Experience stories

My passion for bringing people together and fostering cultural exchange led to launching the ‘Local Buddies’ program, connecting Erasmus Mundus students with local residents.

Timea Izsak⁠ is from Rumania. In this podcast series, she takes us through the story of her life, from her early years to where she is now. As a participant in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “⁠Service Design Strategies and Innovations⁠”.

Meet Ieva Putnina — diagnosed with Alopecia Areata at 12 years old. For years, she hid behind wigs and fear. But everything changed when she chose to embrace her true self.

Somshubhra Ray is from India. He shares his life from childhood until now, as a student in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “⁠Service Design Strategies and Innovations⁠.”

Giving lectures on creating human-centric solutions—providing frameworks and methods to ensure teams design meaningful projects that truly serve people and foster positive change.

Latvian entrepreneur Janis Lazdans brings innovation to cultural restoration by reviving Padure Manor through equity crowdfunding — the first public share heritage project in Latvia. He shows how communities can co-own and restore historic landmarks together.

Amena Mohamed⁠ is from Egypt. She shares her amazing and sometimes challenging life journey from childhood to the present as a student in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “Service Design Strategies and Innovations.”

Ieva faced alopecia and lost her hair at the age of 13. Hiding under wigs, she feared judgment. It took her 15 years of self-exploration to open up in public, and now she is an inspiration to many.

At the age of 18, Valeria and Aivis got married and hoped to welcome a baby. Unexpectedly, they faced infertility. With the help of IVF, they became happy parents at the age of 20.

Guided by a deep passion for understanding people, the natural progression led me into the world of Service Design—an ideal alliance that seamlessly integrates empathy with innovative solutions.