At the start of the summer of 2018 several Erasmus students arrived at CQM to work side by side with our researchers during the summer months.

We sat down with the first three M. Sc. students to arrive at CQM: Cleophas Cheruiyot, Selva Kumar and Maciej Motyka.

Cleophas Cheruiyot

Country of Nationality: Kenya

University: Siena University (Italy)

I came to CQM because I saw an advertising inviting students for Erasmus internships and I thought it was a good idea to challenge myself with another country and different working conditions. CQM is well equipped and the laboratories provide all the tools I need. It has been fantastic being here and I’m getting a lot of experience by working closely with senior researchers and other students. In the future, I would like to apply for a PhD in molecular biology or an area related to human health research. It’s my first time living on an island and I’m loving it. I would recommend everyone to come here and to try Madeira’s poncha and rum.

Selva Kumar

Country of Nationality: India

University: Skövde University (Sweden)

I was looking for an exchange opportunity in Europe and suddenly I received an email from CQM where I saw this opportunity. I have seen others from Germany, France and Poland but I had to see the Island of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Some people told me that I would not adapt to being here but I’m finding it great. I’ve been eating a lot of fish and other things that I’ve never tried before. The temperature is very good: not as cold as in Sweden and not as hot as in India.

I still haven´t been to the labs because I’m doing some research first but I’m expecting that this internship will improve my skills and knowledge. I plan to do a PhD in the future, also in Europe.

Maciej Motyka

Country of Nationality: Poland

University: Rzeszow University of Technology (Poland)

I was looking for internship opportunities and I saw an announcement from CQM to work on extracelular matrix research and that was the main reason why I choose to come here. The other reason was that I saw that Madeira Island was so beautiful and that I could do a lot of outdoor sports like running, surfing and climbing. Now, I work hard during the week so that I can enjoy the weekend to the fullest.

I was positively surprised about the working conditions at CQM. I thought that due to its dimension, it would have more limited resources but I was wrong. In terms of equipment and students, the ratio is comparable to Poland. Being here has also allowed me to see an electrospinning device for the first time.

In the future, I would like to apply for a PhD in biotechnology, cancer biology or aging prevention therapies.