03. Dec. 2025
Written by: Harout Parseghian

The Erasmus+ Programme facilitated a successful Group Mobility of Students from Avicenna International College to Ivančice, Czech Republic, spanning eight days from November 9–16. The program was carefully structured to combine intensive academic learning at the host institution, Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava Ivančice, with rich cultural and historical exploration in the region.

Travel and Logistics

The journey commenced on Sunday, November 9, with a morning meeting at Nyugati Train Station in Budapest. The main train trip from Budapest to Brno took approximately four hours, scheduled from 9:30 am to 1:36 pm. Students were advised to have a hearty breakfast and bring snacks for the ride. Upon arrival in Brno, the group purchased tickets for the final leg to Ivančice, had a lunch and checked in their accommodation in the early evening hours. Essential preparation included bringing travel documents (ID/Passport and Residence Permit), necessary medication, PE clothes, and dressing warmly in layers. The accommodation featured kitchens, allowing students to prepare meals using supplies from local shops.

Academic and School Life

The academic portion of the mobility began on Monday, November 10, with a dedicated LAB Day. Students were divided into two groups, rotating through practical sessions in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry labs throughout the whole day. In the Physics Lab, students had the chance to build a small electrical transformer and had a wider hands on experience about electricity such as electrical resistance of a metal conductor, voltage, magnetic and electromagnetic forces, calculations using Ohm’s law, different power sources and resistors. In the Chemistry lab, they had the chance to perform distillation where they extracted ethanol from wine. In biology, they learned about the anatomy of the foot with hands on exercises where they could experience the different shapes and conditions of soles by calculating Du Bois formula, identifying patterns in fingerprints and checking for flat feet in leg prints.

During one of their Tuesday classes, students had the chance to introduce themselves, the school they are coming from and their past experience if any with former Erasmus programs. The remainder of the week involved participation in the host school’s regular classes, offering a taste of various subjects. Daily lessons included Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, Social Sciences, German language, Physical Education, and Art. The physical education lesson also required students to play volleyball for the boys and to dance with the local students for the girls. In mathematics, they studied about rectangular prisms, the Pythagoras theorem, sine, cosine and tangent calculations. All scheduled school days included lunch at the school’s canteen. On Friday, student had a small ceremony where they were handed out their attendance certificates by the Headmistress and the Erasmus Coordinator of the host school.

🏰 Cultural Excursions and Exploration

The afternoons were dedicated to cultural enrichment, primarily focused on the major city of Brno and the immediate surroundings of Ivančice. The first afternoon on Monday, involved exploring the modest town of Ivančice to become familiar with important sites. Students took a tour through the city reaching its outskirts where they observed a hydropower station which supplies at least part of the required electrical energy for the town in a clean and sustainable manner. After the crossing the river on a bridge, students had a hiking experience until reaching the top of the park Réna where they had an amazing view of the whole town from above. On Tuesday afternoon, students had the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul in Brno on Petrov Hill which is a major city landmark which bells famously ring at 11:00 am instead of noon, a tradition that dates back to a 17th century trick on the Swedish army during a siege.

Brno Underground, known as The Labyrinth, was the next stop which showed what life was like 200 years ago with a guided tour. It was interesting to learn about what seemed to be a normal working market but had a lot of hidden underground secrets of medieval tunnels and cellars. On Wednesday afternoon, students had the chance to visit another Brno’s famous underground museums called the Ossuary at the Church of St. James, the second-largest ossuary in Europe holding the remains of over 50,000 people. The, students headed to the famous Špilberk Castle on the hilltop in Brno, Southern Moravia which had served as a prison and as a military barracks with its famous casemates below. Its construction began as early as the first half of the 13th century by the Přemyslid kings and completed by King Ottokar II of Bohemia.

Thursday’s afternoon was highlighted by a visit the The “Slav Epic” which is a monumental series of 20 large canvases by Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha completed between 1910 and 1928. On Friday afternoon, the group had the privilege to have the vice-principal of the host school as a guide to have a long hike in Brno’s forest reaching the lookout tower and then continuing towards Brno’s Dam to appreciate how engineering and environment can work together for a sustainable outcome benefiting all the different living species and not only humans.

The highlight of the cultural program on Saturday was a full-day excursion to Prague, the Capital, with some local students as a school outing. The group took a morning train from Brno and spent the day visiting iconic landmarks. The itinerary included walking across the Charles Bridge, viewing the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square, and exploring the magnificent Prague Castle complex, including St. Vitus Cathedral before taking a late afternoon train back to Brno.

The mobility successfully provided students with academic exposure in a European setting and a deep cultural immersion into the history and landmarks of Czech Republic. The return journey to Budapest (Nyugati) was scheduled for Sunday, November 16, departing from Brno at 10:22 am and arriving at 2:28 pm.

Special thanks go to Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava Ivančice, the European Commission, and the Erasmus+ Programme for fully supporting this opportunity.

Written by: Harout Parseghian
03. Dec. 2025