Former student Naiara Rodriguez Flórez has given a session on the Basque Country to Erasmus students. She has done it within the subject "FreshThinking", given by Luis Zaldua.

What did you study and where do you work today?

After finishing Industrial Engineering at Tecnun, I spent six years studying Biomedical Engineering in the UK. During doctoral dissertation, I examined bone structure to understand the effect of different diseases on bone properties. I spent two years in a pediatric hospital as a researcher. My work, combining engineering techniques with the doctors' knowledge , was to explore new ways to improve the treatment of children with cranial diseases. I returned to the Basque Country in September of the same year, and since then I have been at the Polytechnic School of the University of Mondragon as a lecturer and researcher in the field of biomedicine.

What do you remember about your time at Tecnun?

I remember many things from those years, but the most important are the people I met. I made some very good friends at Tecnun and they are still good friends today.

What did your talk consist of?

Luis Zaldua asked me to speak to the students about the Basque Country, from my point of view, and I was delighted to accept.

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Zer ikasi zenuen eta non egiten duzu lan gaur egun?

Tecnunen Ingeniaritza Industriala ikasi ostean, sei urte pasa nituen Erresuma Batuan Ingeniaritza Biomedikako esparruan ikerketa egiten. Doktoretza tesian zehar hezurren mekanika eta estruktura aztertu nituen, gaixotasun ezberdinek hezurren propietateetan duten eragina ulertzeko. Jarrian, bi urte igaro nituen ospitale pediatriko batean ikerlari bezala; bertan, nire lana ingeniaritzako teknikak medikuen jakintzarekin uztartuz, garezurreko eta aurpegiko jaiotzetiko gaixotasunak zituzten haurren tratamendua hobetzeko bide berriak aztertzea izan zen. Lehengo urteko irailean Euskal Herrira itzultzi nintzen eta ordutik Mondragon Unibertsitateko Goi Eskola Politeknikoan nago Biomedika arloko irakasle eta ikerlari bezala lanean. Akademikoki Ingeniaritza Biomedikako gradu eta masterrean ematen ditut klaseak eta ikerketa aldetik, Gainazalen Teknologiak taldearen parte naiz. Biomedika arloan egiten dugun ikerketa bultzatzea eta mediku zein enpresekin kolaborazioak sortzea dira nire egungo erronka nagusiak.

Are you familiar with Tecnuneri buruz?

Gauza asko oroitzen ditut garai horietatik baina garrantzitsuena esatearren, urte horietan zehar ezaguturiko jendea aipatuko nuke. Lagun oso onak egin nituen Tecnunen eta gaur ere nire lagun minak izaten jarraitzen dute.

Zertaz hitz egin duzu gaur?

Egia esan niretzat eguneroko gaiak direnetatik ateratzen den zerbaitetaz hitz egin dut, Luis Zalduak Euskal Herriari buruz nire ikuspuntua emateko eskatu baitit Fresh Thinking ikasgaiaren barruan.