Erasmus + Success Stories

“ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME IS NOT ONLY ABOUT STUDING AND WORKING, IT GIVES YOU THE CHANCE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND CREATE A LOT OF CONTACTS IN EUROPE AND OUTSIDE EUROPE!”

Erasmus+ Period: 01/09/2017 – 01/07/2019

My name is Maria Nikolova and I was studying Pharmacy at the Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria. I would like to share my Erasmus+ story, which definitely changed my point of view about the world around me.

I had the honor to live four months in Heidelberg, Germany and work together with specialists in DKFZ. The supervisor of my internship was Prof. Martin Berger, who was always supporting my work, by giving me good advice and helping with every student issue I had. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to be trained by Shariq Ansari and Doaa Ali, who is a big professional at toxicology and pharmacology science.

I spent my Erasmus+ Programme together with my colleague and good friend Blagoslava Georgieva. We had the chance to see from the inside how people are creating science and we realized how hard is this job and how much dedication is necessary for every project to be done. DKFZ is a good example, how different nations are combining their knowledge and successfully work together for one main mission. It was surprising for me, to see supportive and I definitely felt like being a part of a big family.

Erasmus+ Programme is not only about studying and working, it gives you the chance to meet new people and create a lot of contacts in Europe and outside Europe. It helped me develop my language and social skills. Now, I feel more confident in every initiative, which I start in my life!

Erasmus+ is a model of international cooperation and good example how people are working together successfully. This experience made me think about how important I am as a European citizen and how I can match the big European family. I would say, that I definitely feel like being a part of this colorful puzzle and I wish to develop myself in this environment. It’s inspiring for me to share my traditions and realize that people everywhere are the same, despite the language barriers or the difference of religions. Every travel and every new friend gave me a new point of view about the surrounding world and motivated me to be also inspirational to other people.

I am happy to say that during this experience I found one of my best friends – Blagoslava. We were together in every adventure during our stay in Heidelberg. We found our friendship abroad and created deep connection between us later on. Because of that, I want to share with you one of my favorite photo with Blagoslava and say thank you to every lovely person whom I met during this journey.

Heidelberg is a student-centered university in Tiffin, Ohio. Since their founding in 1850, they’ve remained a welcoming, enthusiastic community dedicated to helping their students live rich and fulfilling lives, personally and professionally. The University effectively integrate liberal arts and professional preparation across disciplines to prepare our students to be global citizens who communicate effectively, think critically and serve thought-fully.