From 4 to 15 May 2026, I had the opportunity to carry out a EUNICE scientific stay at the University of Cantabria, within the Department of Education at the Faculty of Education, in Santander (Spain), under the supervision and support of Teresa Gallego Álvarez, Assistant Professor. This mobility formed part of my doctoral research and aimed to strengthen scientific exchanges around my research topics, which focus on child development, language, emotions and educational practices.
Upon my arrival, an initial working meeting made it possible to clarify the objectives of the mobility, present the programme for the two weeks, and discover how the Faculty of Education and its various services operate.
One of the highlights of the stay was my participation, on 5 May, in the Predoctoral Students Meeting organised by the faculty. I presented part of my research alongside other international doctoral students, notably from Mexico, Italy and Albania. My thesis focuses on the development of emotions in monolingual and bilingual (French-Spanish) children, and more specifically on the identification of emotions through the voice. These exchanges were particularly enriching, as they allowed me to confront my work with other scientific, methodological and cultural perspectives.
This mobility was also marked by a collaboration with Menéndez Pelayo Primary School. After an initial meeting with the school management team, two sessions were organised with children and families on the understanding and expression of emotions. These moments were particularly valuable, as they clearly demonstrated the importance of building bridges between university research, schools and families.
This stay at the University of Cantabria was highly formative, both scientifically and professionally. It allowed me to present my work in an international context, discover a different university environment, strengthen my academic network and gain a better understanding of certain forms of collaboration between universities and educational settings.
Above all, I take from this experience the importance of scientific mobilities in opening new perspectives, creating lasting collaborations and enriching the doctoral journey. I would like to warmly thank Teresa Gallego Álvarez, the members of the Faculty of Education at the University of Cantabria, Menéndez Pelayo School, as well as the FNRS (Fund for Scientific Research), the LANGAGE Institute and EUNICE for their support in making this experience possible.
To find out more, watch her participation in the ‘My Thesis in 180 Seconds’ event, where she presents her research in three minutes (in French).
Biography
After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Translation (English, Spanish, Portuguese) and a Master’s degree in Teaching French as a Foreign and Second Language, both at the University of Poitiers, Lola Terny moved to Belgium in September 2020 to undertake a specialised Master’s degree in Language Sciences. In September 2021, she joined the Department of Metrology and Language Sciences at the University of Mons as a teaching and research assistant.
