I really felt like I was part of something special living in Iasi. I felt like I belonged. I didn’t feel like an outsider or a tourist but a member of the Romanian family, and a special part of the people’s lives I encountered. La revedere for now Iasi. Hopefully we will meet again someday… I’m coming back to the United States with a whole new outlook on life. I will be arriving with an open-mind and looking at life through a globalized lens. I can no longer ignore the world outside of the US. My eyes have been opened and I can never look at the world the same way ever again. This new perspective is permanently etched into my brain.

I’ve been to Romania a couple of times and I must say that Iasi was the most special of all the cities I got to visit. It was very interesting for me to find here such a large university, with a visible tradition and an impressive prestige. It is difficult to explain to others why they should study at UAIC. But anyone who starts studying here will immediately understand why.

I have had the opportunity to exchange great ideas with professors from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania. Now, I am very interested in continuing my research work as a postdoc in a place where I will be working among such a dynamic group of specialists.

I am surprised that I learnt so much in such a short period of time. I will always remember the time I spent in Iasi. I am sure that I will return to this city soon.

When someone chooses to study abroad, everything changes. Suddenly you find yourself living and learning with a lot of people from different countries… But I strongly think that this is the right way to develop friendships, which will end up shaping you as a person for the better. My professors from the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences were very supportive and helped us to better understand the course contents and to easily get our bearings.

Before gaining valuable knowledge in Tour Guiding techniques, I was really skeptical about my public speaking skills. The moral and technical support was great and, after my first independent tour, I realized that I was stronger than I thought. I got to promote my city and my region as tourist destinations with all the possible means: walking tours, bus tours, tourism project involving focus groups, social media awareness.

We were talking about the development of technologies used for research in the Chemistry field in Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, and also about the standard of scientific studies there. Actually, it will be a pleasure for me to be a part of Iasi’s research group in the future.

Iasi is a very beautiful city (a combination of old-fashioned and contemporary buildings) and the people here are kind and friendly. It’s a city for students, where you can study at a top university and you can also do a lot of other interesting activities. I studied Economics and took a lot of different interesting courses. The professors were very helpful and explained everything into detail, which makes me a more competitive future employee in the marketplace. It is so cool when you meet students from different countries, you learn about their culture, traditions, and make friends with them.

UAIC is an outstanding and prestigious higher education institution, so I felt very lucky to meet and be taught by such distinguished and dedicated professors. The lessons imparted were particularly easy to understand, so my colleagues and I were able to put theory into practice effortlessly. Moreover, all the UAIC professors and administrative staff I met left me the impression of enthusiasm and commitment. 

The time I spent studying Economics in Iasi has left me with a ton of memories and many stories to share. Everyone I met here was warm and open-minded. I got to make friends with people from Portugal, Spain, Morocco, France, Israel, etc. It was fun when we were together because we saw how language, skin, color or height didn’t matter. We were all the same. We bonded right away and we talked about the differences between our countries. I learned so many things about other cultures, and even got to share my own. It was really lovely.

My experience in UAIC was one in a million! It was my first time travelling alone in a country where the official spoken language wasn’t English (my second language). I initially thought this would be a major obstacle because I didn’t speak Romanian. However, I found that, aside from speaking English (which meant that I didn’t have any problems in communicating), people were also very friendly and helpful, in general. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Iasi. This city has a peaceful spirit, which didn’t make me feel for a second like I was a foreigner. I was charmed by the neat streets and marvelous architecture. 

Unforgettable! That’s how I would summarize this experience. It made me grow so much, both professionally and socially. It helped me know myself better, to see my true strengths and weaknesses, to learn how to adapt in a brand new culture. The professors at UAIC were very understanding and collaborative. They always took into consideration the difficulties that we faced due to the differences in our countries and cultures. They saw us more like their colleagues and less like their students, making the lectures and seminars look more like a group conversation, in a space where we could share our ideas and opinions freely.

UAIC professors offer golden opportunities for everyone to learn. I studied foreign languages and took many courses and attended many interesting events. I also got to make friends from many different countries, who helped me feel right at home in a new environment. Now, I feel like my mind is more open, I gained a lot of new knowledge and I have more confidence in myself. If I ever have the opportunity to come back, I will do it gladly!

I was so happy to be a participant of this programme, it was really interesting and useful. I got new skills and information which I really can use in my job as a journalist. I enjoyed the balance between lectures and extracurricular activities. We had a lot to do, but still made friends and had a great experience.

The JASSY Summer School 2019 has been an exciting and enjoyable experience for me. Prior to coming to Iași, I had no knowledge of the Romanian culture and history, even less so of the Eastern European culture. At first, I had doubts if I would be able to enjoy the two-week program due to my ignorance of the culture, but after these two weeks, I am thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in this program. I will always bring with me all the memories that I have made of this wonderful place. Thank you so much once again. Iași will always have a special place in my heart.

JASSY Summer School exceeded all my expectations. Educational modules are very interesting and interactive, teachers use modern teaching methods, such as surveys, teamwork, short films on the topic and brainstorming. Activities after classes are very informative and fun, allow you to get to know the Romanian culture and people and socialize with students from different countries.

JASSY Summer School was a very enjoyable experience! Great care is taken by the organisers to ensure that participants’ needs are met. Classes are given by a variety of professors with different specialisations, and all of them contributed interesting perspectives to the themes studied. Many fun and informative cultural excursions were organised over the two weeks to allow participants to get to know the history, gastronomy and natural environment of the region. […] Overall, JASSY was an enriching experience that I would recommend to students looking to learn new things in a friendly, multicultural environment!

My experience in the JASSY Summer School has been incredible. While most lectures are just introductions into various topics due to time constraints, I love the fact that there is a wide range of interesting fields covered. On top of that the program provides an excellent context to meet great people with different backgrounds and form wonderful friendships, while the extracurricular activities provide an opportunity to do some very fun activities.

I can confidently say that this program is an unforgettable experience of my life. Course was a balance of theory and practice, which helped so much in understanding how to use gained theoretical knowledge in work. The professors made the whole learning process a lot easier, because they all are experts in their fields. […] all other activities gave us a better understanding of Romanian culture and history, gave us an opportunity to interact with students from all over the world!

The JASSY experience has been truly enriching. While the lectures’ quality has undeniably enhanced my understanding of Finance, having the opportunity to create meaningful connections and expand my global network is what has made this experience absolutely unforgettable.

It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. With great lecturers and lovely people from all over the world, I acquired knowledge in physics, logic and English sharing cultures and good memories with new friends. I recommend 100%!