Atif Halitovic - his experience as an exchange student in Portugal

Atif Halitović

Age: 24

Home University: "Dzemal Bijedic" University of Mostar

Host University: Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL), Lisbon, Portugal

Exchange period: 2017/2018. (Erasmus+)

If you have any friend who „did Erasmus“ you have probably heard a ton of cliché stories from them about the exchange period – like it was the best thing that ever happened to that person. That is probably true, but you will never find out or really understand that person if you don't take that opportunity yourself. My advice to anyone who is at least a little bit interested in studying abroad, or just wants some change in their study days, is to try to take part in one of the exchange programs at your university. Maybe for you it will not be the „best life experience“, but you will surely have to get out of your comfort zone and see how things work somewhere else with some different people and different mindsets. It will also change your perception of yourself and help you to figure out how is it really important to meet new people and to adapt to new challenges.

One day I just decided I needed something new so I applied for the Erasmus+ exchange programme at my home institution. I got the best understanding from the staff employed there (Mirsada <3), who was always available and helpful for any student's question (there are no stupid questions).

Luckily, I got selected for Lisbon with two other students (Dženana and Irfan) who I just met maybe a week before going to Portugal. We were really three different personalities, but within time, we became lifetime friends, because it just connects you on some different levels. Lisbon was probably the furthest destination from our country, but everything about it attracted me. It was also the first time I took a flight anywhere.

The first month we lived in hostels in Lisbon (about 11€/night), I remember it was a pretty hard period, you need to adapt to everything new, to a whole different system than we are used to, after that we got a place in a dormitory (Alfredo de Sousa Residence) which was pretty good and cheap (225€/month for a single room) for Lisbon's standards and really close to the university (1 minute). So after I got to the dorm and slept couple nights in my room in peace I remember waking up one day and realizing „that's it, that is what I expected how to feel“. Everything after that was so easy for me, I enjoyed every moment. The dorm also had an awesome canteen on the lowest floor (2,65€/full meal).

The staff (Ana, Carlotta) in the host institution were really kind to us. They understood our „fear“ of being abroad and so far away from home and did everything that was in their power to make us feel like home and they succeeded in it. I am very thankful for them. NOVA Information Management School is the faculty I attended. It is a very well organized faculty with the latest technologies implemented and great professors who helped us with everything we needed. We could have consultations any time we needed, even in non-working hours. NOVA IMS had a great student council with their awesome president (Patricia) who did their best to introduce us to the city in our first few days there. Student council also organized various activities in the faculty yard like bbq's and live music. The students who attended the same semester were from Turkey, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Germany etc. and also some of the Balkan countries like Slovenia, Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo.

Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal with around 500k people (so about like the capital of my country). It lies on the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the river Tagus as well on the other side (basically you can go to two different big great beaches within most 1 hour travel with public transport). Surfing is a great part of it. It is a charismatic city which is „alive“ 24 hours a day with an awesome climate. The city has a welcoming and liberal atmosphere, while still embracing its deep-rooted heritage and extensive history. In Lisbon there are all kinds of people – any type of personality and looks that you can imagine, it is an absolutely multicultural city. I can say it is pretty safe if you don't look for problems (why would you?). Police officers are everywhere and it's very effective, still danger can be found in the form of pickpockets. Public transport is amazing and it connects all of the city. As a student you can get a discounted monthly ticket for about 30€ which covers all the transport services (bus, metro, tram, even a boat to different parts of the city). Not far from Lisbon there are many places you can visit like Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Cabo da Roca (the most western point in continental Europe) which are located in Sintra and as well as the beautiful city Cascais and travel tickets to those places are mostly included in monthly ticket. Lisbon has a lot of students on exchange every semester. So I had an opportunity to meet people from every continent.

During the exchange I started to like something new in my life – traveling and exploring the cities. In that period I traveled to Portuguese cities like Porto, Coimbra, Leiria, Obidos in inland Portugal and as well Portimao, Faro and Sagres in the south. Porto is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. It has a river in the city centre which divides two parts of the city and reminds me very much of my hometown. Some of them I traveled alone or with friends. Tickets were around 15 to 20€ one way. Others I traveled with student organizations like ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and ELL (Erasmus Life Lisboa). Those are helpful people who organize various trips to the beaches in Lisbon or the cities near (Sesimbra - Riberia do Cavalo, Setubal – Troia or Comporta), but also trips to Gibraltar and Spain.

