Studera utomlands

Hello everyone and welcome to my first blog!

My name is Cristian Bujor and I am a second year Toxicology student. During my final semester of the programme I am in Turku, Finland where I am doing my master thesis in the chemistry lab at the University of Turku.

About me

I am from Arad, Romania and I did my bachelor’s in chemistry in Iași, Romania. As a chemist, I wanted to explore more the analytical chemistry and find out better ways to detect chemicals at lower concentrations and better ways to quantify them. After talking about this with one of my teachers, she suggested that I could pursue a degree in Toxicology because, besides my passion for detecting chemicals, I would also help people by ensuring that they would get access to better medication and less dangerous chemicals. This is how my adventure in the Master’s Programme in Toxicology at Karolinska Institutet started. As I am used to moving for my studies, I felt like I needed another challenge, so I decided to embark on an Erasmus adventure to Finland for my master thesis.

About the exchange

Given the vast possibilities that exist for our exchanges, some might ask themselves why I chose such a close destination. Well, besides the exceptional Finnish educational system and the similarities in the student life between Sweden and Finland, I also chose to go to Turku because it is a close and easy to reach destination. Travelling close by has its perks (I will have a separate post about this and whether it is worth taking all your things with you) and I also had the chance to experience a night on a ferry/cruise ship for the first time in my life. Regarding my time spent at the University of Turku, I will be studying how different nanoparticles interact and affect cells by using and developing methods based on Europium and Terbium detection.

What to expect

In my blog, I will share with you what it means to be an Exchange student in Turku and I will also take you along with me to discover this beautiful city. I also have a bucket list which includes exploring Helsinki and Tampere, making a cross-border visit to Tallinn and enjoying the Finnish way of life (mainly saunas). I will also share some tips about how to prepare for your exchange so that, when the time of departure comes, you will be more excited than stressed or worried. Lastly, I would also like to encourage you to ask me anything about my exchange in Turku or about what it means to be on exchange.

Moi moi!

Introductory photo: Visit to the botanical garden. Photo: Cristian Bujor