Mercedes Castro Baeza - EUROSUD Career Development Fund
EUROSUD students may apply for funding for activities linked to the programme and/or their related career development that reflect the ethos and learning objectives of the degree programme. Below, we hear from Mercedes, who used the fund to attend a two-week French language and culture summer course at Aix-Marseille University.
This summer, I have had the opportunity to attend a two-week French language and culture summer course in Aix-Marseille University. The programme focused on the exploration of Provençal culture, delving into its history and culture, and touching on topics such as its artistic heritage and summer events in the region. It has been the perfect opportunity to practise French before my next semester in Aix-en-Provence starts, while learning about the rich culture of the area.
I have been above all interested in the many museums and festivals taking place in Provence during the summer. On top of attending classes at university and discovering everything Aix has to offer, I have been able to explore the region in the summertime. The course included a cultural outing once a week, and I have also visited nearby cities like Marseille or Arles.
One of the many advantages of being an Erasmus Mundus EUROSUD student has been the opportunity to immerse myself in different cultures and learn languages in situ. Thanks to the Career Development Fund, I have had the chance to develop my French skills, while taking advantage of everything this programme has to offer.
Mariana Souza Mattos - EUROSUD Career Development Fund
EUROSUD students may apply for funding for activities linked to the programme and/or their related career development that reflect the ethos and learning objectives of the degree programme. Below, we hear from Mariana, who did an internship at an institution called Madrid for Refugees, an NGO that helps Forcibly Displaced Persons in Madrid to rebuild their lives after their status is granted.
My name is Mariana, I am in my final year of the EUROSUD Master, and thanks to the Career Development Fund, I had the honour to participate in the Empowering NEET-s across Europe: A peer learning approach training. Although I am a research student, I decided to take an internship at an institution called Madrid for Refugees, an NGO that helps Forcibly Displaced Persons in Madrid to rebuild their lives after their status is granted.
In MfR, my role is to give psychosocial training about Psychological First Aid, Migratory Grief and Intercultural Skills to new volunteers and stakeholders, and I am also Employability Coordinator, helping our beneficiaries to develop their careers.
Due to this, I was invited to take part in this training provided by the organization Youth Proaktiv, with other two institutions: EKO from Greece and KKS from Slovenia. Together we explored problems and solutions on how to get young NEETs to be economically, democratically and socially activated, and as a result of our work, a toolkit is being produced with the best practices among our institutions and how can we further improve the attention to young people through projects that envision enhance their digital, economic, social and democratic skills.
Representing Madrid For Refugees I had the opportunity to show that young Forcibly Displaced Populations are also a targeted group, since according to studies, having a migration background increases the youth person’s likelihood of becoming NEET by 70% (Eurofound 2012). Therefore, the probability of FDPs in NEET status is high, becoming a socioeconomic concern, and increasing the difficulty in achieving settlement and social inclusion.
By Mariana Souza Mattos
Juan Mejía Saravia - EUROSUD Career Development Fund
EUROSUD students may apply for funding for activities linked to the programme and/or their related career development that reflect the ethos and learning objectives of the degree programme. Below, we hear from Juan, who recently used the fund to do a two-week intensive French course in Marseille, immersing himself in the local culture.
A Guatemalan learning French in France for the summer
During the summer, I embarked on an exciting journey to Marseille to immerse myself in the French language and culture. With a desire to elevate my French skills, I enrolled in an intensive two-week language program.
As soon as I arrived in Marseille, I realized that this city was a melting pot of different nationalities and cultures.
The language school I attended attracted people from all around the world who shared a common goal: to learn French. Interacting with such a diverse group made every day an exciting opportunity to learn about different cultures and exchange language knowledge. One aspect of Marseille that fascinated me was its vibrant immigrant neighborhoods. Curiosity led me to explore these areas, and I found myself strolling through the lively streets of the migrant community.
The bustling markets, colorful storefronts, and aromatic scents of various cuisines filled the air. It was a feast for the senses and a valuable opportunity to practice my French skills with locals. Inspired by my exploration of immigrant neighborhoods, I decided to delve deeper into the topic and visit the street where many refugees had sought shelter. The experience was eye-opening, as I witnessed the resilience and strength of individuals who had faced unimaginable hardships. Aside from the cultural immersion, my language course was intense and rewarding. I had never spent so many hours solely dedicated to learning a language.