But definitely, the best trip then and still now in my life is visiting the Portuguese island Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel) which is part of Azores (archipelago). Azores consists of 9 different islands which have volcanic origins. If you like nature, hiking and swimming in natural spring pools – you should go there, but it's much more than that trust me. Return tickets are around 50-100€ with low-cost Ryanair, depending on when you buy them. It is a place with beautiful hidden waterfalls, viewpoints and natural hot spring pools. Weather can change really fast there (from storm to sunny without cloud just within 5 mins), so it is incredible to see how the clouds move fast, like real-time time-lapse. A funny and good thing there is that there are no dangerous animals because of its volcano origins, so almost all animals were imported somehow. Only some kind of birds are native there. I managed to travel there with a Bosnian friend (Hana) whom I met at the beginning and three more friends who we then met just for these specific trip and the dates of the trip in the Facebook Erasmus student group in Lisbon. We rented a car and shared expenses. That's what Erasmus is all about.

I also visited Madrid which was my childhood wish since I am a fan of Real Madrid. It takes 7 hours by bus and the one-way ticket is around 20€. It is also pretty well-connected and easy to travel to northern Spanish cities and as well Andalusia on the south.

For the end I would like to thank you for taking your time to read this long text. My suggestion to everyone would be to try the experience of studying outside of your country, it doesn't matter what the location is. You will meet a lifetime friend there, which is the most valuable thing you can get from Erasmus. It's something you'll remember forever.

The next year I gained another opportunity to study in Poland, which is a totally different from Portugal, starting from the climate and then everything else. But I happily accepted it and it was also one hell of an experience.

Anis Mrgan - his experience of being an exchange student in Italy

Anis Mrgan

Age: 22

Home University: Dzemal Bijedic, University of Mostar

Host University: Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy

Exchange period: 2017/2018 (Erasmus+)

Erasmus in Ancona is the most powerful experience in my life and, besides all of that, a good time to have fun, learn something new and meet new people from other countries.
First, you're going to a country that is very famous for pasta and pizza and by the Roman Empire, but besides all that it is a country with a mixed culture, old buildings and a lot of different food types.

Ancona, about 100,000 inhabitants like Mostar, is a town on the east coast on both sides surrounded by the Adriatic Sea in the Marche region.

We first accommodated in a student dorm at Via Brecce Bianche, which was only 10 meters away from the University. That dorm was only one person in one room.
The second dorm that was in the center of Ancona city at the address Via Scosciacavalli, which was 30 minutes by bus from University. I shared a room with three more guys (Mirza, Nihad and Ismar).
Mirza and I study Agronomy and Nihad and Ismar study Mechanical engineering.
This dorm was huge, it had 2 rooms with two beds in one room, two bathrooms and one kitchen for us. This dorm has about five floors with two dormitory units on one floor. And besides all that in, it is complex of buildings.

Living in a building with people from Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, France, Georgia and other countries was a good experience, numerous parties, travels and to this day we stay in good contact.
Also, we have all attend an Italian language course.

With the good organization of ESN in Ancona, we traveled a lot by train or bus, from Bari to Milano and back. Besides all of that, we visited other countries without the help of ESN. We were in Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland. We had a lot of free time because some of the subjects were in Italian language, but professors gave us books in English and they explained what to learn for tests.

Besides all that we have practice work in big companies around Italy (EFSA, Barilla, helath hazard company Parma and a lot of other companies).We had good and helpful professors and teachers that have good experience in their work with students, but in all of that, we learned and saw a lot of stuff in our field of study. We had a chance to see how they made a famous pasta and sos in Barilla company and the whole history of pasta.

I need to just say this: if you like challenges, adventures, meeting new friends, sharing knowledge and learning new stuff it is the best opportunity to apply for Erasmus exchange.

Merisa Sarajlic - her experience of being an exchange student at SUT

Merisa Sarajlic

Age: 24

Home University: "Dzemal Bijedic" University of Mostar

Host University: Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Gliwice, Poland

Exchange period: 2016./2017. (Erasmus+)

First of all, it is impossible to describe my exchange in one piece of paper. For me, that was something very important because it changed my life. Since then, there is no day that I don't think about it. I like remembering those days, those special moments with special people.

Five of us decided to go to Poland even if we have never been thinking about this country. We didn't even think that we will visit it anytime, but then we went to spend six months there. It was easier for us because we were all together every single moment.

There I was studying at the Faculty of Civil Engineering on SUT in Gliwice with my 4 friends - Sadžida, Dalila, Haris and Mirza. They were like a family for me. We met a lot of new people from all over the world and, with some of them, I am still in contact.

