Internships

Link to all our internships here

How to apply and what is the protocol

First you should check all our internships at the link above and identify at least three of those that seem interesting to you. Then you apply to an internship that seems best for you and in application you include the links to other interestings internships + you submit your CV and explain your motivation for doing this internship (stage 1). If your profile looks promising we will contact you over the Erasmus intern website and invite you to an interview via Whatsapp or Telegram (stage 2). In this stage, you must display your character, communication skills, your experience, your working habits. If all is good you are invited to send your CV to email + at least one screenshot from your whatsapp/telegram interview and we will complete all documents in the same email thread (stage 3). Try to keep all our correspondence in the same email thread and always include basic information: your CV, country you are coming from, duration and preferred timeframe, the three internships that you would choose. We will finish your documents and return them to you via email + if you need a physical copy we will send it via post. Learn more about Erasmus+ here: erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/

Where is the internship taking place?

Possibly because of Covid situation it can be done remotely but generally it is taking place in Slovenia (southeast Europe) in the city of Koper, learn more here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koper.

How will I find accomodation, a place to live?

Usually, interns or other kinds of Erasmus participants get hosted in a student’s dorm which costs about 150€ per month. Because of Covid, we may need to find a place to quarantine for the first 10 days which may increase the cost up to 400€ (in the worst-case scenario). Anyhow, if you find accommodation yourself this is the easiest. This is the best webpage where students and interns help each other find a place: www.mojcimer.si/

Can I get those student coupons for discounted lunch in restaurants?

No. As far as we understand those coupons are only for students studying in Slovenian universities, so you are not eligible to get those.

Is the time frame flexible and can internship be extended?

Sure but it depends on many factors so please provide your wishes on arrival time and length and we will consider feasibility regarding accommodation, mentorship, a place to work, etc.

Can two friends apply to the same internship?

Yes, but both of you would have to apply to internship separately, and obviously, both of you would need to be accepted.

How much work will I be required to do?

The workload is flexible from one hour per day to 8 hours per day. If you want to do more work you will simply learn more and gain more experience. If you want 8 hours of work per day you should clarify that before signing the Learning Agreement because we will have to check your skills and your work ethics more carefully. We want to provide a good working environment for you and that is why we need to make careful consideration before agreeing to that.

What is the working regime for an intern?

It is required to have two discussions with your mentor per day, one in the morning (anytime between 8 AM and 11 AM), and one in the evening (5 PM or so). This discussion can take place in person or over the phone/zoom/skype. You are expected to do some work during the day so you can report it in the evening discussion.

What equipment do I need?

You need a Windows or Linux or OSX (or ChromeOS) laptop (it can be old), other equipment will be provided by IRZU.

What to do if I don’t like my internship?

You can end this internship any day you like for any reason, however, you will probably not be able to use the funds that were reserved for this internship in other erasmus+ activities (unless the Erasmus manager at your school will allow you to do so). Probably it is safest to organize 2 or 3 months of internship first and expand it into 6 or 9 or 12 months after making sure that you feel good about it.

Will I need to be quarantined when I arrive in Slovenia?

It all depends on the situation and covid related legislature at that time, but in a case, a quarantine will be required we will help you to find a place by our best efforts – worst case scenario you will pay a full price for it at the commercial hotel, which is approximately 400€ for 10 days (but this is the worst-case scenario).

Are PCR tests required?

Currently not but it could occur that PCR tests will be required when entering or leaving the country at that time. Worst case scenario is you’ll pay the full PCR test which is about 80€.

How to get there?

One way is to fly to Slovenia main airport ( www.lju-airport.si ) then take a cab or bus to Kranj (20km) and then take a train to Koper (120km). Anyhow it is best to contact us at info@irzu.org to help you in that arrangement as we are locals and we will be able to find the best ride for you. Another option is to fly to Italy (Trieste airport) and then take a bus to Koper (20 km) however these buses are less frequent (+ additional crossing the border Italy-Slovenia can add extra troubles) so contact us before you book your flight so we can check it beforehand. 

What documents do i need to provide?

You need to provide an erasmus+ learning agreement (LA), you will get a template from your university, and you will fill it together with someone from IRZU. Additionally you will need to provide any documents required regarding the international travel (student visa possibly). You should contact an Erasmus representative at your local university, and you can always contact us at info@irzu.org so we can check on our side if anything else is required. 

What is life in the city of Koper like?

Koper is a student city located at the sea so it is also a tourist destination. Very easy-going, relaxed, and open-minded. Learn more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly-VU651apE.

