Attila Turi

I was looking for a new professional challenge and decided to apply for a Fulbright scholarship at the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship – University of Rochester, NY, as it matched my research criteria: demanding, worthwhile and prestigious. I teach logistics at the Politehnica University in Timisoara – Faculty of Management in Production and Transportation and my project was to design a new logistics specialization at bachelor degree level as an intrapreneurial outcome of my program at the UR.

I had some thoughts prior to departure, but the magnitude of this experience in Upstate New York would turn out to exceed even my most ambitious hopes. The quality of the students and their involvement in both curricular and extracurricular activities, the diversity of people that work together at the UR, the outstanding infrastructure the university has to offer for both staff and students were among the things which made me feel I was in a very special place. It’s impossible to put into words how uplifting such a setting is, but it gave me an urge of motivation I had never experienced before and made me very productive and focused on achieving my scholarships goals.

Rochester is probably one of the best cities to learn about entrepreneurship. You can feel it every step of the way, in the city, on campus, during class or in the Downtown Innovation Zone. It’s so inspiring! Entrepreneurship classes, business plan competitions, workshops and events, as well as the Operations Management and Supply Chain Analytics classes and lectures I took exceeded all my hopes and expectations. However, Rochester’s greatest asset is its people. Very professional, but also passionate about their jobs, as well as incredibly kind, modest and helpful. I am still fascinated on how this research scholarship has managed to impact both my professional and personal goals on such a meaningful level. I also managed to do some traveling after my research scholarship ended and discovered New York City, Boston, Miami, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Honolulu. What a great way to end such an amazing time!

This experience was only possible due to the hard work a lot of people around me invested in creating the appropriate setting for this fantastic opportunity. Those reading this know I am referring to them. I am very thankful and proud of my Fulbright Scholarship, this was the gateway for my first time in the United States of America and to gaining a fantastic insight into entrepreneurial culture. The University of Rochester is one of the top universities in the world and has enriched my professional and personal experience greatly, exceeding all my initial expectations. I feel I have an improved mindset and plan to apply, shift and transfer some of this added value in the years to come in all my career projects.

Meliora!