Face to face with...

Adriola Faqolli, EuMI student, graduated, 4th Cohort

What did you do before coming to the University of Trento for the European Masters in Informatics degree?

Before coming to the University of Trento for the European Masters in Informatics degree, I was working in IT department of Ministry of Finance as specialist in Sector of Processing and Integration of Data.

How did you find out about the EUMI Programme?

While I was searching for scholarship opportunities for graduate studies in Computer Science, a friend of mine informed me about the EUMI Programme. Then I searched in internet for more detailed information about this programme.

What did you think were the strong points?

The strongest point of this programme was the opportunity to study in two well known European Universities. A double degree from these universities would be an important achievement in my professional career. Apart from this opportunity, this mobility would give me the chance to know two different cultures and languages. The financial support of this program was another strong point.

Was the offer of a Double Degree important of decisive in your choice?

The offer of a Double Degree was very important in my choice, because a degree from each of the universities of my mobility would help me for a future professional career in the respective countries. But the decisive point in my choice was the chance to study in two well known European Universities.

Was the amount of the scholarship relevant to your choice?

The amount of the scholarship was quite relevant to my choice. The financial support of this programme was a big motivation for me.

What were your expectations when you entered the call?

When I entered the call I expected to be part of high qualitative education system with all the important facilities and infrastructure. I expected to have the necessary guidance for accommodation and adaptation in the respective countries of the programme mobility. Insurance in case of illness or accidents was another necessity I was expecting. I would like to meet international students from the entire world and have good company during studies. I was expecting an active student life rich in social and sportive activities.

How important has been for you the EUMI structure that made the course of study/mobility possible?

EUMI structure was a very good chance for me. Due to this programme I had the great opportunity to study for two years in University of Trento (Italy) and RWTH Aachen University (Germany). These universities are in the top positions of the overall ranking of European Universities. In these universities I had the chance to take computer science courses from very nice and qualified professors, to practice my theoretical knowledge in the lab classes under supervision of well prepared assistants, to improve my research skills in the seminar classes and to attend many interesting conferences and workshops in different topics of my interest. These universities have a very nice infrastructure for social and sportive activities. I found very nice company from local and international students during my studies. Studying in these universities is a very nice experience and opportunity for future career.

Did you think the organization behind the Double Degree was good and efficient?

The organization behind the Double Degree was good and efficient. Our master coordinators for academic issues introduced to us the requirements of each university. The coordinators for administrative issues in both countries helped us in solving many problems related to accommodation, visa issues, thesis procedure, scholarship transfer etc. Our EUMI seniors were also very helpful. Their experience helped us in clarifying many issues that we faced in our studies.
I would like to thank in particular our master coordinator, Luca Valenzin that has helped us a lot with great generosity and professionalism.

What do you think of the community of graduate students at ICT in the different Countries you have been?

The graduate students at ICT in both universities where I studied were professionally well qualified. We cooperated together in many assignments or projects and I found working with them very efficient and enjoyable. They were friendly and very helpful. The local students helped us to get integrated in their own culture and they were very curious to learn more about our cultures, traditions and languages. I had the chance to make nice friends from different countries of the world. I really enjoyed their company during my master studies.

Now that you have finished the Programme, what would you say are the main differences between your expectations at the beginning of the programme and the actual outcome?

This programme has successfully fulfilled almost all of my expectations that I had in the beginning of the programme. As I was expecting, after this programme my professional skills have been improved. I have gained new knowledge about different cultures of the world. I have got friends from different countries of the world and had a great time during these two years.
A little problem I faced during this master was related to accommodation. In the beginning of this master I thought that the programme would be responsible for our accommodation. After I left Trento, finding an accommodation in Aachen was completely individual procedure with no assistance of EUMI programme authorities. Since the demand was very high, sometimes finding an accommodation in student residences in Aachen was very difficult.

What would you improve or change in the programme?

First of all, I strongly support the change related to the mobility structure that the EUMI programme has applied in the last two cohorts. In the 4th cohort, spending only the first semester in Trento, the second and the third one in Aachen and going back to Trento for writing the thesis was not very convenient for students. The change of mobility with one year in each country was a very important improvement of EUMI programme.
I would suggest more frequent consultative meetings for the academic requirements of both universities. A booklet with detailed instructions for the syllabus of each specialization and mobility of this programme, including the way of selecting courses, the rules of thesis procedure, explanation for the grade mapping between two universities, the way of thesis evaluation etc would help a lot in clarification of many issues that the EUMI students face during their studies.
Instead of a health insurance provided by a company in Belgium that is not part of the mobility of any specialization of this programme, I would suggest a local health insurance valid in the respective countries where the students are staying during their studies. This change would simplify a lot the procedure of reimbursement for the medical treatments and would make the students more aware of the categories of medical services that are covered by the insurance.
Moreover, I would suggest a negotiation between EUMI authorities and student accommodation office in Aachen to provide assistance for EUMI students in finding accommodation during their studies.
I would like more frequent gathering and other social activities among EUMI students.

What would you say to prospective new students applying for EUMI Programme?

I would strongly recommend the new students to go for this programme. EUMI is a great opportunity for enlarging the professional skills, meeting cultures and languages of two countries, making friends from different countries of the world, travelling and having good time in Europe. Don’t lose this chance!

Any other comment?

I would like to thank European Commission for the nice initiative of EUMI programme. I would like to thank the academic staff of three universities that are part of this programme, for the qualitative education that they offered to us.
I would take the chance of this interview to ask all EUMI students to keep in touch with each other, help the new generation of EUMI students with our experience, exchange knowledge and information and share the nice memories of EUMI time. I feel lucky to be part of this master program. Thank you!