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Bc. Klára Čechová, CTU Prague,

ročník 4

About the country

Location of the place

Belgium is a heart of EU. Home to two main linguistic groups or Communities: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish Community, which constitutes about 59 percent of the population, and the French-speaking Community,

City

Ghent has the right to name itself "hidden treasure". Its a historical city close to Brussel, with nice city centrum, good train conection. Becouse famous Brugge is nearby, Ghent is not that turisty place. Also is the city of bikes, they are the rulers of streets, well-designed bicycle paths are everywere.

Surroundings (possible trips, ...)

Brussel, Bruger, Antwerp, Oostende, Knokke beach 0,5-1 hour by train

Employer

University of Ghent is spread all over the city. Offers all possible fields for study. As a university, it has good facilities and a secure restaurant and bike rental.
Internship was in Laboratory for chemical technology in Technologie park, south of Ghent. It is s big park full of companies and university labs.

Work description

The aim of study was analyzed samples on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography a and then determine what chemical components is composed of.

Salary (sufficient for local conditions?)

Salary was generous, was not problem to buy lunch in student restaurant every day or participate in all activities, including transport.

Language requirements

In work, was neccesery to understand technical terms, in the collective iaste communicative English. Everybody wants talk to you, know you, not correct you.

Accommodation (price, who provided it)

€ 70/week, student apartment with 5 roomes and common facilities
provided by a student, witch renting the room during holidays

Social life

Meeting IAESTE members (pick-up at the airport, organized events...)

I was pick-uped on bus station, my buddy accompanied me to the apartment and showed me around.
Every week or lees was National evening, also some meetings or activities was planed (windsurfing, cooking mussels, wafles, excursion to breewery...). During the weekends various excursions, city tours were planed.
All IAESTE members used WhatsUp chat, so comunication was good and every day you could join to the various plan, pub visits, picnic, festivals...

Meeting other foreign students

Technologie park was full of students, mainly foreign students during the holiday. You can meet them in caffeteria or restaurant. Lots of PhD student are there, even in the lab, and I spoke to them every day, they helped me with the work.

Sport and culture

Cycling is the main sport. But there were a running tracks or close beach for windsurfing.
Culture- muzeums, cinema (english subs), street art

Food, local specialties

The beer, chocolate, wafles, also mussels with fries and meat balls. Very popular is friterias (Fritur) with amazing fries and belgium fast food offer (kroketts, frikandel).

Other information

Possibilites to communicate with the Czech Republic

internet

Recommendations for students who will go to the same place

Rent a bike as soon as possible, gives you a freedom and its the best way to move in city. Enjoy the medival city centre. Join every IAESTE activity.

What not to forget with you

raincoat for a cycling, good boots for walking, good mood for talking with people

Benefits of the internship

self-knowledge, knowledge of a foreign country, though not too distant, the knowledge of people from all over the world, new opportunities for future study have opened up, independence

Cooperation with IAESTE in the foreign country

Excellent, responding to emails and sending travel types. There was a lot of activities in the city, I was in contact with them almost every day. We communicated on the whatsup chat, which made it easy.

Overall experience with IAESTE

You can talk to people from different countries using foreign language and you find out, that they are the same as you are. Also you will find out that taking care of yourself in a foreign country is not as demanding as you think. In a work you will find out what you can do under the pressure of a foreign environment and a foreign language.