Madina Telkhozhayeva, who hails from Almaty, Kazakhstan, has been a doctoral student in the lab of Prof. Gilbert Daniel Nessim in the Department of Chemistry at Bar-Ilan University since October 2018. She graduated with an MSc in Technics and Technology from Al Farabi Kazakh National University in her hometown of Almaty in March 2017.
As a top student in her field, she has received various scholarships for her studies, including for her PhD. She was awarded a Presidential Fellowship (Milgat Nasi) for pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Bar-Ilan University for 2018-2019 and she received the Nano Scholarship for Outstanding Students for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 from the Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology (BINA) Research Center.
While Madina is not Israeli, she was still eligible for an outgoing Erasmus+ scholarship as an international PhD student in Israel and she was given the opportunity when Prof. Nessim recommended her for the program. She spent six months at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in Italy from September 2019 to January 2020.
Q&A with Madina Telkhozhayeva
How did you find out about the Erasmus+ program and why did you decide to participate?
I think Erasmus+ is one of the most popular exchange programs among students. In 2018, I had already been accepted to the Erasmus ACS Master’s program (Advanced Spectroscopy in Chemistry). However, I had to choose between a second Master’s degree and starting my PhD at Bar-Ilan University.
Although I chose the latter, I still wanted to be a part of the Erasmus program and a year later, I received an email from my current supervisor, Prof. Gilbert Daniel Nessim, asking if I would like to do an internship in Venice through the Erasmus+ exchange program. My answer was obvious. I don’t want to sound like a cliché, but my dream came true; in addition to everything related to the degree, we were talking about Italy!
Tell us a unique and/or memorable experience you had at the university during your exchange.
Personally, every day at Ca’ Foscari University – and in Venice in general – felt like vacation thanks to the friends that I made in Italy. I had many memorable experiences and loved the fact that I never knew how my days would go. For instance, after working a full day, we could hop off to Florence (I cannot say that it is close) or Milan, or any other city in Italy for dinner. I am grateful for such unplanned adventures with my Italian friends who became a family.
How do you feel you and/or others benefited from your participation in the program?
Studying and working at Ca’ Foscari University with leading professors and researchers in the field of Chemistry and Material Science enhanced my skills (instrumental and theoretical), my confidence (we had to give quite a lot of presentations), and my future career prospects. I had a fantastic opportunity to attend a few conferences organized by faculty members of the university with their Japanese colleagues (from Kyoto University, University of Tsukuba, and others). Besides these, I took part in the workshop, “Course on Brightfield and Fluorescence Microscope” organized by the Department of Molecular Science and Nanosystems. I had a wonderful time academically, and I believe that I greatly benefitted from the time spent in Venice.
How do you feel the experience changed you as a person?
Erasmus+ is not the first internship in my life; however, it was my best experience, my little journey full of beautiful memories. Outside the lab, I had the chance to get to know one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice, its surrounding islands (Murano and Burano), and other cities in Italy. I got acquainted with the Italian mentality and rich Italian culture in general. I made friends that I knew would be for life (I cannot wait until the pandemic ends and we will meet again). I learned some Italian (my local friends said that I almost didn’t have an accent and it was a motivation to study more). I started to like the feeling of being “out of my comfort zone”. I began to care about environmental pollution, especially waste recyclability, and no doubt, the entire internship inspired me to dream more, to learn more, and to travel more.
What are some impacts the experience had on your research activity and/or the department?
I was very fortunate to be part of a new project in a new research area that I truly enjoyed – photocatalysis. In the process, I gained skills that will be valuable for my future PhD studies; for instance, operating a new instrument, which is called DC/RF Magnetron Sputtering Deposition system (before, I knew it only theoretically). Not to mention, it will significantly strengthen my CV.
Did the European culture and way of life, in general, have an impact on you in any way – socially, culturally, or in other ways?
Most certainly, yes. Mainly, I changed my view on waste recycling. Back in my hometown in Kazakhstan and in Israel, where I am currently doing my PhD, recycling is a no-brainer. All recyclable materials go into one bin together (cans, plastic, paper, etc). However, my Italian friends introduced me to their policy, which then became a simple lifestyle. I wish we had it here, but you must change yourself first to change the world. So, by bringing this habit with me, I hope I am contributing to a better world.
How did it compare to Israeli culture and how did it change the way you see things, if at all?
The main difference I described above. In general, Israeli and Italian people are similar; both are beautiful inside and out. I felt I was warmly welcomed in Italy as I was just a few years ago here in Israel. Now, I can definitely say that I have three homes. Even the languages are so different, but so close at the same time, full of passionate speech and a multitude of hand gestures (ok, in Italy, a few more gestures).
What do you think you gained from the exchange program that you didn’t have before?
This internship proved to me for the millionth time that I grew as a person, gained confidence, and became fearless when communicating with new people or simply asking for help.
Please explain the involvement of Prof. Nessim in your exchange program?
Prof. Nessim is my PhD supervisor and mentor. He is the one who suggested me as a candidate to take part in this internship. None of this would have been possible without him and his collaboration with Bar-Ilan International School. I am equally grateful to Daniel Schuval, Director of Academic Partnerships in BIU’s International School.
Have you had any feedback from Prof. Nessim since you returned from your exchange? Has the experience impacted your studies, your outlook towards your PhD?
As I said earlier, I started a new research area in photocatalysis at Ca’ Foscari University. We had numerous Skype calls with Prof. Nessim and my Italian supervisor, Prof. Elti Cattaruzza, where we discussed my research perspectives and prepared an entire research plan. As an outcome, we have already published one joint scientific paper, and hopefully, we will have another one on this topic.
Is there anything you would like to add about your experiences, studies, students, or colleagues during your Erasmus+ Exchange that you think might be of interest to others?
Looking back, it was a fruitful semester in terms of my studies, my research, exploring new cultures, and lots of traveling. As someone said, our lives truly begin when we step out of our comfort zones.
