Some days ago, at the end of June, Maria Kiseleva joined our team as a trainee. Maria is an international student of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Sustainable Territorial Development Program who is passionate about innovative approaches for urban sustainable development, sustainable & social entrepreneurship, smart city policies, and energy transition. 

She is now involved in the Digital Living Lab Project that will take place at the beginning of September while also supporting other ENoLL’s activities, such as events planning and workshops development, networking, and office-related tasks. 

We asked Maria about her choice and expectations about the internship at the ENoLL. 

Why did you decide to join the ENoLL team?

I strongly believe that the transition to innovative sustainable development at any level, from local to a global one, is impossible without cooperation, co-creation, open idea-sharing, and engagement of different stakeholders. When I learned about ENoLL and its values, approaches, and initiatives I became fascinated by the idea to join the team to get a deeper insight into its activities, gain first-hand professional experience and contribute to the development of the user-centered, open innovation ecosystems that integrate research and innovation processes in real life. 

What are your expectations for the internship?

First of all, I hope to understand better the Living Labs approach and how to implement it in real practice. Moreover, for me, it is the opportunity to see how the European Network of Living Labs works and carries out its activities, as well as to get the experience of working in a highly professional international environment while enhancing my communication, organizational and digital skills. I believe this internship may become a great springboard for my future career development.