We had a lot of success at faculty, but also we had enough time and money to travel and visit a lot of new places.

I think that these photos will show more than I can write here, but in the end, I just can say that I will remember that period, people, Gliwice, Piast and everything there for the rest of my life!

Thank you Erasmus!

Haris Omerika - his experience of being an exchange student at SUT

Haris Omerika

Age: 24
Home University: "Dzemal Bijedic" University of Mostar
Host University: Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Gliwice, Poland
Exchange period: 2016./2017. (Erasmus+)

Erasmus in Poland?... Why not?
Leaving the comfort of home, your family and friends is certainly not easy. We said goodbye to them and got on a bus that took us into the uncertain, something new and unknown to us. I would be lying if I said that we weren't a little bit afraid of everything that awaited us.

Gliwice, about 200,000 inhabitants, a smaller town located in the south of Poland in the Silesian region was our home. We accommodated in a student dorm, Piast, which was only 30 meters away from the University. I shared the room with Mirza and a Polish guy Dawid. Our other three friends were in the room next to us (Dalila, Sadzida and Merisa). We studied at SUT, Faculty of Civil Engineering.

Living in a dormitory with Polish and International students, numerous parties, gatherings, excursions made it possible for me to meet a large number of young people, whom I am still in touch with. We also attended a Polish language course.

With commitments from college, we had a lot of free time which we used with pleasure for different activities, mostly for traveling.
More than a good scholarship allowed us to complete our unforgettable stay in Poland. We visited many sights in Poland, mainly by train. We got on so well with the Polish students so they invited us home for the weekend (also they visited us in Bosnia).

The SUT is very well organized, among the best in Poland. The professors were friendly and helpful. We have gained a new experience, both through knowledge and through interaction with students from all over the world.

As a conclusion to all of this, I can say that the Erasmus exchange is the best that can happen to you during your college years. It will change your life in a positive way, give you a new experience and most importantly give you the opportunity to get to know yourself.

If you like challenges, adventure, meeting friends - grab the opportunity and apply for an Erasmus exchange.

Create the most beautiful moments of your life!

Adna Maric - her experience of being an exchange student

Adna Maric

Age: 24

Home University: “Dzemal Bijedic” University of Mostar

Host University: Akdeniz University, Antalya (Mevlana); Kırklareli University (Erasmus+)

Razmjena studenata je nešto što je znatno obilježilo moje studiranje, ali i najljepše godine života. Pošto sam bila oduševljena, kako Turskom, tako i samim programima razmjene studenata i svim mogućnostima koje nude, odlučila sam svoje iskustvo razmjene ponoviti. Naime, željela bih vam ispričati svoju priču koja će možda nekoga inspirisati i ohrabriti da uradi isto. 
Prije svega da se predstavim - ja sam Adna Marić, magistrica sam turskog jezika i književnosti i imam 24 godine. Završila sam Drugu gimnaziju u Mostaru, tačnije filološki / jezički smjer. Jezici su oduvijek bili nešto što me fascinira. Želja koja će mi zauvijek ostati neispunjena je ta da mogu da govorim sve jezike koji postoje. Tokom srednjeg obrazovanja sam izučavala četiri strana jezika - engleski, njemački i francuski četiri godine i latinski jezik dvije godine. Nakon srednje škole sam čvrsto odlučila studirati, tada meni potpuno nepoznat, turski jezik. Prva godina na Odsjeku za turski jezik i književnost je prošla odlično, savladala sam osnove i naučila nešto o turskoj kulturi. Zbog velikog entuzijazma odlučila sam se prijaviti za Mevlana razmjenu studenata. Odabrala sam Akdeniz univerzitet u Antaliji. To je bilo moje prvo iskustvo odlaska u stranu državu sama, života sa cimerkom u studentskom domu, ali i studiranja na stranom univerzitetu. U Antaliji sam boravila jedan semestar druge godine studija. Stekla sam mnogo prijatelja sa kojima sam i danas u kontaktu. Sam univerzitet je fantastičan! Akdeniz je kao grad u gradu - pored ljepote, uređenosti, palmi i kumkvota skoro svuda, posjeduje sve što studentima treba: studentski dom, restorane, kafiće, kantine, bankomate, sportske centre, staze za trčanje, stadion itd. Kvaliteta obrazovanja je na visokom nivou. Profesori, ali i ljudi generalno, su jako susretljivi i voljni pomoći u svakoj situaciji. Pored toga što sam okusila čari, ali i nedaće, samačkog života te stekla dragocjeno iskustvo te vrste, i moj turski se znatno poboljšao tokom boravka u Antaliji. Dom u kojem sam boravila je također bio odličan! Za Antaliju i Akdeniz univerzitet imam samo riječi hvale! 
Po povratku u svoj rodni grad svi predmeti koje sam polagala u Antaliji su mi bili priznati. 

