Guillem MONTAMAT's testimonial

Guillem MONTAMAT`s testimonial

Guillem MONTAMAT, PhD

Luxembourg Institute of Health, Spanish, single

"Personally Luxembourg has given me the opportunity to meet people from many countries around the world and hence to find out about their culture. Professionally, Luxembourg has given me the opportunity to work in an internationally recognised environment with access to leading professionals and cutting-edge technology."

1. What was the main reason for coming to Luxembourg?

Career

Studies

Love

Family

Other

Please describe in more detail why you decided to settle in Luxembourg.

The job offer had nice conditions, plus the environment seemed really nice. The facilities are also really good in terms of equipment.

2. When did you arrived in Luxembourg?

15 January 2017

3. What type of research are you involved in? Can you tell us a bit about your work.

I am currently doing research on allergies – understanding the mechanisms of allergy treatment in order to improve it by making it safer, more efficient and more reliable.

4. What obstacles did you have to face before arriving in Luxembourg?

Finding a place to live that was good quality at a good price. Luxembourg is quite an expensive country when it comes to housing, so it was a bit difficult to find a good and nice place to live before coming here; but after some time I finally found somewhere.

5. What were the biggest challenges you had to deal with after your arrival?

Finding out how the public transport network works and how best to travel between towns/cities. Also, as mentioned, the challenge of finding an affordable and nice place to live.

6. What Euraxess services did you use? Services related to:

Job opportunities

Work permit

Funding opportunities

Entry conditions/visas

Accommodation

Banking

Health insurance

Medical care

Taxation

Pension rights

Career advice

Day care, schooling & family related issues

7. What role did Euraxess play in the overall process?

After finishing my Master's degree I consulted the Euraxess website on a daily basis to look for job opportunities across Europe.

8. What is the best thing about living / working in Luxembourg and why?

Multiculturalism – almost half the population of Luxembourg are foreigners, especially in scientific positions. This results in a really nice environment where one has the chance to meet people from all over the world.

9. What did you find surprising when you moved to Luxembourg?

When I moved to Luxembourg, one thing that really surprised me was the importance of the country and especially the city in the history of Europe. Luxembourg was one of the most important fortresses in Europe and played a key role in European military and political strategy, and therefore European history.
Also, as mentioned, the mix of culture that one can experience in the country.

10. What is the main difference between Luxembourg and your country of origin (personally and professionally)?

There are a lot of differences between Luxembourg and my home country (Spain). One of the main differences for me is the food – even though you can find similar food in shops and restaurants, it is not really the same. And professionally I would say the working conditions for PhDs and scientist positions in Luxembourg are generally much better compared to Spain.

11. What do you miss about your home country?

Typical Spanish food, but the local food is still almost as good as Spanish food.

12. What has Luxembourg given you professionally and personally?

Personally Luxembourg has given me the opportunity to meet people from many countries around the world and hence to find out about their culture. Professionally, Luxembourg has given me the opportunity to work in an internationally recognised environment with access to leading professionals and cutting-edge technology.

13. What are your future plans, either in Luxembourg or abroad?

For now, my future plans in Luxembourg are to successfully finish my PhD. Afterwards, I would like to go abroad for some time, but keeping in mind that Luxembourg is a really nice place to do research I might come back after spending some years abroad.

14. Would you recommend Euraxess and why?

Yes, I would definitely recommend Euraxess because it is a really good initiative that delivers information and support services to professional researchers. I would particularly recommend it for PhD students and researchers in their early career.

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