My name is Loreto, and I´m from Chile. I had the precious opportunity to participate in the NexusNet Training School in 2024. The training school, which took place last year from June 3 to 7 in North Macedonia, was a fantastic experience. Spending five full days with experts, young researchers, and professionals broadened my understanding of the Nexus approach. I think that the fact that we come from different cultures and countries shows the different ways in which the Nexus approach is applied in different countries according to the needs of those countries.

I have never been to North Macedonia before, and I can say that we could not have had a better stage for this training. Not everything was work; Ohrid gave us some beautiful scenery to accompany our after-work activities. The magnificent views of the lake and the old buildings, as well as the good food, were the perfect complement to this training. In this context, we had the opportunity to visit old churches, explore historic streets, take a pleasant boat trip on Lake Ohrid to see the town of Struga, and visit the Monastery of St. Naum, located in the southern part of the lake.

On the other hand, this training school allowed me to meet new people with different backgrounds and similar interests and to keep in touch with other young researchers I had met at a previous Nexus event. In my opinion, these types of events are essential for young professionals and researchers as they allow young researchers to learn from experts, expand their network, and meet other researchers with whom they can exchange ideas and socialize.

Monastery of Saint Naum

Participating in this training was very useful for the final step of my master thesis, which was developed in the framework of the COST Action CA20138 – NexusNet (Network on water-energy-food nexus for a low-carbon economy in Europe and beyond). I was able to deepen my knowledge and understanding of the interactions between stakeholders and researchers, which was the core of my research.

In addition to all that I have mentioned about this unforgettable experience, I would like to mention that the training school in North Macedonia will forever remain in my heart, as I was there when I received the wonderful news from my family: the birth of my identical twin nephews in Chile.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to NexusNet for this memorable experience that contributed to my academic development and allowed me to meet valuable researchers and professionals.