Meet Georgi, a CEEPUS scholarship holder and PhD student in Finance from Bulgaria, who spent 5 months at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. During his stay, he not only deepened his research on financial derivatives but also discovered Slovak culture, nature, and hospitality.

My name is Georgi Mladenov, I am doing a PhD in Finance at the Dimitar A. Tsenov Academy of Economics, Svishtov, Bulgaria. I had a CEEPUS research stay to work on my PhD thesis at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra from October 2024 to February 2025. That was my first academic experience at a Slovak university ever. During the exchange, I worked on my thesis and concentrated on my research in the field of financial derivatives. I did bibliography research, collected a lot of empirical data and worked on a chapter about historical evolution of derivatives and their recent developments. The colleagues at the SPU were very professional from the very beginning which is the most important factor for having a smooth and beneficial exchange. Then, of course, I was curious to have a research exchange in Slovakia and the conditions for the CEEPUS program were very transparent, the application process was very straightforward and I also received a lot of support from SAIA's officials Mgr. Simona Mahútová and Mgr. Beáta Košťálová.

The CEEPUS program is a great opportunity for students and staff to gain experience abroad and to add a different perspective to their work and studies. I have had a few CEEPUS exchanges before and I'd rank my SPU experience among the best ones because I was able to work and didn't have to spend time on technicalities such as looking for accommodation, paperwork, etc. I definitely recommend CEEPUS research stays in Slovakia as the grant is enough to cover the living expenses, the country is beautiful, safe and peaceful, food is great and there are great opportunities for hiking. Plus, the colleagues at the SPU were very responsive, they helped arrange nice accommodation on campus and I could concentrate on my work. I worked mainly with Prof. Dominika Čeryová, Prof. Veronika Hrdá, Prof. Johana Paluchová, but also had the chance to meet other colleagues and PhD students from different departments. My supervisors have been very professional and assisted me in having the best possible academic experience in Nitra. The scholarship program helped me connect with local researchers and lecturers. It was great that I could benefit from the program not only academically, but also to learn more about Slovakia, Slovak culture and to make good partnerships for future cooperation. 

Moreover, the Agricultural University in Nitra is very well organized – everyone was very efficient and helpful, my questions have always been answered quickly and I have not encountered any issues during my stay. I took part in several university activities, including the International Village Fair; our team even won a second place. I attended a EURAXESS meeting in Nitra, organized by SAIA. Having mentioned SAIA, it is great that there is also an office in Nitra and I was able to learn more about its activities. I have been a few CEEPUS exchanges, but this has been the first time I have met someone from the NCO. I learned about other interesting programs in Slovakia managed by SAIA and I have already promoted them. I visited the Christmas markets in Nitra and Bratislava, but my favorite were the events organized by the Sokoliari in Nitra where they showed how they train falcons, eagles, and eagle-owls. 

Bulgaria and Slovakia are not too different, so I felt quite at home. However, I truly adore cesnačka v bochníku, it is one of my favorite dishes worldwide so I was having it quite often, bryndzové halušky (with more cheese) and hubová polievka. Food in Slovakia is very good and I will miss it. I'd say that Slovakia is more peaceful, cleaner and relaxed. In my opinion, Slovak researchers and students have better exchange opportunities as the bilateral programs are very impressive. People and researchers seem to be way less stressed than in Bulgaria and everything is more organized. I have not met anyone from Bulgaria during my stay in Slovakia, but I met many international students in Nitra and met with some of my Slovak friends. I visited Bratislava, Trnava, Banská Bystrica, Košice and the Tatra mountains. I love hiking so my favorite place are the Tatras. However, Nitra is on hills so there are good hiking options in the city itself, the best is Zobor. 

As I have never been to Slovakia for more than a few days, the CEEPUS exchange improved my understanding of Slovak culture, traditions and economy. The academic staff were efficient, helpful and easy to approach from day 1. Moreover, they were very flexible and I was able to work without having to worry about technicalities. I didn't have any language problems during my stay, I am lucky that I know several Slavic languages so I could easily understand almost everything. Well, it was cool to find out that many people are into hockey. It's virtually a non-existing sport in Bulgaria, so it was surprising to see that anyone was able to skate and many people from different ages played very well. One thing that I regret that there wasn't a language course suitable for my level as I already knew the material in the beginners' course. However, I managed to learn a lot through my contacts with locals and I could easily improve in the future. 

Overall, I am very satisfied with my CEEPUS exchange, it eclipsed my most optimistic expectations and I would be glad to come back to the SPU or to visit other HEIs in Slovakia with CEEPUS. Well, the most positive experience is that my cooperation with the SPU is going to continue in the future. I had a short-term Erasmus+ PhD exchange at the SPU and I have been invited to come back to the SPU in future. It will be my pleasure to do so. I could also easily see myself working in Slovakia in my future career. There are also great programs for incoming researchers so I'd recommend Slovakia as a great destination for international academic exchanges."