In this interview we speak with Brazilian 2nd cohort student representative Marcos Abraão Santos about his 3rd semester in the Joint Master in Resilience in Educational Contexts at Stefan Cel Mare University in Romania.
How was your 3rd Semester at Ștefan cel Mare University?
The third semester of the EMJM FLOURISH in Resilience in Educational Contexts was one of the most meaningful parts of the programme. It was an inspiring experience, strongly grounded in translating research into practice, while also encouraging us to reflect on and nurture our own resilience as future practitioners. One of the strengths of this Master’s programme is precisely its design: it allows students to go through a process of maturation that supports professional, academic, and personal development simultaneously. This semester clearly embodied that philosophy.
What did you do for your internship?
For my internship, I had the opportunity to work with two organisations that significantly contributed to my development as a resilience practitioner, counsellor, and educator. The first placement was at the Centrul Județean de Resurse și Asistență Educațională (CJRAE Suceava), an institution specialised in providing educational and psychological support services for students, parents, and teachers across Suceava County. CJRAE’s core mission is to promote the harmonious development of children and young people through access to educational resources and specialised counselling. While part of the initial observations took place at Școala Gimnazială Nr. 1 Suceava, most of my activities were carried out at Colegiul Național “Mihai Eminescu” Suceava, a vocational high school with a long tradition in pedagogical training. There, I collaborated on initiatives focused on student wellbeing, violence prevention, and socio-emotional development. My contributions included the design and facilitation of social and emotional learning (SEL) activities, as well as intercultural sessions for students from diverse backgrounds. In parallel, I also completed practice placement activities with Save the Children (Salvați Copiii) Suceava. Given the city’s proximity to the Ukrainian border, the organisation has been actively supporting Ukrainian families, primarily women and children, displaced by the war. Together with two colleagues from the FLOURISH programme, we developed and delivered a five-week English programme with embedded SEL content, focusing on emotional awareness, healthy habits, and empathy, within a safe and playful learning environment. This experience offered hands-on practice in a humanitarian and trauma-informed educational context, requiring flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and strong interpersonal skills to adapt the programme to the needs of children and adolescents.
What was the highlight?
One of the highlights of the semester was the course Strengthening the Resilience of Educational Professionals, particularly the components related to the neuroscience of education and learning. Understanding how the brain and body interact to shape emotions, memory, and learning processes was extremely valuable, especially when considering the lived experiences of students, educators, and families. This knowledge also connected closely with my dissertation, which focuses on the cultural adaptation of a trauma-informed educational intervention. Additionally, it was a privilege to visit the university’s new neuroscience laboratory and to explore neurofeedback software, a state-of-the-art tool with promising applications for emotional regulation across educational and clinical settings.
How was it living in Suceava?
Suceava is a charming small city in northern Romania, located in the Bucovina region. Ștefan cel Mare University has a beautiful campus situated in the heart of the city, close to the student dormitories where we lived. Over time, the city revealed itself as a close-knit community, where schools, NGOs, and public institutions collaborate to achieve shared social and educational goals, an approach that resonates strongly with the concepts explored throughout the Master’s programme. Living in Suceava also offered us the opportunity to discover the rich cultural heritage of the Bucovina region, including visits to the Voroneț Monastery, renowned for its unique and enduring blue, and the Egg Museum in Vama. These places beautifully reflect traditions of continuity, rebirth, and hope, offering a meaningful cultural complement to our academic journey.
On a more personal level, I will deeply cherish the kindness of the university personnel and professors, as well as how remarkably green Suceava is. The trees outdoors and the carefully tended plants inside university buildings created a warm and cosy atmosphere, even during the winter months. One particularly touching local habit I will always carry with me is how common it is for people in Suceava to give flowers to one another: to family members, friends, and even professors. This simple yet powerful gesture, rooted in nature, expresses appreciation while also inviting reflection on the beauty of the present moment, the fleeting nature of life, and how nature can inspire emotional grounding and regulation, especially when shared as a gift with others.
