Students

The semesters I spent in Olomouc changed my vision of Europe, and I bet it will change yours too. I learned about the history of the Czech Republic and Central Europe and got familiar with its culture and its language. When I started Euroculture, I didn't expect to go to Olomouc for my second semester. Eventually, it was the best time of my degree. The university and its library are great and I enjoyed finishing my MA's thesis there. It is the perfect city to study... but if you want to party, you'll quickly see that the city has many concert venues and bars ! It also has a vibrant cultural scene and you will discover incredible and eclectic festivals, from music to cinema. Olomouc is also at the crossroad of Europe. From there, you can take a bus or a train and discover the heart of Europe. 

Olomouc changed me too as a person. I know that I will forever be linked to that country. I volunteered for Charitas, a charity based near the University building, tried every local beer, read everything I could about Vaclav Havel, an unknown European hero in Western Europe, former president of the CZ, and screenwriter. Usually, when we study European Studies, we tend to forget Central Europe to focus solely on Western Europe. But it's high time we changed our perspective: shake your habits and experience the Czech way of life !

After two years of Euroculture, I felt the need to settle down in my home country, France. I started to work as project and communication manager for a classical music venue in Paris, but meanwhile, I developed my own media on diabetes named Diabetopole, a condition that I have had since 2012. Today, I am the chief editor of this media. I didn't do Euroculture to have a specific job. I did it because I needed to build myself and learn. And thus, I learned to open my mind to different cultures and embrace the change. Although my media is in French, I bring European news on diabetes to my audience. Furthermore, in the future, I aim at having an impact at an institutional level and at making diabetes a European health priority.

By the way, if you have diabetes and are going to the CZ, I never had any trouble there. I brought my medicine from home (half of a suitcase though) and kept my diabetes waste in an empty water bottle because I could not find a safe place where to through it. And don't forget to ask for your free European Health Insurance Card. It gives you access to medical services in EU member states during a temporary stay.

A few years after graduation, I can say that Euroculture completely changed my life and helped me become who I want to be.

Being passionate about languages, cultures, and travelling, I have fully enjoyed the opportunity to live, study, and work in three different countries during the programme. The master was an incredible international, multicultural experience that provided me with so many stimuli and challenges and that was key to broaden my horizons – and, most importantly, it gifted me with special friends for life.

Some of the best memories of my MA are from Olomouc, a city where I spent two semesters and that I sometimes miss. For me, living in Olomouc was a unique opportunity, as I could learn about the Czech Republic, its culture and more generally the history and politics of Central Europe, which were almost unknown to me beforehand and which I found fascinating.

After graduation, I came back to Brussels where I had already completed a traineeship at the Council of the European Union during the third semester of the master. I have now spent most of my career working as a communications specialist in the EU institutions, first in the field of environmental and climate policies and then in cyber diplomacy.

After having spent the most amazing 6 months in Uppsala, Sweden I was rather hesitant to move to Olomouc. Arriving in Olomouc, Neředín krematorium might not give you the most welcoming feeling but the stunning beauty of Olomouc does. Strolling through the beautiful small streets surrounding the Holy Trinity Column and the Olomouc astronomical clock simply takes your breath away. You will never get bored by the view and you will be more than willing to make some extra miles in order to see it again. Apart from its impressive architecture, the gastronomic culture of Olomouc is outstanding. I drank the best beers; I ate the best Czech food and I discovered the most outstanding cafes. Another great thing is how close Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Krakow and Budapest are. These cities and neighbouring countries are easily reachable by either bus, car or train and will provide you the best long weekend trip. This is as every weekend at Palacký is a long one. The most amazing staff provides you with plenty of time off so you are able to travel around with your classmates. Classmates from all over the world that, even though I am working in Amsterdam, I still speak to on a weekly basis. When during IP my entire cohort came to Olomouc, they were jealous on how lovely this city was and how much it had to offer. Quite some of them told me that they made a wrong choice by going to a more “conventional” place because that was what they knew. Therefore, please go to Olomouc, it will offer you the best of times and it will broaden your Euroculture horizon even further.  

Děkuji vám!