written by Jelisaveta Krstivojević
I spent a long time thinking about how to begin this text. Not because I lacked words, but because none of them can fully convey the impressions I brought back from Bilbao. No matter how long this blog will be, I am aware that something important might remain unsaid.
At the end of June last year, while Belgrade was experiencing temperatures close to forty degrees, my colleague Kristina Lazović and I arrived in Bilbao, where we were welcomed by a pleasant and refreshing climate. The visit to the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) was organized within the framework of the SUNRISE project activities and was, above all, a working visit, filled with meetings, discussions, and academic exchange. Very quickly, however, it became clear that the experience would leave a much deeper and more personal impression.
During our stay, we met many new colleagues and collaborators. Among them, I would especially like to highlight those with whom we spent most of our time and whose approach truly shaped the visit. Marene Larruskain , Oihane Abarrategi, Pablo Eguia, and Unai Villena Camarero welcomed us with openness, energy, and a strong willingness to collaborate, as well as with a genuine desire to host us and show us Bilbao from their own perspective. This combination of professionalism and warmth gave the entire visit a special character.
On the first day, a tour of the faculty and laboratories provided an opportunity to become familiar with the research environment in which they work. On a guitar produced at the faculty itself, Marene tried to teach me to play a few notes of Nothing Else Matters. That moment, simple, spontaneous, and lighthearted, captured the overall atmosphere of the visit and the natural way in which serious work was intertwined with human connection.
The working part of the visit was dedicated to the exchange of research ideas, discussions on current topics, and consideration of possibilities for further collaboration. Our stay in Bilbao created space for connecting different perspectives and experiences, as well as for strengthening professional links within the project framework.
An important part of the visit was participation in the international conference ICREPQ 2024, where a paper resulting from joint research activities was presented. The exchange of views with participants from different fields and the feedback we received further confirmed the value of such meetings and collaborative efforts.
In addition to the professional activities, the entire team made a genuine effort to introduce us to Bilbao, a city that fascinated me with both its tradition and the way contemporary architecture is integrated into the existing urban and natural environment. Particularly strong impressions were left by the Puente Bizkaia, a symbol of engineering perseverance, and the monumental statue of Evaristo de Churruca, representing humanity’s victory over the power of the sea, the river, and the bay.
Walking through the city revealed Bilbao as a place deeply shaped by the river that runs through it, with wide promenades offering space to slow down and experience the city at a different pace. Among the many remarkable sights, the visit to the City Hall stood out for its elegance and its strong connection to the city’s civic and historical identity. And, of course, the Guggenheim Museum, with its well known “guardian” standing in front, completed the picture of a city where history, science, engineering, and art coexist in a way that feels both deliberate and natural.
In the end, what made this visit truly memorable were not only the meetings, laboratories, and the conference, but the people. The visit to Bilbao once again showed that projects such as SUNRISE gain their full meaning when professional collaboration is built on mutual respect, openness, and sincere exchange of knowledge and experience.