Emilio enjoys his daily routine in Lund, biking to the Centre for Languages and Literature, spend time with colleagues and attend seminars. This is his second research placement in two years; after this, he will need to stay put at home in Rome and work on his PhD thesis.

Hello. Would you please introduce yourself and tell us where you are from?
Hi, my name is Emilio Calvani, born and raised in Florence. I work as a doctoral student at the Sapienza University of Rome.

How is it that you are able to answer these questions in Swedish?
I have a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Scandinavian languages and literature. I have been studying Swedish for many years, so I chose to answer the questions in Swedish.

What made you decide to come to Lund University?
I came to Lund as an exchange student from 2017 to 2018, and really enjoyed it. It is a great city, and I got the chance to make quite a few friends who still live here.

What are you doing in Lund this time? How long do you plan to stay?
I am here as a visiting doctoral student. I asked a professor at SOL (Centre for Languages and Literature) to invite me to continue my research here in Sweden. I will be here for four months (1 March to 30 June 2023).

Do you remember your first impressions of Lund and Lund University when you came here as an exchange student?
It was incredible. I had never seen so many students from so many different countries in one place. The student nations and student unions are a great system for bringing students together and creating new connections. Like I said, when I came to Lund I discovered a fantastic city, and the University is also really lovely.

What is your experience of coming to Lund now as a doctoral student?
Now that I am here as a doctoral student, it feels a bit different than before. I am much more focused on my work and less on student activities, perhaps.

What has been the best thing about your research stay here, so far?
There has not been anything particularly special so far. I really enjoy my routine: cycling to SOL and working at my desk, socialising with colleagues, going to the seminars.

What has been most challenging?
The most challenging thing has been having the courage to test my language skills. I had not been in Sweden for quite some time, so I was afraid that my Swedish would be a bit rusty, but it went well.

Would you have liked a mentor when you came here?
Before I moved to Lund, it would have been nice to talk to someone who could answer some general questions. Then it would have also been nice to be able to meet up with this person once I got to Lund. Research stays are different, in terms of agreements and documents, between exchange students and doctoral students. I had to write a lot of emails both to the professor, who was very busy, and to the International Office at SOL. But it would have meant a lot to have another contact, for big and small things.

How are you funding your research stay in Lund?
As a doctoral student, I receive a monthly stipend from my university. On top of that, you get a small extra grant during the research stays.

What do you think you will take away from your current stay in Lund?
To not be afraid to share my opinions with the people around me. It is my understanding that it is very important here to create a good group spirit, have coffee together and discuss your research. At home, this life felt much lonelier to be honest.

Would you like to travel on a research stay again, if you had the chance?
No, I would not. At least not before my PhD has ended. Then we'll see. This is my second research stay in two years.