What is the cost of living in Koper?

Student dorms cost about 150-200€ per month (you pay this yourself, we only help you organize it if you need help). Then coffee is about 1€, fast food snacks are about 1-4€, lunch is about 6€, and there are many locations at the seaside to enjoy nature for free. Phone SIM card with unlimited calls and 100GB of the internet is 10€ per month. Dorms have wifi internet included for free.

Do I need a visa, visum (slovenian: viza)?

What is a visa learn here: resources.envoyglobal.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-a-… You should check if you are required to obtain a VISA to visit Slovenia. If your country is not in the EU then probably you need to obtain a VISA because Slovenia is in the EU and the Schengen area. VISA process is easiest for 89 days visit or shorter, this is called VISA type C. You need to send the following documents: Erasmus learning agreement, Erasmus acceptance confirmation, IRZU acceptance letter, and a warranty letter + in some cases some documents need to be translated in Slovenian. You need to send those documents to the Slovenian embassy in your country via email and they will tell you if documents are sufficient and will tell you to visit them personally. maybe you will have to provide some translations and in that case, you should ask them which translators are registered for this job (those are usually called legal translators, or court translators, and in turkey for example there are only three of them (one Slovenian in turkey, and two Turks in Slovenia). The Visa process generally takes 10-14 days and costs about 60€ + additional costs if you need some translations. They always do discounts for students so you should ask them about it.

Is time of internship flexible?

Yes, but you will have extra trouble obtaining a VISA for 90 days or more. If you just want to move the period of your internship simply ask us and it can be arranged. 

How is my health insurance provided?

You pay for health insurance which is approximately 70€ per 3 months or about 90€ per 6 months. You should try to arrange this before leaving your country (you can do that at any tourist agency). But we can also arrange that once you are here (just don’t hurt yourself before we do that).

How much money will I get from erasmus?

It depends on the financial situation of your origin country but you should get between 500€ and 900€ per month which is enough to live in Slovenia (200€ for dorm, 200€ for food).

What language is used there?

Slovenia is a small country so we are very used to speaking English on a daily basis. We also speak Italian, Croatian, and a bit of German. Our native language is Slovenian, but pretty much all academia and all arts are communicated in English.

What to do if anything goes wrong?

You should contact your mentor, or anyone at IRZU, or anyone at student dorms, or in most extreme case you should call the slovenian police (+386 113). Slovenia, however, is a relatively safe country.

What is IRZU’s objective goal in these internships?

We want to try new things and we feel the best way to do that is to have a relaxed person think outside the box and do something from their heart. IRZU has already spun off two businesses (Breathing Labs, Slovenia, and Ultrasonic Audio, Slovenia) and various art productions so we try to keep this innovative spirit alive and kicking.

How should I choose an internship program?

First you should read all of them here and recognize the ones that you feel you have some skills for and some interest to learn more. Then we can start with any of those, but if you get stuck on one of those we can try another one or you can join a team working on something else (if you have skills and if they want your help). One intern for example started as a game developer, then had written an article and presented it at a conference: breathinglabs.com/VRcase.pdf , and had later when he went to study in Australia/Sydney produced a video documentary of this same research: youtu.be/fZyKdFqO-RE Another intern for example had conducted a clinical trial and published it in an SCI Q2 medical journal with an Impact Factor >3. One intern for example produced a video that reached 177K views on youtube without any ads (organic reach): www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgHX40CLb58 , and another 2-men team of interns developed a game that reached 200K+ downloads on google play and itunes appstore: apkcombo.com/swimmer-breathing-games/com.BreathingLabs.Swimmer/ All these and many other cases were incredible and we would like to have many more similar experiences. IMPORTANT: Please apply to just one internship (your favourite) at erasmusintern website, and list all other internships as links in your application (if you apply to more internships at the same time it just spams our inbox so please just apply to one of them and include links to other interesting internships). The more internships you include the more chances you have to be chosen because it allows us to be more flexible if we get stuck on any specific project.

NOTICE: Students studying at Slovenian schools

Students studying at Slovenian schools are not eligible to Erasmus funds at Slovenian hosting organisations and so should NOT apply to IRZU/breathinglabs internships. Additionally any candidate should disclose if he/she is or was studying or is or was working at “Visoka šola za kognitivno znanost” in Ljubljana (name of school may vary slightly), because this school has been repeatedly abusing our good intentions by encouraging their students to apply to Breathing Labs internships and consequently defrauding European funds without our (IRZU/breathinglabs) knowledge.