From May 19 to 23, 2025, I had the opportunity to stay at UPC – Polytechnic University of Catalonia at the Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering. As part of the Erasmus program, I conducted classes there for Aerospace Engineering Bachelor Students on the topic: Overview of the Design Solutions of Turbine Aircraft Engines, and for Mechanical Engineering Master Students on the topic: Gas Turbines.
The visit was also an opportunity to meet with the staff of the university, including Prof. Jordi Ventosa Molina, who was my coordinator on behalf of UPC, and Prof. Ivette Rodrigez, the head of the team of analysts. These meetings served as a platform for exchanging information about the scientific and research activities carried out at both institutions, as well as for discussing potential collaboration opportunities in our respective scientific fields.
I also had the chance to learn about the organization of student laboratories and the methodology of working with students. The lectures themselves were an excellent opportunity to promote Rzeszów University of Technology and the city of Rzeszów as places where students from UPC can pursue one-semester or one-year studies under the Erasmus program.
My free time provided a great opportunity to explore Barcelona and the picturesque surrounding towns, including Terrassa and Badalona. Naturally, there wasn’t nearly enough time to see everything, but I managed to visit the most impressive landmarks, including the Barcelona Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia), which is one of the city’s most magnificent buildings—under construction for over 100 years and still unfinished—and a masterpiece of the great architect Antonio Gaudí. Like Park Güell and many other sites, these are precious gems hidden throughout Barcelona among many other beautiful architectural structures.
One week—especially one shared with academic duties at a university located about an hour by train from the center of Barcelona—is far too short a time for such a magnificent city. This makes one wish to return for a longer stay, which could well serve as inspiration for planning a vacation trip.
Selected photos are included in the gallery.
