Mobility Participant Testimonials

As an educational institution which has been awarded the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education, the CSMM supports mobility of students and staff to improve the quality of higher education by encouraging transnational cooperation between universities and contributing to improved transparency and academic recognition of qualifications and studies throughout the European Union.

Students of the CSMM are currently participating in mobility programs with partner institutes, while the School is also accepting incoming students on the same basis.

Such experiences provide a plethora of opportunities for students to gain both work experience and skills in an international setting. Testimonials from a sample of outgoing and incoming students are evidence in themselves of these valuable opportunities!

*STAFF MOBILITY*
INCOMING STAFF
				Name: Dr. Alexandros Ikonomides, MD, BSc, PhD (Lecturer of Medical and Molecular Microbiology) Sending Institution: Democritus Universtity of Thrase Greece Receiving Institution: The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine
Which factors led to your decision to take part in the ERASMUS mobility scheme? The great opportunity it provides to receive granted training abroad. What was the main factor in your choice of the CING/CSMM for your mobility period? The reputation and scientific sound of the institution that I have come up with many times during the last years. What is the impact of your mobility experience at the CING/CSMM on your work (field of research, medical practice, etc)? Although very short in period, my mobility at the CING/CSMM broadened my experience in molecular microbiology and specifically in molecular virology. It is always educative to participate in a well-established laboratory of molecular diagnostics, operating according to Standard Operative Procedures and being supervised by quality control schemes. What have you enjoyed most about your time at the CING & CSMM? Nice location, well organized facilities, warm and communicative staff, high level of scientific background and research expectations provide a challenge to anyone seeking postgraduate studies, a PhD thesis or postdoctoral research. In three words how would you describe your experience at the CING/ CSMM to a prospective mobility candidate who may be interested in coming to the CING/CSMM? Constructive, challenging and mind-broadening.

*STUDENT MOBILITY*
OUTGOING STUDENTS
				Name: Constantia Aristidou, PhD student in Medical Genetics Sending Institution: The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine Receiving Institution: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen has been ranked for many years as the happiest city in the world. This came as no surprise to me after having the opportunity to visit, as an Erasmus student, this beautiful city; a place filled with colour, life, history and, of course, people with a smile on their face cycling peacefully around the city. Even though I had some minor hesitations moving to a new place, I felt the most welcoming atmosphere as soon as I arrived. Everyone at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine of the University of Copenhagen was very friendly and made me feel comfortable and part of their team within the first few days. Since Copenhagen is a multi-cultural city, I also had the opportunity to meet people and other Erasmus students from many different backgrounds and countries. While being there, I have received both theoretical and practical training, from expert staff, in Next Generation Sequencing; a cutting-edge technique I am currently using for the purposes of my research project at CSMM. I even performed some of my own project experiments at their laboratories and received valuable help and feedback any time I needed it. In addition, during my four-month visit as an Erasmus student, I had excellent cooperation, communication and support from both my supervisors at the sending and receiving institution. Besides the academic work during the week, I made use of my free time to explore the city. Copenhagen has many things to offer, a lot of interesting attractions to visit and some of the coziest places to enjoy relaxing time with friends. One of the highlights of my visit was attending “Culture Night”, an event that takes place yearly in October, which offers hundreds of cultural events, including visiting many museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and outdoor music events, in just one night! Experiencing Christmas and New Years Eve celebrations in a different country was also something special which I rather particularly enjoyed. Applying for an Erasmus+ Traineeship Program at the University of Copenhagen as part of my PhD degree at the CSMM was undoubtedly, one of the best decisions I have ever made. It definitely enriched my scientific knowledge regarding the research area of my PhD project and helped me practise some experimental techniques. Moreover, it gave me the opportunity to expand my network and meet some amazing people, with whom I still keep in touch. I am extremely grateful for this unforgettable experience and would strongly recommend such educational mobility opportunities via Erasmus to anyone.
				Name: Stella Angeli Sending Institution: The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine Receiving Institution: Neuroscience Laboratory, Centre of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, UK
I spent four months on Erasmus + Traineeship at the Centre of Biological Sciences in a Neuroscience laboratory at the University of Southampton in the UK. As a member of the group, I gained the opportunity to practice various experimental procedures and perform Molecular Biology techniques on mouse brain tissue, which I will be performing later on as part of my current PhD project at the CSMM. It was an incredible, educationally enriching period of my life since meeting important people that perform research in the same field, is absolutely inspiring. It was a fantastic experience not only because of the brilliant organisational support from the staff in the department but also because of the great opportunity offered to network and socialise with people. The Erasmus scheme was a highly positive experience simply due to the personal development and maturity that I have undergone. Finally, the realization of achievement fills you with a sense of independence, self-reliance and confidence; you feel ready to overcome new challenges. Without hesitation, I would recommend the Erasmus experience to anyone!

INCOMING STUDENTS
		Name: Sadr Shaheed Sending Institution: The University of Bradford Receiving Institution: Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, the Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics
Some are impressed by the state-of-the-art laboratories, where research is innovative and has a high international impact. Many are captivated by the bearing of the research centre while others interested in its friendly collaborative environment. These features, among CSMM’s great assets, form an image of CING as a centre of Excellence in areas of neurology, genetics and biomedical sciences. I've always enjoyed traveling and having experience with different cultures and different people. Erasmus mobility program gives me an opportunity to travel and learn from own experiences and from the experience of others. I advocate the opinion that Erasmus programme is an excellent opportunity to meet various groups of people, spend quality time with them and get to know their habits, attitudes, and lifestyle. Also, living, studying and having fun with international scholars would broaden your horizons and enable you to build a strong social network with people around world.

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