Treću godinu sam završila na "Džemal Bijedić" Univerzitetu. 

Drugi semestar četvrte godine sam ponovo provela u Turskoj. Ovaj put sam Erasmus+ razmjenom studenata otišla na Kırklareli univerzitet u Kırklareliju. Ništa manje lijepo ne mogu reći za ovo iskustvo. Ruveyda i Rahmi iz Kancelarije za međunarodnu saradnju u Kırklareliju su sve obaveze preuzeli na sebe i riješili potrebnu papirologiju na vrijeme. Oni su mojim kolegama i meni pomogli sa pronalaskom mjesta za boravak. Stipendije koje daje Erasmus+ su dovoljne za jedan jako lijep život ispunjen raznovrsnim aktivnostima u koje spadaju i putovanja diljem Turske. Kırklareli je mali gradić pored Istanbula. U mom šestomjesečnom boravku tamo sam mnogo putovala i obišla nekolicinu turskih gradova: Edirne, Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya i Alanya. Kvaliteta obrazovanja je na zavidnom nivou. Svoje znanje turskog jezika sam usavršila i upoznala nevjerovatne profesore Kırklareli univerziteta. Po povratku na matični univerzitet svi predmeti koje sam položila u Turskoj su bili priznati. 

Ovim putem, također, želim pohvaliti i reći samo najljepše riječi o Kancelariji za međunarodnu saradnju našeg univerziteta i mojoj dragoj Mirsadi Behram. Uvijek raspoložena, nasmijana, nadasve odgovorna i spremna pomoći svima. 

Kao već bivša studentica Univerziteta "Džemal Bijedić" u Mostaru, mogu svim sadašnjim i budućim studentima toplo preporučiti razmjene studenata. Mladost je jako bitno iskoristiti na lijepe i korisne stvari, a  razmjena studenata je zasigurno jedna od njih zbog svih beneficija koje posjeduje.  

Živite, uživajte, UČITE i unaprijedite sebe upoznavajući novi i drugačiji svijet! 

Samo naprijed!

Prezentacija međunarodnih projekata implementiranih u 2019. godini

Prezentacijom međunarodnih projekata u kojima je Univerzitet „Džemal Bijedić“ u Mostaru bio partner a koji su implementirani u 2019. godini, danas je na Fakultetu informacijskih tehnologija održan posljednji u nizu događaja u sklopu obilježavanja 43. godišnjice postojanja i rada Univerziteta.

Predstavljeni su 32 projekta mobilnosti u okviru Erasmus+ KA 107 sa Univerzitetima iz Španije, Portugala, Poljske, Rumunije, Turske, Italije, Austrije, Njemačke, Slovenije, Litvanije, Belgije, Nizozemske, Finske i Norveške , 12 bilateralnih protokola unutar Mevlana programa razmjene sa univerzitetima iz Republike Turske i CEEPUS programa. Osam Erasmus+ projekata izgradnje kapaciteta u visokom obrazovanju svojim ciljevima obuhvataju oblasti internacionalizacije, kulturnog turizma, agriturizma, urbane poljoprivrede podsticanja saradnje akademije i industrije, informacionih tehnologija u poljoprivredi, unapređenje master kurikuluma u upravljanju vodnim resursima, arhitekture.

One day tip to Počitelj

Erasmus + students and UNMO Buddy Volunteers went on a one day trip to Počitelj. 

Počitelj is a Medieval village with Ottoman influence. Today, it’s mostly a tourist destination because of its gorgeous location, perched up in the hills with beautiful views all around.

But that was not always the case. Once upon a time, Počitelj was a thriving village. Its political and social importance has fluctuated over the centuries since its original establishment in the 15th century. Disaster hit when Počitelj was completely destroyed in the 20th century after the recent war.

Počitelj is now thriving as a tourist destination. Its beautiful cobblestone streets lead to historic buildings and homes, some with Muslims and others with a Christian influence.

