Nikolina Furlan, student: Experience from the Erasmus practical training in Prague
My Erasmus+ experience was, in one word, unforgettable. I spent three years of my practical training in a city filled with history, cheap food and beer- Prague. I did my training in a small enterprise Move to Prague s.r.o. which won me over immediately- friendly atmosphere, excellent bosses, flexible working hours, top experts, and an excellent opportunity to meet people from all around the world since the company’s main activity is relocation, are just some of the reasons. Erasmus gave me an opportunity to become acquainted with a different culture and language, expand my horizons and make some new friends. As a second year Management of small and medium-sized enterprises student, this experience was very educational and made it possible for me to connect the theory I learnt with actual practice and experience the management and inner workings of a small enterprise in a different country and a different framework of conducting business. Erasmus+ is the most beautiful experience that you can have in your student days, which would be a shame if you don’t take the opportunity- travel, explore, get to know yourself and return as a better person.
Mr. sc. Damir Ribić, s. lecturer, Experience from the Erasmus+ mobility program in České Budějovice
In April 2018, together with two of our students Mateja Matijašić and Dominik Kadežabekom, I had the opportunity to participate in the competition ‘’Simulation game’’ in České Budějovice. Actively participating in such a competition within the Erasmus program was for me an invaluable experience and certainly a huge step forward for applying knowledge and gaining new experiences. More than fifty students participated in the competition from eight different EU countries, including a team from Russia. Our students were very successful considering they were in the team that won first place. Erasmus is an opportunity for us to compare ourselves with the best universities from the entire EU, and even beyond, and also to learn something new, and we also try to apply the best knowledge in educating the future generation of students. I eagerly await new opportunities for Erasmus mobility, which I hope they will happen many more times in my career.
Danijela Vakanjac, mag. oec. lecturer, and Nikolina Pleša Puljić, mag. oec.: Experience from the Erasmus mobility program in Sofia, R. Bulgaria
In the period from 11th till 14th June 2018 we participated in the „First Erasmus+ International Teaching and Training Week“ , which was held in Bulgaria, specifically in its main capital Sofia, organized by our partner school International Business School. During the entire week we attended a series of lectures held by professors from a multitude of European universities. Some of the topics were: Simplifying taxing of small companies, Innovation- what is necessary to be innovative, and the European institutional and legal framework for crisis management. In addition to lectures, we also participated in a simulation held by the International summit for the sector economy and also Bulgarian language and culture learning workshops. The goal of the simulation was to show knowledge and expertise, and the ability to cooperate in an international team environment.
Also included in the program was the opportunity to connect and exchange experiences with the other participants in the international week. We exchanged our experiences with colleagues from as many as seven European countries, specifically from Portugal, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Greece, and Macedonia. Considering that this was, for the both of us, our first Erasmus+ experience, we can say that we are filled with positive impressions and that this short week of international cooperation exceeded our expectations.
We consider that participating in the Erasmus+ program, whether we are talking about student exchange or personnel exchange, is something that someone remembers for the rest of their lives and also makes it possible to gain new knowledge, perfect a foreign language, and, in the end, make new partnership contracts. In addition to the above, the Erasmus+ program is also ideal for broadening ones horizons, meeting different cultures, ways of life and forming new friendships.
This exchange resulted in a partnership between our Business school and International business school in Sofia and enabled us to strengthen the capacities of our higher education institutions through an exchange of knowledge, experiences, good practice and new ideas in the education process and academic life.
Iva Ribić, student: Erasmus+ mobility experience in Novo Mesto, Slovenia
My Erasmus experience began on the final year of my undergraduate study, 2015 in February. I spent the summer semester of the academic year 2014/2015 as a student in the Visokoj šoli za upravljanje in poslovanje in Novo Mesto, Republic of Slovenia. For this adventure, or in other words the program of international exchange, I applied without any hesitation. Encouraged by the positive experiences of my friends, I decided to seize the opportunity and become acquainted with and experience something more than my everyday life and become part of Erasmus, because it is said that the Erasmus+ program is a program for life.
Erasmus+ program for life…Why? Because it’s a perfect opportunity to get to know yourself and improve yourself, even when you have to bake pancakes (turn them around) with a small coffee spoon and other weird things. The experience of getting to know different cultures through wide open “doors” is an experience which is permanently remembered and built into every atom of your being. Studying abroad opens and builds new views of the world, with which we become citizens of the world, and all you need to do is open the palm of your hand and take what is given to you. The experience of a lifetime, too soft of an expression for what the Erasmus+ program actually offers. My experience lasted for six months, or one semester in Slovenia. TOO SHORT… All my experiences are too difficult to even describe, but I know that in that too short period of time I met friends for life, got to know myself and now I know I can do everything, and of course, learnt a lot about myself and others… This praiseworthy program eliminates all negative views on life, prejudices, stereotypes, removes borders both physical and psychological, makes you live in someone else’s shoes, actually it’s a life test, a test of willingness to live your life… There’s only one flaw: I want to do it again… Once you enter the Erasmus program there is no going back, it simply makes you want to do more, and the ones who have already participated in the program know what I’m talking about… And the ones who haven’t participated yet, go for it, since you lose nothing, and gain everything…
P.S. Those who live will tell the tale…