AMEO experience: Basque Country University in Bilbao, Spain - Danisa Lione (2023)

In this blogpost, Danisa Lione shares their internship experience at the Basque Country University in Bilbao, Spain. Students of the Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology) Program complete an 8-week internship each year, the so-called “AMEO”. The AMEO is performed either at an external university, governmental or industrial research institute where students learn to apply the competences achieved during their study. Students also use this opportunity to travel and explore not only Germany, but also other countries.

“My name is Danisa Lione and I had the opportunity to spend almost three months doing my internship at the Basque Country University (UPV/EHU) in Bilbao, Spain, working with the CityPoll research project under the guidance of Dr. Miren Ioar De Guzmán Martínez. This project aims to assess the impact of urban runoff on the biodiversity and functions of urban streams.

Throughout my internship, I gained hands-on experience in both fieldwork and lab settings, where I developed skills to prepare and carry out an ecology field experiment and acquired knowledge on macroinvertebrate taxonomical identification and their use as biomonitoring tools. I also conducted water quality analysis and preparation of isotope samples; all of which allowed me to experience what working in research can look like.

Beyond the professional sphere, this internship allowed me to work alongside very warm and welcoming colleagues, as well as to immerse myself in Basque culture and language and enjoy their variety of pintxos. Since my stay was during the summer, the weekends were spent outside: travelling around the Basque Country, visiting cities, hiking and going to the beach. Additionally, July and August is the time for town festivals, Fiestas del Pueblo, where each town has their own festival, with shows and live music.

In conclusion, my internship at the Basque Country University was an enriching learning experience that also allowed me to explore the beauty of the region, immerse myself in the Basque culture and language and connect with the research community abroad.”

Here are some beautiful glimpses from Danisa’s AMEO:-