An experience that will open doors to international science, new friendships, languages, and self-confidence. The story of Tomáš Dufek, who completed an internship at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), shows that a few months abroad can have a profound impact not only on professional growth but also on personal life. From cutting-edge water research to working in international teams to everyday life in the culturally diverse environment of Catalonia, an internship brings experiences that you simply cannot get at home.
What motivated you to go on a six-month internship at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) and how did you get there?
ICRA is one of Europe’s leaders in water research. I work in advanced wastewater treatment technologies, so their research is very close to my field. I got the contact from people at the University of Girona when they were in Liberec for a meeting on the LIFE4ZOO project. I had already been to Girona with colleagues for a summer school and I liked the city, so I asked if they knew anyone at the university where I could do my internship. They then put me in touch with people from ICRA. I wanted to go to Spain because I love southern countries, and the Costa Brava region in Spain offers plenty of places to travel around. I also wanted to improve my Spanish.
What did you work on during your internship and how did your stay enrich your doctoral research?
ICRA is collaborating on the Aiquaneix project, which focuses on wastewater reuse. A unique pilot unit for quaternary treatment has been installed at the wastewater treatment plant in the coastal town of Roses, which will enable them to treat water to drinking water standards. I tested methods for removing pharmaceuticals, such as ozonation, and performed water analyses from this unit. It was interesting to see such complex technology and work with the people involved in this research. Being part of cutting-edge research and working directly with field data is always beneficial. But now we have a similar unit in operation in Liberec, so I can continue similar research here.
How does the work and environment at ICRA differ from what you are used to here, and what inspired you the most there?
ICRA is quite similar to our CXI in terms of structure and focus, but with the difference that the entire institute focuses narrowly on water. The environment is very similar, but the teams here are more international, and working in such a group is a really valuable experience. In addition, there were many doctoral students from all over the world studying there, who regularly met at various events, which was great. Thanks to this, I quickly fit into the team and made new friends who have already visited me in Prague. The greatest inspiration and broadening of my horizons for me was the research of other students who were working on interesting topics from the whole range of water research, about which I don’t know much.
What did the internship give you in terms of your professional life, and would you recommend a similar experience to other doctoral students?
I would definitely recommend traveling abroad to everyone. I originally wanted to go on Erasmus during my bachelor’s studies, but my plans were thwarted by the COVID pandemic. This made me even more motivated to do an internship in my doctoral program. It is a unique opportunity to experience several months of life in another country, which greatly broadens your horizons. Even though it is part of Europe, Spain differs in many cultural and work-related aspects. In addition, most of the doctoral students came from different Spanish-speaking countries – from Bolivia to Costa Rica to Mexico – so you get to know many different cultures outside the European continent. It is also such an intensive English course that after a while I even dreamed in English, sometimes even in Spanish. It gave me confidence in what I do, but also in my personal life. I improved my English and Spanish and gained an international network of contacts, which is invaluable in our field. On top of all that, I had the opportunity to discover beautiful places throughout Catalonia.
