When I started my journey as an IVY volunteer in the HERCULES project in ACIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, I was excited to step into the world of European cooperation but I didn’t fully realize how enriching the experience would be.

From day one, I became part of an international partnership working to improve how regions support healthcare innovation. HERCULES focuses on helping public authorities adopt innovative solutions more effectively, and being involved in this process has given me a unique perspective on how European projects can influence real policy change.

One of the highlights of my experience has been participating in the Interregional Learning Event in Umeå, Sweden. These meetings bring together the partners and stakeholders from different countries to exchange Good Practices and discuss how they can be adapted to different regional contexts. Seeing these exchanges happen in real life and understanding how ideas travel from one region to another has been incredibly inspiring.

At the same time, I’ve been actively involved in communication tasks, from drafting newsletter content to supporting dissemination activities. This has shown me how important it is to make project results visible and accessible, so they can have a real impact beyond the partnership.

On a personal level, this experience has helped me grow a lot. Volunteering in an international environment improved my communication skills, adaptability and confidence. I also gained a better understanding of how European projects are structured and managed, something that is often hard to grasp from the outside.

If you are thinking about joining the IVY programme, I would definitely encourage you to go for it. It’s a unique chance to gain hands-on experience, work in an international setting and be part of projects that make a difference.