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Erasmus+ experiences: This is how you live and work in Valencia!
Jessica Katharina Lüders reports on her Erasmus+ stay at the Universitat Politècnica de València and valuable experiences.
Erasmus+ experiences: This is how you live and work in Valencia!
As part of the Erasmus+ program, Jessica Katharina Lüders, who has been working as social media editor and project coordinator for course marketing since November 2023 TU Braunschweig is working, a Staff Week at the in summer 2023 Universitat Politècnica de Valencia visited. This stay enabled her to gain valuable experience and further develop both her personal and professional skills.
Lüders decided on this exchange to gain new perspectives and deepen her language skills. The support of Francesco Ducatelli, head of the mobility office, made the application easier. She prepared intensively for her stay by specifically selecting workshops and brushing up on her Spanish skills. A small detail that she found important for the stay was buying sunscreen.
Experiences in Valencia
The stay included a week-long staff week, and Lüders stayed in private accommodation shared with a Spanish host couple. The rhythm of life in Valencia was reflected in the typical longer lunch breaks, known as siestas, and a strong sense of community, which was expressed in numerous team events and breakfast buffets. The biggest culture shock was packing their rental bike into a small elevator.
The culinary recommendation from Valencia was clearly the paella, which was offered in different versions. This experience went hand in hand with the warm and open-minded mentality of the locals. Lüders spent evenings relaxing on the beach or on the balcony of her accommodation, which also helped her to make contacts with her host couple and their friends.
Personal growth and networking
The exchange with colleagues from other countries was a valuable aspect for Lüders, which not only supported her work at TU Braunschweig, but also provided valuable insights into other cultures and working methods. During her time in Spain, she made important contacts that could have a lasting impact on her professional career.
In addition, she benefits from the organizational opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ program. This includes financial assistance for travel and accommodation costs, which can be requested by the sending and receiving institutions. Information about these funding opportunities can be found on various platforms provided as part of Erasmus+, such as on the website of Erasmus+.
The broad target group of the Erasmus+ program includes students in short courses, bachelor's and master's students as well as doctoral students. Lüders recommends that others take advantage of the opportunity to benefit from the diverse opportunities the program offers.
From her stay in Valencia, she not only takes away a note of sound, but also the desire to return soon. Her tip for other employees is to actively approach other people and seek shared experiences in order to make the exchange even more enriching.