Intern Abroad

• Physics M.Sc.
• Poland, Kraków
• Uniwersytet Jagielloński
• 09/2024 – 06/2025

1. Application/Finding an internship

I became aware of the Erasmus+ internship because I wanted to return to the research group where I had already written my Bachelor’s thesis for my Master’s thesis. Unfortunately, it was not possible to write my Master’s thesis there. The group leader therefore suggested that I ask one of the cooperation groups in Lübeck or Krakow whether they could offer me an internship to write my thesis there. So that’s what I did.

I chose Krakow because I had already studied in Aachen for a few years and wanted to get to know another country. I had also wanted to learn a Slavic language for a long time, so Poland was an obvious choice.

The application process was quite straightforward overall, as I already had contacts in Krakow. The whole thing was quick and easy to organize, especially as the local group was happy to provide support. It was therefore not necessary for my university to help me find an internship; I was supported by my former research group.

©Phillippe Clement

2. Accomodation & Living expenses

During my stay in Krakow, I lived in an apartment that I looked for myself. However, it wasn’t easy to find an apartment, as most of the platforms are in Polish. If you only speak English, the choice is much more limited. So I was all the luckier: I found a well-located apartment that was in good condition. My landlord had also grown up in the USA and spoke fluent English, which made things a lot easier.

It is generally more difficult to find a suitable apartment in English. Many offers that are suitable for international students are either very outdated (e.g. apartments with a coal stove in the living room) or simply overpriced.

The cost of living in Krakow is generally lower than in Aachen. As far as food is concerned, I would say that the prices are roughly comparable to Germany. However, eating out is much cheaper and leisure activities are also usually affordable. Public transportation is well developed. However, there is no equivalent to the Deutschland-Ticket for students – instead you get a 51% discount on tickets.

3. Everyday life/ the internship

©Phillippe Clement

During the week, I went to university to work on my Master’s thesis. I also took some courses at the Jagiellonian University, which were not directly part of the Erasmus program, but were of great interest to me. The atmosphere at the university was very pleasant, open and collegial. There were only occasional minor problems in the administrative area, as not all staff speak fluent English. In such cases, I had to rely on the support of my supervisor, who helped me a lot.

In terms of content, I worked with neural networks as part of my Master’s thesis. Roughly speaking, the aim of the research group is to develop a detector that can be used in the field of proton therapy, a precise form of radiotherapy for cancer, in order to improve the accuracy of the treatment. In the process, I gained a lot of new knowledge, especially in the areas of machine learning, data structures and the application of ROOT, a widely used data analysis framework in physics.

The collaboration with my colleagues on site was relaxed and pleasant, which made the work much easier. The main language of communication in the lab and in the office was English, as Polish is quite a demanding language and I couldn’t speak much myself yet. Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to learn a little Polish to help me settle into everyday life.

4. Free time/tips

©Phillippe Clement

In my free time in Krakow, I had an incredible number of opportunities to be active and enjoy nature. Right next to the campus is a disused quarry with crystal-clear water, a popular place for swimming and relaxing. You can also climb the surrounding rock faces nearby. In general, the region around Krakow offers many opportunities for climbing, as the so-called “Polish Jura” stretches between Krakow and Częstochowa, a limestone mountain range with an impressive landscape.

©Phillippe Clement

In addition to climbing, I also went on several hikes. I found it particularly exciting that there are officially designated places in Poland where you can camp in the countryside. This means you can go on longer hikes at the weekend and spend the night in the forest along the way. There are also a number of caves in the area to explore.

In terms of social life, I was very lucky to meet many international people, some of whom were Erasmus students, but also others who live or study in Krakow independently of the exchange program. As a result, I have built up a broad international network. The students at the university are mostly of Polish origin, but among the doctoral students there are many from South Asia, and I met some very nice people from India and Iran.

5. Conclusion

I take an incredible amount from my time in Krakow, both professionally and personally. On the one hand, I was able to work on exactly the research project I was interested in and gain valuable experience in the field of machine learning and detector physics. On the other hand, I started learning Polish and immersed myself in the culture.

I have not regretted the decision to go to Poland for a second, on the contrary: I am happier here than in any other place I have lived before. So much so that I have decided to stay in Krakow for a while after I graduate.

I can recommend an Erasmus+ internship without reservation, not only to learn something new professionally, but also to step out of your comfort zone, gain new perspectives and make international contacts. You learn a lot in a very short time when you suddenly move to another country with a different language where you hardly know anyone. Especially with regard to your own career, such a stay abroad can be enormously valuable, and this experience definitely looks good on your CV.