Part of the Fulbright experience that I particularly enjoyed was the seminars held at various universities in the U.S. I even attended the seminar “Global Health Innovation” that was held at Georgia State University in Atlanta. It was incredibly inspiring to meet other Fulbrighters from all over the world in a large gathering of intelligent, open, and empathic people who were all interested in making the world a better (and healthier) place. The seminar on global public health and how this could be improved was led by competent and dedicated faculty members of the GSU; we even met some of the people who made their mark on global public health, such as Bill Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox disease on a global scale. The seminar was an eye-opener as I learned about other people’s lives that were very different from my own, the problems they struggled with, and that people across cultures might solve these problems in collaboration.

Researching beneficial plant substances and in general conducting research in the U.S. has taught me a lot on both a professional and personal level. I hope that future Fulbright students will have the same opportunity to experience a foreign society, expand their worldview and increase their own self-understanding as I did myself – To experience a different way of life, can both make you appreciate your own society, as well as be inspired to improve it.