giovedì 12 dicembre 2013

Istituto Europeo internship program: GOKI FUJIYA, intern in Pharmacovigilance

Goki Fujiya
by Ilaria Gelichi



Goki, tell us something about yourself. Who are you, how old are you and where are you from…

My name is Goki Fujiya, I’m 36 years old and I come from Sapporo, Japan.

What is your field of study?

I studied medicine and at first I worked as a medical doctor in Japan. Then I went to an American law school in Philadelphia to become a lawyer and I took an internship in law as well. After this period, I practiced as a medical doctor but I realized that I was more interested in the pharmaceutical sector. For this reason, I decided to take an internship in pharmacovigilance.

Why did you choose this program, and Italy?

I chose Italy because I was interested in the Italian language, and this program has given me the chance to both study Italian and intern in pharmacovigilance. I chose Istituto Europeo’s internship program also for the excellent internship placement, the good price and the possibility to intern without any knowledge of Italian.

What do you like most about the city of Florence - and of Italy of course?

I really like Italian language and culture. I lived in other countries – like Germany – and I met a lot Italians. Italian people are very friendly and nice, so I really enjoy living among Italians and having Italian friends.
Florence is a beautiful city. I live in the center and it’s wonderful. I like walking in the streets, admiring the buildings and the scenery.

Where do you currently work here in Florence?

I work at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, a very good placement.

Which kind of internship are you doing? What are your main tasks and responsibilities?

I’m doing an internship in Pharmacovigilance, also known as Drug Safety. During the first weeks my supervisors showed me the Pharmaceutical Department in all its sections and showed me what they are doing, and on what they are working. After this period I focused on pharmacovigilance and on my research. In general, pharmacovigilance analyzes the side effects of many kinds of medicines on patients. In particular, my research focuses on the side effects of new medicines introduced in Europe and Italy, but well known and used for several years in the USA. I analyze the data of the American Food and Drug Administration and collect information about what kind of side effects there are with these new drugs in America and what kind of guideline the US government has made. Another task I have is to research the crushing of medicines – which means, side effects caused when medicines are crashed (like pills with a particular coating) for patients who have stomach or throat problems and cannot swallow them intact.

Did you like this internship?

Yes, I really enjoy my internship!

Would you recommend this internship and this program to someone else?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this internship in pharmacovigilance. In my experience, most people I work with speak English, so I don’t have much difficulty. In other fields, some knowledge of the Italian language is required; one more reason to study Italian!




Ethics and Beauty in Florentine restaurants - Our suggestion today: MOYE' FIRENZE

The chef Marco Terranova
by Louisa Loring



Marco, you are the chef for Moyé in Florence.  Tell us something about your career.  How did you start? How did you end up working for Moyé?

My name is Marco Terranova, I am Sicilian and I am 37 years old.  I started working for my father when I was 14 in his bakery where I learned a lot.  After finishing my studies at the scuola alberghiera, a hospitality school, I first worked abroad in London, the United States and the Caribbean and then returned after five years to Milan in Italy where I worked for the famous restaurant Dal Bolognese. Being that I am a person who likes change, I started working for this franchising, Moyé after my experience in Milan.  There are four locations in Milan, one in Chieti and one in Florence.

I see that change is important for you.  Is this also important in cooking? I mean, do you like changing things and experimenting? 

Yes, I love change because I don’t like to always do the same things.  If you start this profession at a young age, it is important to have a lot of experience.  Experience allows you to change locations, styles and techniques.  Right now I am holding back a bit.  I don’t consider myself a famous chef but I am accomplished in my experiences. 

In recent years, how have you seen the restaurant world change?

The world of restaurants is always changing.  Even those traditional recipes are always being modified and changed.  I think that in the kitchen you need passion.  Take for example, a simple plate of pasta with tomato sauce.  It is enough to simply add a bit of rosemary to give it a different spin and a totally new flavor.

Changing something can be a risk. Do you like to take risks?

Yes, I do.  If I do make changes, I do it with ingredients that I know well so I don’t run into big problems.

In your opinion, what characteristics do you need to have to be a great chef?

You need to be very humble and have respect for others around you, but also, you need to surround yourself with other situations and people; just because I am a chef it doesn’t mean that I know how to do everything.  Even someone who isn’t a professional can teach you something.  Humility is certainly one of the most important qualities of a great chef.

When you cook, do you follow trends or try to start new ones?

Personally, I generally go with the flow.  It depends on the client in front of me: if it’s a person who wants to try new things, I can also try to bring innovation to the table.

Chef Marco Terranova and Moyé: how much did you have to change you culinary vision to adapt to Moyé’s style?


This restaurant serves traditional Pugliese cuisine and there is already a chef that decides the menu with set recipes that need to be closely followed.  Being a franchise, you have to follow their standards; I can be more creative by choosing the special of the day, for example, but besides that, we have to follow the recipes that we are given. 

In your opinion, why should a client come to eat at Moyé?

Without doubt, one of the reasons for which I recommend Moyé is that here, all the ingredients we use are of our own making: the mozzarella, the pasta, the tomatoes, the oil, etc. They are all fresh and of the best quality.

We have called this selection of columns ‘Ethics and Beauty in Florentine Restaurants’ for many reasons, amongst them being that Florence is obviously a synonym for beauty and because it is the city where the sense of political ethic was born.  How important are these words, ethics and beauty, in your work?

They are very important.  A dish needs to tempt you, it needs not only to be good but also presented in a certain way because we eat with our eyes first.  On the other side, the respect of ethics is relevant for a chef’s skills in regards to chemistry and to the origin of produce; having this knowledge is very important.    

What are your plans? Do you think you will stay at Moyé or will you continue your journey elsewhere?

I would like to stay here because the franchise is also expanding abroad and being that I will have the job to run the start-ups of these new restaurants, I will have the possibility to move and gain new experience.  Next year, we are expecting new openings in London, Paris and Miami.  It really is an all-involving profession.

What is your relationship with the city of Florence?

I lived in Florence for six years, ten years ago, working for the restaurant Il Caminetto, close to the Duomo.  I have lots of friends in Tuscany and I have always been drawn to Florence in a special way.  Then, I moved to America and then to Milan.  When I was asked to relocate to Florence, I willingly accepted and have been very happy to have had the chance to return here.  Florence is very beautiful, full or art, and you eat and live well.

Can you give us one piece of advice for a youth who wants to become a chef?

This work calls for a lot of time and if you choose to do it, it must be because you are very passionate about it.  It is also very important to gain a lot of experience because it will help develop your future and improve yourself. 






Moyé Firenze
Via del Parione, 16
50126 Firenze, Italia
+39 055 285635

mercoledì 4 dicembre 2013

INTERIOR DESIGN INTERNSHIP



Interior Design Internship

Duties: 
- Assist the interior designers as required to produce   quality technical drawings 
- Support new and existing client development
- Support new work for existing clients.
- Assist in the preparation and coordination of    
  documents for client presentations and project 
  documentation.
- Support the strategic design process. Meet the interior design goals for the project using the strategic       
  design process.
- Participate in project meetings, pin-ups and brainstorming sessions.
- Assist the Interior Designer with the design aspects of the project work, including programming, 
  conceptual and pre-design, schematic design and design development, construction documents for finishes 
  and furniture drawings.
- Support the development of solutions to interior design problems.
  ....and much more….

Contact: info@istitutoeuropeo.it