The end of the HEEM programme

Over a week late, but here is the last post of this blog, my dear companion throughout the past two years. Now it is time to look ahead and discover new ways of communicating, of sharing, of enjoying life. Before, however, a quick summary of the defense day, the last day of HEEM.

Last Monday (14th of December) at 12:00 my thesis defense session began. The commission comprised three people: my supervisor, a professor from the faculty and an external expert in the field of higher education. During nearly 1 hour they asked questions on my thesis (theoretical framework, consistency, methodology...). Then I had to leave the room for 5 minutes while they discussed my grade, after which I was called in again and told the "veredict" as well as some encouraging comments for the future.

I am happy with the grade I got, I am happy with the defense and most of all I am happy with the wonderful experience that this programme meant and still means to me.

My defense coincided with Norbert's and with the visit of some HEEMs to Oslo (thanks John for coming!!), so we joined together in the evening to celebrate and spend a nice time together with some of our dear HEEMs and "extended family". I am done, done, done!!

I would like to share just a few paragraphs (the most personal ones) of the acknowledgements in my thesis with here:

To my dear HEEM family, if this experience has by far outlived my expectations it is because of you all. Our conversations on higher education and much beyond, the uniqueness of the group, the special friendships created and the good times spent together discovering Oslo, travelling to Brussels, surviving the Finnish winter, exploring Australia, enjoying the ocean and sun in Aveiro… all these moments have given me a life lesson. Thank you!
I also especially thank Ali, Kristi and Nadiya for their help in many different ways during these past months.
I am forever grateful to my parents for encouraging me to follow my dreams and for always being at my side. A core part of this thesis was completed amidst the Sierra Nevada mountains surrounded by nature and silence, under my mother’s care. Gràcies!
Last, but not least, I thank Alberto, partner of many adventures and wonderful moments, for his unconditional love and faith in me and for making my life a world happier.

Alícia

Now... time to relax, to enjoy friends and family and to keep active in the world of higher education research! Oh, and I to make sure I in touch with my "HEEM family" in Oslo and around the globe!

Finally, some pictures of the big day:

Right after finishing the defense, exhausted and happy.Happily eating a cookie, a tasty present from John

With our thesis'

Relaxing after the long and intense day

Thanks for reading me during these two years.

Dilluns que ve: FINAL

Ja fa temps que he deixat d'escriure amb certa continuitat. La raó és que el master ja ha acabat i ara tant sols em queda fer la defensa de la tesina dilluns que ve a las 12h a Oslo. És una defensa davant d'un tribunal de tres persones, entre elles el meu tutor, un professor de la meva facultat i una professora externa. Mitjançant aquest sistema asseguren que la nota final del candidat sigui la més justa i objectiva possible. M'han comentat que la defensa durarà una hora durant la qual em faran diverses preguntes i comentaris sobre la meva recerca.

Ja estic ben nerviosa perquè amb tanta feina que hem tingut el darrer més i mig a la feina amb prou feines tindré unes hores el cap de setmana vinent per a preparar aquest examen! Ais! Espero, però, que tot surti bé i acabi aquesta experiència sentint que he treballat bé fins el final.

Per tant, a partir que pugui compartir com ha anat la defensa aquest blog haurà arribat al seu final. Segueixo buscant maneres de guardar tot el que he escrit i compartit els darrers dos anys. Però ara per ara segueixo rellegint el meu treball (què dur veure totes les errades!!).

DONE!

I haven't written in a long time, I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and reflect upon the thesis, these past months, these two years of HEEM... too many emotions.

I submitted my thesis on Tuesday 27th of October around 20:00. At the same time than Norbert was submitting his from a bar in Serbia, so at least we shared our little moment virtually through skype. Finishing the writing process is a strange feeling, suddenly you feel empty, the sense of accomplishment and relief doesn't come till days later. Right now, I just feel plain strange and work these days is so hectic that I don't have much time to think or feel... actually I think it is best this way.

I still have to live the defense of this thesis, sometime in mid December in Oslo under a jury of three (my supervisor, a professor from the faculty and an external member). So at the moment I am waiting for the date to be set and trying to recover my energy to re-read the thesis and make sure I am aware of all the strengths and weaknesses of my work.

Here are two photos, one of my desk where I have spent hours and hours these past months, and another of the night I finished, with a tired face and a bottle of white wine.

Alicia looking tired...
My desk

These days I have been catching up with family, friends, myself, my house... and trying to feel that I have actually come back to Barcelona, that I live here and will be living hear at least for the near future, and slowly accepting that HEEM is finished, that thesis + work is over, that my nomad life is being left behind (although never forever!) and that now it is time to create something new here, something interesting and motivating as well. Carpe diem!

TODAY IS THE DAY

Just a very short post, I'll write more tomorrow.

Today I will submit my thesis, nearly an exact year after the thesis seminar held in Aveiro (click here to see post). So last year on the 28th of October we presented our ideas and this year on the 27th of October I will submit my thesis which has turned out to be on a completely different topic. No internationalisation, no role of universities in the knowledge society... but policy developments in European higher education.

All for now, got to go back to work and later thesis.

4 days

I spent four days locked up at home (Saturday - Tuesday) working on thesis. I managed to write the introduction, conclusion, a section that needed re-writing, revise the whole text once, check all the references and a couple other little details. So all in all I am very satisfied with my progress, not so sure about the final quality of the work, but, at least I now know that I will reach the deadline on time!
I have become so absorbed these days in thesis and work that I feel like I don't have any real inputs from anything else lately. A clear sign that I need a break soon!
Nothing much more to write these days, other than autumn is here, and it's pouring rain right now. A nice feeling after the long summer. I have always liked the autumn season, although I miss the expectation it used to give me when living in the nordic countries. I miss those cold cripsy mornings and the beautiful colours of the leaves... Ah, but next weekend I'll have time to go and see some nice autumn colours because thesis will be done!

