Israeli writer Shani Boianjiu is no ordinary 25 year old. Born in Jerusalem and raised on the Israeli-Lebanese border where, she tells us, school would often be cancelled due to conflict. Today, she possesses a bestselling novel, Harvard degree, numerous literacy recognitions, and extensive experience in the Israeli military under her belt.

Český Krumlov is a Czech town which may be small in size but is nonetheless significantly important. This well-known destination, famous for being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is situated on a hilly riverside of the Vltava River, whose meanders form a typically picturesque surrounding to the scenery of Český Krumlov.

Six students of the enjoyed an unconventional summer: thanks to the international Lautenschläger Azekah Excavation Project, of which the faculty is a member, they travelled to the newly opened archaeological dig of Tel Azekah, not far from Jerusalem. Amongst the group was RNDr. et Bc. Jana Křížová, who had previously studied, and also works in, physics; however, as she is also active in her church, she decided to study theology. Studying in places mentioned in the Bible was a great challenge.

My Erasmus time in Prague began in a very unusual way: I got to act in a real Czech movie by Alice Nellis. I received an email saying they were looking for two Scandinavian people to play small parts in a film, so I let them know I was interested and sent them a picture of myself. After that I got some phone calls and information about the film shoot - we were to be in the shoot only for one day.

Loreta Abidini from the Technological Educational Institute of Athens joined the Faculty of Education of Charles University for the Erasmus Practical Placement in the period of summer semester 2011/12, the time when the European Commission set the core of the 25th anniversary of the Erasmus programme.

The programme of the International Week (organized at Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Arts with the biggest number of the Erasmus incoming students) or enrollment sessions (offered at other faculties with smaller number of incoming exchange students) do usually not include enrollment and orientation in the important libraries in Prague and at Charles University.

As an Erasmus student I expected to meet international as well as Czech students in the Erasmus and International Clubs and to make new friends. For me this was a great opportunity to get to know people from different countries. Moreover, I really appreciated the perfect organization of the trips.

There are many activities organized for incoming Erasmus students at Charles University. We will hear about some of them in our series of the Erasmus articles and interviews to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Erasmus program, which will be celebrated in all participating countries in May, regardless of when they joined the program.

Mari Jannetäynen (a graduate from the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi) is, similarly to Tanja Amtmann and Daniel Kortschak, a former Erasmus student of Charles University. She studied at the Faculty of Education in winter semester 2009/10, and on her return to Prague in the beginning of the year 2012, she decided to join the Erasmus Club at Faculty of Arts as a tutor after her return to Prague for work, after having spent several months in Leipzig as Comenius assistant.

Our new interview is with students who arrived to the Charles University in Prague from the University of Regensburg and the University of Passau, two seats of the Bohemicum specialized in teaching Czech language.