Located just past Mostar on the way to the Croatian border, it makes a good stop off when traveling to Dubrovnik. Pocitelj is located right on the freeway and is really easy to get to. Anyone passing can see it up in the hills. 

It was a well-spent day with our Erasmus crew.

Dalila Spahic - her experience of being an exchange student at SUT

Dalila Spahic

Age: 25
Home University: “Dzemal Bijedic” University of Mostar
Host University: Silesian University of Technology
Exchange period: 2016/2017

I’ll tell you a story about something that changed my life, about all the people I'll remember for the rest of my life and all the memories we've created together. When I applied for the first time, I was super excited to see what's waiting for me in Poland. I went to this little city called Gliwice at the Silesian University of Technology. And I went there twice!


The first semester I've spent with 4 amazing people from Mostar. We were always there for each other and yes, we were arguing from time to time I'm not gonna lie, but you don't always get along with your family, right?
I want to use this opportunity to thank them for everything.
I still remember arriving in Gliwice at 5 am and hearing complaints from my friend about how cold it is. Up until today, he claims that it was the coldest day of his life. We arrived on Sunday and, unfortunately, we didn't know that everything is closed. We had no zloty and we couldn't do anything with euros, so we went in search of “kantor“. Poles mainly don’t (want to) speak English, so we had a little problem communicating with them. If you're going from one of the Slavic countries, try speaking your language rather than English, because chances are they'll understand you better. (Beware - some words may be pronounced the same way, but they don’t mean the same!) Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, so you'll encounter people who really enjoy speaking English and will do anything to help you.

Anyway, the scholarship we've received there was more than enough to cover all our expenses and little luxuries we provided for ourselves. We had to pay for our trip to Poland and visa, but we got a refund for both. We've decided to stay in one of 11 dorms close to campus and prices for those are from 80-160 euros, depending on whether you are in the mood to share the toilet and the kitchen with other students or you want to have your own.
The academic year began with orientation week where, among other things, we were provided with the necessary instructions for opening a bank account, we’ve met our faculty coordinators, enrolled in Polish language course and received our first scholarship (we were supposed to wait for about 10 to 15 days upon arrival, which is not the same for all universities, so be sure to check before leaving). Classes were taught in English in a group that normally has such classes because this university has many international students who are full-time students. The professors and assistants we’ve met were always ready to help us even with the smallest problem we would encounter. ESN students also gave their best to make this experience memorable. They've organized themed parties, trips, international dinners (all students prepare some of the traditional dishes and then eat together) and other different social activities. Apart from them, local students, contrary to the stereotype that the Poles don’t like foreigners (or at least we didn’t come across those), made our stay at dorm an unforgettable experience. They’ve helped us communicate with ladies at the reception, invited us to their parties, offered traditional Polish dishes and we’ve even spent some weekends with their families.

While I was in Poland, I fell in love with nature and architecture that surrounded me, visited some of the most famous Polish mountains and lakes, enjoyed amazing Polish cuisine, volunteered, fell in love with a couple of Polish bands and enjoyed traveling by train between cities that left me speechless.

The only reason why I wouldn’t recommend you to go on Erasmus+ exchange is the leaving-back-home part. You have to say goodbye to the people you've spent your days with, learning, laughing, crying, going out, traveling... When you return to your hometown, nobody will understand why you want to go back so badly and why you're spending hours close to your phone or laptop, talking to those people you have “just“ met. Nobody will understand why you miss Monica from El Salvador, Borja who is technically from Spain, Khadijah from Yemen or your people you've met in Poland.

Someone once told me to keep on chasing and, I just kept chasing – my dreams, hopes and happy moments. And I'll keep chasing them until I create a life worth remembering. Erasmus teaches you to trust strangers, to get out of your comfort zone and the whole experience is like balancing on a rope, almost impossible! Your life will be turned upside-down the moment you get on that bus, train or plane.
On this journey you get to know yourself, you learn to deal with your fears and find the little things that make you happy. You also learn that everything is possible if you want it bad enough. There will be days that you’ll replay in your head over and over again and yes, there will be those you can hardly wait to go through. You will discover new cultures and traditions, learn new languages, teach new friends what “merak“ is and you'll, for sure, polish your English. You will spend every day learning - about yourself, people around you, life, friendship, happiness, love…

And what else can I tell you? Indeed, Erasmus is not only one year in your life, but one whole life in a year. Go ahead, take this opportunity. Maybe you’ll also make your dreams come true, meet your doppelganger, visit the cities you’ve been dreaming about your whole life and build life-lasting friendships. Who knows...