9 dies, el compte enrere ha començat

Després d'una setmana molt intensa a la feina, tornem a obrir el calaix de la tesina. Només queden nou dies per a treballar-hi, per aconseguir acabar la feina amb dedicació. La meva prioritat és quedar satisfeta amb la feina feta. També vol dir que només queden nou dies pel final d'aquesta aventura. Bé, de fet, el final real serà a mitjans de desembre quan viatgi a Oslo per a la defensa de la tesina. Però un cop entregada tota la feina ja no hi ha res més a fer i les tardes i els caps de setmana tornaran a ser meus.

El master ara ja si que s'està acabant de veritat, i amb ell aquest bloc tancarà portes. Espero trobar la manera de convertir tots els meus escrits i fotografies en aquest bloc d'aquests darrers dos anys en un document per a guardar. Idees són benvingudes!

Apa, ara torno a la feina que en tinc per estona avui i voldria tenir temps per sortir una mica de casa també.

Oslo and the end of thesis

I made a quick, quick trip to Oslo to meet my supervisor for the last time before the thesis submission and defence. The meeting went well and I am ready to finish (although quite a bit of editing, revising, writing... still need to be done).

I also managed to meet many of my friends in Oslo, some of whom I hadn't seen in a long time. So all in all a wonderful day and a half in Oslo!

Norway, or at least Oslo, makes me feel at home and happy. As soon as I get off the plane, my back relaxes and I am ready to enjoy the fresh cool air, the snow, rain or sun, the smell of the woods and wet grass, the wonderful views of the Oslo fjord... the quite people, the warm teas... I don't know what it is, but I am always happy when I land there.

I have a little over two weeks to finish thesis! So... time to work, work, work (and relax a little too).

Photo up-date (Menorca and Oslo)

Oslo in a day and a half

I love and miss the UiO library and the Helga Engs study rooms. I would be so inspired to finish thesis if I could use them eveyday...

Ice in Sognsvan - autumn is in Oslo
The girls at Sognsvan (of course!)
That is a good cup of morning tea for breakfast

Oslo fountain by night

Paradise in Menorca (late September)

El compte enrere ha començat!

Si, falten 20-i-pocs dies per acabar aquesta tesina! D'aquests vint-i-pocs hi puc dedicar només 9 sencers (comptant caps de setmana i dos dies que em vaig reservar de les vacances). Ara ja si que estic a la recta final, i tant es nota que ni tan sols tinc energies per escriure al blog. També val a dir que el fet de viure en una ciutat que ja conec, fa que no estigui tan alerta i oberta a veure les coses boniques i/o interessants que passen al meu voltant, i per tant, menys coses per a compartir aquí.

Ara ja estic en fase de millorar, afegir els comentaris, a punt de redactar la introducció, la conclusió i editar tot el text. Quin gust estar tan apropet del final, tot i la creixent pressió per assegurar que l'acabo satisfeta i contenta amb la feina feta.

I ara... a continuar una estoneta i després a sopar amb amics, que sense una mica de vida social no recupero energies per la feina i la tesina.

Taking decisions

So many things have happened lately and I have not had time to write them down. This blog has become more like a brief quick summary of my life these days than what I wanted it to be, a place where I can express and share my ideas, things that I find interesting, my thoughts, indecisions... Maybe it is the natural way for this blog to come to an end, soon.

Some time ago I wrote about PhDs, work and my dilemmas regarding what I wanted to do in the (near) future. The HEEM master programme and my current job have lead me to some very interesting PhD opportunities (or possibilities) which have kept me thinking this summer on what it is that what I want to do. I think that my generation is one which is constantly thinking and reflecting upon 'what to do in life'. The difference with previous generations is the amount of opportunities that one has in front, which many times are more of an illusion than a reality, but still, they are there. To work, or study, or travel, to live in Barcelona, or London, or Helsinki, or even Australia...? All these things are more or less possible, so... how to decide what one wants? Difficult.

So, going back to my (in)decisions, I had (and have) these opportunities/possibilities plus to keep on working here in Catalonia in front. Si these past weeks I have been deciding what it is that I want for the coming few years (yes, the 'forever' doesn't exist anymore). I tend to focus on the practicalities, on what I think is best for my future and many times to forget what my heart tells me. So this time I have taken my time to listen to both my head and my heart and have arrived to the conclusion that I want to stay in Barcelona. Although all the other options are very, very tempting and a dream come true, I feel it is not my time right now.

I must add that I am very grateful to have so many pheasable possibilities in front of me. All the options I could wish for are in front of me, what more can one ask for?!

As for my thesis process, I am in the process of revising the chapters I have written down with new data and the latest comments from my supervisor. Soon it will be time to start writing again, I still have the introduction and conclusion chapters to write down, plus all the figures and tables to create and add to the text... But I am happy with my progress and that, for me, is fundamental to find energy to keep on working.

This coming week I am off to Madrid until Saturday, so I imagine I won't have time to write down my traditional reflection on my birthday, on the period left behind and the one beginning. September, a part from the month I was born in, has always been a month of changes, of beginnings and endings, of ideas and projectes.

As a summing up photo, this is the most important "event" that I am leaving behind in this period of my life, my "HEEM adventure", but fortunately not the people, they are still around, scattered around the globe, starting new lives but still in touch.