Thanks to the funding opportunity provided by EUROSUD, I had access to over 40 hours of French instruction. During my time in Marseille, I also took advantage of the numerous cultural activities organized by the language school. From sampling delicious sardines at the local fish market to exploring the beautiful cities of Aix and Marseille, every outing enriched my understanding of French culture. I witnessed traditional festivals and attended art exhibitions. The intensive French program in Marseille provided me with the ideal environment to grow linguistically and culturally. It taught me that language is a bridge that connects people, and through it, we can share stories, build relationships, and foster understanding.
I am immensely grateful to EUROSUD for providing me with the funding opportunity that made this adventure possible. Their support allowed me to embark on this enriching journey. The experience not only improved my French language skills but also instilled in me a deeper appreciation for diversity and the power of language as a tool for connection.
Merci EUROSUD for this incredible opportunity
By Juan Mejía Saravia
Laura Sophie Wiegele - EUROSUD Career Development Fund
EUROSUD students may apply for funding for activities linked to the programme and/or their related career development that reflect the ethos and learning objectives of the degree programme. Below, we hear from Laura, one of our Research Track students, on how she was able to conduct field research in Italy for her Master’s thesis.
Thanks to financial support from the EUROSUD Study and Career Development Fund, I conducted field research in Italy for my Master’s thesis. As a student of the research track, I am currently in the process of writing my dissertation in the fourth and last semester of the EUROSUD program. My topic is how the Italian North-South divide and the stereotypes associated with it affect the lives of students.
Since I studied Italian as a subject in school, this issue drew my attention from a young age. Thus, in my undergraduate thesis, I already decided to write about this divide and its representation in Italian cinema. While writing the thesis, I realized a literature gap regarding stereotypes and how they affect young individuals. Thus, I decided for my master’s dissertation to bridge this gap by conducting fieldwork. For this, I spent two weeks at an Italian university both in the north in Padova near Venice and in the south in Catania in Sicily.
As a research method, I conducted individual interviews and focus group discussions with students from different faculties on-site. I recruited participants by approaching students directly at various faculties and by presenting my project in lectures. I am very pleased with how it went, as I found significantly more participants than I had set as a goal and the results are very interesting. Overall, it was an intensive time in which I learned a lot, both about the North-South divide and about conducting field research. This experience broadened my horizons, deepened my understanding of different cultures, and enriched my personal and professional development. Therefore, I can only recommend to everyone to leave their comfort zone and take the opportunity to do field research during the Master’s thesis.
I am very grateful that the students gave me their time as well as their trust and shared their thoughts with me. In addition, a special thanks go to the Departments of Political Science of both Universities of Padova and Catania for their support in the research by connecting me with students and providing me with rooms. Above all, I am beyond thankful to the Career Development Fund for giving me this opportunity! Now it’s time to analyze the results and write that thesis!
By Laura Sophie Wiegele
Julen Studies French with help of Career Development Fund
One of the most exciting aspects of being a student of an Erasmus mundus programme like EUROSUD, it is the opportunity to spend two years with students from many different countries and cultural backgrounds. This multicultural environment provides EUROSUD cohorts to develop very important working skills in areas like teamwork. The international features of this master motivated me to improve my French skills. That is why I signed up for a B2 course of this language. Now, thanks to the funds provided by the Career Development Fund, I am willing to apply for the DELF B2 exam, in order to improve my linguistic competencies.
EUROSUD is a master where I believe the knowledge of languages is extremely important. Students from EUROSUD have a background in political sciences, international relations and political economy have a very complete international training. Thus, thanks to this master, we will be able to obtain jobs in many international companies or organisations. Therefore, languages are a really remarkable tool to develop the skills we are achieving while studying this master.
Now, part of our cohort are currently studying in Athens, in the National and Kapodistrian University. We are learning about Yugoslavia, its dissolution, and all the ethnic conflicts as a result of it. After years of war and tensions, diplomacy had to prevail in order to put an end to these terrible events that happen in the 90s. Thus, in order to participate in international events and summits whose objective is the settlement of disputes, the knowledge of languages is a significant value. French is one of the most important languages worldwide, so being fluent in it could be very useful in international conferences. As, knowing this South European language enables me to approach more confidently to people from other nationalities and interact with them in their native language. This may allow me to develop closer ties with them rather than limiting myself to one language, like English.
