science laboratory, molecular and cellular biology laboratory, metabolic engineering laboratory as well as the hospital complex, including dental hospital, cardiovascular hospital, etc. We exchanged research ideas with many of the leading researchers in the Hiroshima University, like prof. Koichi Kato, prof. Isao Hirata, prof. Katsumi Fujimoto, prof. Chisa Shukunami, etc. We planned on future collaboration. My stay in Japan extended my professional network and reinforced the cooperation between Medical University – Sofia and Hiroshima University.

From personal point of view, I have increased my job satisfaction and have improved my foreign language skills. Although I have been in Hiroshima before, Ms. Hitomi Ogawa organized our stay perfectly and managed to show us Hiroshima in such a way, that we fell in love with it as we increased our cultural competences. Overall, during our stay in Japan I made new friends, exchanged ideas with some of the leading Japanese scientists in my area of research, experienced Japanese hospitality, Japanese cuisine and Japanese cultural heritage.

From September 2018 to January 2019, as a continuation of Erasmus+ exchange Programme, to our university came three students from Hiroshima University – Hikari Sakamoto, Chika Shigemoto and Nao Yamada. They were attached to our laboratory and with their eagerness to learn and to acquire new knowledge were a valuable addition to our team. They managed to accomplish three scientific projects which they presented back in Hiroshima.

I am sure Erasmus+ Programme helped me increase my career opportunities by giving me chanced to improve my teaching skills, to compare my research methods with leading laboratories in the world, to learn applications of new technologies in my research and to build up new contacts, extending my professional network.