Paula Holst

PAULA HOLST
ERASMUS+ INTERNSHIP SPRING 2017
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
REGION VÄRMLAND EUROPEAN OFFICE

"LITTLE DID I KNOW WHEN I ACCEPTED AN INTERNSHIP THIS TIME LAST YEAR THAT I WOULD LATER MOVE TO BRUSSELS FULL-TIME!”

In the spring of 2017, I carried out my practical placement at Region Värmland’s European Office. I studied the political science master programme at Karlstad University and chose to complete my programme with international placement. Region Värmland’s European Office is the region’s extended arm in Brussels, involved in advocacy in the EU, project development and EU cooperation with other European regions.

When I first arrived in Brussels, everything was a gigantic mess. The EU could be one of the most complex organisation ever! There are so many levels, institutions, networks, organisations and companies involved in the EU, and Brussels is the place where they all meet. Even the little things about how everything works in the country was chaotic. How do I find accommodation? Get a public transport card? Where is the office and how do I find my way in the city? There was a lot to learn and understand, but I soon realised that I was not alone in this feeling.

The Swedish regional offices have a joint training programme for all new placement students and we form a network enabling us to cooperate professionally and also to organise social events. In this way, I quickly got a very broad social network, which made my semester both more enjoyable and informative. Our network arranged study visits to the EU court, NATO’s head office, the EU commission, Swedish EU parliament members, the Swedish permanent representation to the EU, and a number of various organisations of interest to us. The visits were the best elements during the semester, I thought. It was fantastic to meet interesting politicians, officers and representatives working with EU related issues from different perspectives.

I also explored Europe! Brussels is at the heart of Europe, and London, Amsterdam, Paris, Luxemburg and Germany are within reach in less than two hours. My weekends were filled with journeys with my fellow placement friends, which was fantastic and filled me with a sense of freedom.

The placement was very informative. I had good supervision and was quickly introduced to the tasks. I was also given responsibility in spite of my trainee position and I got real insights into Region Värmland’s EU efforts. Finally applying my theoretical knowledge and written and oral skills was great fun and rewarding to feel that my studies had given concrete results. Region Värmland also asked me to write a placement report, which gave me the opportunity to learn more about a specific issue. I chose the digitalisation of public services and the EU initiative The Digital Inner Market.

We should never underestimate the cultural knowledge that comes with living in another country. Getting used to new food, constantly being exposed to a foreign language and trying to understand how other systems and people work and think are very educational. I quickly understood that the Belgian bureaucracy did not work as in Sweden, and that the grocery shops were different. Sometimes I missed Swedish meatballs and the Swedish mentality, but I also learnt to appreciate another type of culture, food and people.

My placement semester gave me valuable knowledge and many contacts, and now, after graduating I am back in Brussels, currently working for the European Regional and Local Health Authorities. Little did I know when I accepted an internship this time last year that I would later move to Brussels full-time!