In conclusion, EUROSUD is a master where intercultural communication is learnt very deeply, due to the enriching international atmosphere you are in while studying the master. The opportunity to live and study in three different countries is something I had never thought about. But, thanks to EUROSUD, this is possible. Therefore, I certainly believe that studying French will help me a lot to develop a good future career.
By Julen Ortiz Villar
Amanda Gussão's Internship - EUROSUD Professional Track in Spain
Hello! (:
My name is Amanda and I’m from Brazil. I’m a student of the 21-23 EUROSUD Cohort, with a background in International Relations and Public Relations. As I’m on the professional track, my second semester was in Madrid, my third semester in Aix-en-Provence, and now I’m back in Madrid (by choice) for my traineeship in the Representation of the European Commission in Spain.
I applied for this internship because I wanted to experience working in an European Institution such as the European Commission. Also, my specific position combines both of my previous fields of study, communication and IR, in addition to south European politics.
Finally, I wanted to come back to Madrid (for the third time), because it is a city I see myself living in. I like the people here, I like the weather, I like how safe it is, as well as the professional opportunities I could find here. I am very happy with where EUROSUD is taking me!
Amanda Delgado Gussão
Student Trip to Morocco
Recently some of our students took a trip to Rabat, Morocco. Whilst there, they visited the Université Internationale de Rabat and the Human Rights Council of Morocco, as well as a tour of historical Rabat. Mariana, who was on the trip, shared her experiences below.
Hi guys!
My name is Mariana, I’m from Brazil and currently in the fourth and final semester of EUROSUD. I’m here to show you a little bit about our trip to Morocco!
The first visit we did was to the Université Internationale de Rabat to get to know more about the Medina Masters. The Medina Program brings a holistic perspective on North Africa and Arabic studies covering political, cultural, gender, and urban perspectives of the region, with a historical approach to the region and the latest developments.
In the afternoon we had a tour around historical Rabat with Abdel (@abdelsrabattours on Instagram) and it was very interesting! We visited the Mausoleum of Mohamed V, the Hassan Tower, the Bab el Rahba, the Old Jewish Quarter, the Old Medina and the Kasbah of the Udayas. It was a very beautiful walk, the historical sites were amazing, and we had tea with beautiful views of the Udayas.
Our third visit was to the Human Rights Council of Morocco, where we could understand better how the Council works in association with international institutes and according to the UN guidelines, and also to ask questions about the development of the human rights agenda in Morocco.
Our fourth visit was to the Policy Center for the New South, which is a Moroccan think tank aiming to contribute to the improvement of economic and social public policies that challenge Morocco and the rest of Africa as integral parts of the global South. After, we had the opportunity to meet some leadership of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.
And of course, we could not leave Morocco without buying souvenirs from the Old Medina! But fun fact: we got lost and we were helped by this lovely girl that lives in the Medina and her dog.
Shubhankar Paul - EUROSUD Research Track at the LUISS Guido Carli University
I’m Shubhankar Paul and I’m a student of the EUROSUD Cohort 2021-23 from India, with a background in European Studies and International Relations. I had the chance to attend my second semester of the programme in Athens and I am currently in Rome for my third mobility at LUISS Guido Carli University. For me, EUROSUD and its research track was a natural extension of my studies about Europe, and I was particularly attracted to the components of the coursework on migration: I represent the third generation in a twice-migrated family that migrated from Pakistan to India in the late 1940s, and later internally migrated across the linguistically and culturally diverse states of India, over the next few decades.
While being in the research track and anticipating its academic demands, I always found myself torn between the public policy side of migration and the ethnographic and anthropological side of migration. For my thesis, I have attempted to find a middle ground between my research interests, and I am scheduled to begin work on my master’s thesis on acculturation strategies of South Asian migrants in Italy and Greece this upcoming semester.
