Introduction
I am a 25-year-old Polish national from Łódź. I graduated from the University of Silesia in Katowice with master’s degree in law in 2022. While I was working as a judge assistant in a district court in Łódź, the CEA Junior Programme came up as an opportunity.
How was the application process?
Initially, it was a colleague already enrolled in the programme who recommended it to me. In April, I contacted a CEA representative, who provided further details. I chose to pursue my PhD in energy law. In May, CEA connected me with my future co-supervisors, and we discussed the topic of my PhD thesis. We agreed on “Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities in Selected Countries,” although the topic may evolve over time. It's important for new students to know that they can modify their topic during their PhD journey.
In June, I gathered all necessary documents and officially applied to the Ferenc Deák Doctoral School of University of Miskolc. I had an interview with representatives of the Doctoral School about my upcoming PhD. Later, I was invited to the Opening Day, where future students could meet the CEA representatives. In August I received the official Acceptance Letter from the Doctoral School.
How did the move go?
The move went smoothly, and I was excited about living in Budapest. The previous experience in studying abroad also facilitated me to settle here. In late August, we started our journey at the junior camp, where we got to know each other in a friendly atmosphere. During our first office meeting, we discussed the plan for the upcoming year with our coordinator.
Regarding the flat I managed it together with my colleague who was already in CEA but new students can rely on CEA or senior colleagues for assistance if they are on their own initially.
Where do you see yourself in a few years' time and how will CEA help you on your way?
CEA provides a wide scope of opportunities. We have lectures with many distinguished academics and law practitioners including constitutional and Supreme Court judges. These interactions provide different perspectives and help shaping our potential career paths.
I am keen on continuing an academic career after the program, and I believe CEA can facilitate this goal through its extensive network. Additionally, I would also like to work with the Polish Ministry of Energy or nuclear regulatory authority, which would allow me to use my theoretical knowledge in a practical environment. Overall, CEA enables me to envision a bright future for my career.
Was there anything you worried about before you came?
I wasn’t particularly worried because I had reliable information from my colleague already in the programme. My previous experience studying abroad also eased any concerns. My main worry was balancing my life in Budapest with family and friends in Poland. However, with monthly free Fridays and additional free days, it’s manageable to maintain these connections.
What is everyday life like at the academy?
It is worth mentioning that all the juniors are on the same floor in academy so we are working together on the daily basis. The life in academy depends on the period. If we have an upcoming conference or workshop, where we are active participants, then you can feel the atmosphere of ‘excitement’, everyone is working on their presentation and the office seems busier. When we have periods without the conferences, then everyone focuses on their scientific research or daily tasks such as writing emails or other administrative jobs. These periods are calmer. Moreover, we also have conferences and lectures at which we participate as an audience, which brings variety different to the regular daily routine.
How supportive is CEA professionally?
CEA helps with your scientific work at many different levels. They have a specific procurement procedure throughout which you can obtain the books that are crucial for your research. Moreover, CEA also assists in publishing your scientific works, both in platforms that belong to CEA, as well as in external ones. CEA also provides financial support if you would like to participate in conferences, workshops, study trips, summer schools or LLM courses, both in Hungary and abroad. Thanks to the CEA, I attended the Baltic Nuclear Energy Forum in Gdańsk during which, I could also take part in a study trip to visit the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Finland. This summer I am going to participate in the International School of Nuclear Law course jointly organized by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the University of Montpellier.
How can you also do research?
As I have mentioned before, apart from organizing conferences and doing administrative tasks, a part of our daily routine in the CEA is to pursue our research. The management team is trying to organize our tasks in way that we can always devote time to work on our research. Our research is further supported by the opportunities of meeting academics and other experts during lectures or at conferences.
What other opportunities does the CEA offer?
Apart from the aforementioned opportunities, juniors also have the possibility to participate in language courses. I am currently taking German classes, which I thoroughly enjoy, and I have noticed a significant improvement since I started at the beginning of the year. Next year I will probably begin learning Hungarian or another language. Besides the language courses we also had the opportunity to organize and participate in Cultural Evenings. Each month, juniors from different countries hosted a dinner party to showcase the highlights of their national culture. These events featured juniors’ presentations, traditional food from their countries and included artistic performances. In addition to the CEA colleagues, distinguished guests, including representatives from the respective country's embassy, were also invited.
What is it like to live in Budapest?
Opportuniy of living in Budapest is one of the highlights of the programme. The city is vibrant and vivid. There are plenty of places to hang out with the colleagues after working hours. The city itself is beautiful, and my commute to work offers views of the Danube and the Parliament building from the Margharet’s Bridge. The public transport is efficient in the city there is variety of trams and metros that run frequently. Moreover, there are numerous green spaces, bike routes, and courts that facilitate engaging in sports or simply relaxing.
Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
I prefer setting short-term goals and seizing interesting opportunities as they come. I consider the CEA’s programme as such an opportunity. However, I think that I would like to develop my scientific career, since I like conducting research and working with the students. In parallel, I would also like to work with the Polish Ministry of Energy or nuclear regulatory authority, which would allow me to use my theoretical knowledge in a practical environment.
Who would you recommend the CEA Junior Programme to?
I would recommend the programme to open-minded people who set ambitious goals and would like to work in academic environment. It is also important to have inner will to develop yourself. It is not only from the perspective of gaining knowledge but also improving other skills that will have crucial impact for your future career, for example public speaking. You are not obliged to have rich experience in this regard because CEA will give you opportunities to gain it. The most important is your will.
Isn’t it a disadvantage that the Academy is so young?
The fact that CEA is such a young project represents a significant advantage. The management is dedicated to fostering development within the academy which provides juniors with numerous exciting opportunities. At CEA, juniors can personally work on projects that might be less accessible in more established institutions. The chance to build projects from the ground up is exciting, and it offers us the opportunity to advance skills in planning and management.
What has been the best experience at the CEA for you so far?
I have taken part in many memorable experiences since I am at CEA. One of my favourite ones was the study trip to The Hague in the Netherlands. We had the chance to visit the International Criminal Court where we listened to the presentations of the lawyers working there. Additionally, we conducted research at the Peace Palace Library, where we were also granted an access to their online extensive book collection. Finally, we also delivered presentations on our researches during the ICC themed workshops. This experience was incredibly meaningful to me.
What message do you have for future juniors?
Be brave and set your goals high!
Błażej (PL)
