8 Years Later: CONNECT 2017 Alumni’s Reflection on CONNECT 2025

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the CONNECT 2025 Symposium in Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the angle of a junior organizer and a lecturer. We share our journey from the Western Balkans toward academic and research paths in the EU, beginning with CONNECT in 2017 and continuing through studies, research, and PhD work in Germany. Along the way, we highlight why studying abroad matters, what it teaches beyond formal education, and how these experiences can be brought back to strengthen local communities. The contribution also summarizes two accompanying lectures on AI in Science and Gender and Science in the Western Balkans, linking personal experience with broader scientific and societal themes.