I chose Luiss Guido Carli University for my third mobility because I was attracted to the coursework on Migration Politics in the Mediterranean region, and rightly so. Prof. Stefania Panebianco helped us learn hands-on multilateralism and diplomacy with the help of a two-day simulation exercise. I must mention that this interest in migration was instilled in my second semester in Athens while studying the coursework on migration with Prof. Angeliki Dimitriadi. As well as the courses themselves at LUISS that I learned a lot from – Business Environment in the Mediterranean region and History of European Integration to name a few – I greatly benefitted from the learning infrastructure at LUISS. The infrastructure is built to help students function efficiently: well-lit and equipped reading rooms, computer rooms, libraries, a 24-hour canteen and a beautiful campus with intriguing architecture, all serve as icing on the cake.
At LUISS, you also get the opportunity to socialise with the academic elites and professionals from the disciplines of politics, diplomacy, law and journalism – this greatly enhances the socio-cultural capital of the students in my opinion.
I also feel a certain sense of pleasure and responsibility to be studying what I do because migrants and migration will determine the future of not only the affairs of Europe, but also the rest of the world. As a student from the Global South with research interests in migrants’ lives, I would urge more students to pursue this discipline – the academic output on migrants from particularly South Asia in South Europe, is disproportionately understudied, in my opinion, when examined with respect to the migrant population they represent in south European countries. I am grateful to EUROSUD and LUISS faculties for their efforts to contribute to more academic output in this understudied field and at the same time, helping me, as a post-graduate student to accurately identify the intersection of my broader research interests in European studies and my associated identity as a Global South student from South Asia.
Shubhankar Paul
Anne Jensen Sand - EUROSUD Research Track at the Aix-Marseille Université!
Hi everybody!
My name is Anne, and I am a Danish master’s student of EUROSUD with a background in journalism. I have for some time wanted to add an academic specialization to my more practical profile. When I saw that the EUROSUD master existed, this was the perfect option for me, as it allowed me to dig into one of my all-time favourite subjects - Southern Europe - and combine it with in-depth research, particularly when doing the dissertation in the fourth and final semester.
Wanting to improve my French, I therefore chose to spend my third and fourth mobility at Aix-Marseille Université as a student on their research track. As most people choose the professional track, we were the only 2 EUROSUD students on the research track, and the only 6 French students. This made teaching very intense, but it was also a privilege having so few of us in class, as it made it easier for everyone to engage in discussions. We had classes on methodology, nationalism, religion, migration, borders, political transitions, cultural and collective memory in South Europe, with some classes specifically focused on the Balkans. We also had a French language course and one compulsory language class, which in my case was Italian.
As our schedule was almost entirely different from the one that professional track students follow, and the fact that they often had classes at another facility, we unfortunately didn’t see the other EUROSUD students at the university, unless we bumped into each other at the library or at lunch at the university cafeteria. However, this was made up for in the evenings or weekends, since I lived in a university dorm with four other EUROSUD students.
I never doubted that I wanted to choose the research track, and this didn’t change while being in Aix-en-Provence. Furthermore, if you’re really keen on an internship, it’s possible to do that on a part-time basis while also writing the dissertation. However, this requires a great amount of discipline. I have chosen to focus solely on the dissertation and possibly hand it in in June instead of September, and I am actually looking forward to it. After having moved around and gotten used to new universities, subjects and classes on a half-yearly basis, it is going to be interesting to get the time to really dig into one subject, in my case left-wing populism. If you are going to Aix and have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Anne Jensen Sand
Alaa Amro - Future EUROSUD Student Entrepreneur?
On the 24th of November, I had the opportunity to meet and network with a group of 12 Austrians in Bethlehem, Palestine. Proudly, my startup proposal on food waste management in the city of Hebron was selected for the next level.
The U-Solve project focuses on the major challenges that cities in the Euro-Mediterranean region, including Cyprus, Italy, and Greece, as well as Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan. The project supports us in our efforts to make our cities sustainable, livable, and resilient over the long term. As well as assuring potential entrepreneurs, especially young people, that they can turn ideas into actual businesses.
As a EUROSUD student at the Autonomous University of Madrid, a course on public policy making inspired me to apply for this project, and to develop policy proposals that promote entrepreneurship as a tool for sustainable development in urban areas, with direct participation from public institutions throughout the process.
I am grateful for my ongoing journey with EUROSUD, which provides me with an incredible opportunity to learn and grow through the Career Development Fund that supported me to attend the event.
By Alaa Amro