He left Italy to work in the Netherlands because, he says, it is good to be away from your family and familiar environment for a while.
'It helps you to grow up faster, to "taste" real life and to improve your English.' Alby looks at the world as if it were a school of continuing education. 'I had been working for one year for a company near Amsterdam when I decided to apply for a PhD here. The Membrane Technology Group is a well-known one, the research topics are very interesting and challenging.' He was accepted and he came into contact with campus life for the first time. 'In Italy I lived with my family during my university years. This is very common in Italy since you do not have a scholarship and in particular in Milan, where I studied Food Engineering, there are no really cheap student houses so you are obliged to rent a flat that is usually very expensive'.
So Alby moved from the big city to the small town. He started to work immediately and he loved the project very much. 'Working here is different from working in Italy, here it's a more practical and experience-oriented style instead of the theoretical and classical way I was taught before.' He also enjoyed a good time with his colleagues and new friends: 'It's difficult to make a Twents friend but if you succeed it is forever...'
The discussion moved towards the hottest news on the UT campus and Alby comments 'in the past there were not so many foreigners as nowadays and it was easier to come into contact with Dutch people. This is why I gradually learned Dutch and adapted to Dutch culture. By now the number of foreigners has increased and everywhere I hear talk about internationalisation. I think the University is internationalised enough and people who want more should try and be a kind of self-critic and think if they agree to the same pretensions made from foreigners but then in their native countries.'
When I ask him about his future Alby answer unhesitatingly: 'I'd like to go back to Italy, I've applied there but I'm still waiting for a reply. Meanwhile if I'll have a better proposal somewhere else I will take it into account. From this experience I learned to be flexible and keep all "doors" open...'
Alberto Figoli
