Diary of an international talent in Leuven

Some 18.000 non-Belgians call Leuven their home away from home. International House Leuven, the local chapter of the UrbAct project Welcoming International Talent, is catching up with one of them: Alexander Mityashin is 34 years old and lives in Leuven with his wife Alena and their one-year old daughter Sofi. We asked him to share his story of how he became an international Leuvener and what he likes about the city.

How six months became 12 years

“I was born and raised in a city near Moscow where I studied and specialized in nanotechnology.  A few months  before the end of my studies I received an invitation from the university (KU Leuven) to do an internship in Leuven.  To be honest, I barely knew where Leuven was at the time, but I opened my laptop and started searching online – and very much liked the things I read on the internet. The subject of the internship also appealed to me: doing research on the topic of solar cells that can be sprayed onto any surface.  On the 1^st of July 2008, with my newly awarded degree under my arm, I made my suitcase and headed to Leuven.”

“I remember my arrival very well. I came by train, it was a hot day and the city was surprisingly calm.  All that I knew was that I had to take the bus number 2 to the Campus Arenberg.  I didn’t even have a place to sleep!  Luckily my colleagues at KU Leuven helped me out and I found accommodation the same day.”

“Six months, that’s how long I was supposed to stay in Leuven.  Now we’re almost 12 years later and I’m still here (laughs).  After my internship I did a PhD in the research field of plastic computer chips.  Following that, I worked for a while as a researcher at imec (the largest European research centre on micro-electronics, nano technology and artificial intelligence, headquartered in Leuven).  At the end of 2019 , I took the entrepreneurial plunge and started my own company.  But I’m not alone in my Leuven adventure though; a year ago my wife Alena and I became the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl called Sofi.”

High-tech dreams

“Last year my business partner and I started our own company called MICLEDI, a spin-off from imec.  We make tiny TV-screens, only a couple of millimetres big.  They are used primarily in augmented reality glasses or goggles; they add information to the things that you see.  An engineer can for example check the design of a machine against the design schematics that the glasses show him while he’s looking at the machine. Today these are primarily used by professionals, but I dream that one day everybody wears them.  Eventually, these could replace smartphones, with a screen that’s made in Leuven.”

Enjoying life in Leuven

“Once of the things I appreciate so much about Leuven is its international character. So many smart and creative people live here, and they come from all over the world.  It would be nice if the international community would become closer.  A while ago I had to go to the dentist.  I thought there would surely be a Facebook group of internationals who live in Leuven, but was surprised to find that there wasn’t.  Since the early days I’ve been involved with the International House Leuven so I suggested that we start our own group: Expats in Leuven. Last I checked, the group has over 2.000 members and it grows every day. Everybody is welcome in the group, also Belgians.  After all they can offer the best tips and tricks on living in Leuven.”

 “I love nice food, wine and the pairing of the two.  Sometimes I dream of opening my own wine bar but I needn’t hurry: luckily Leuven already has plenty of excellent wine bars and restaurants.  The vibe is young and especially during the summer time most places have outside seating area.  Now that we have a baby, it’s not as easy as before to just go out but Leuven is very walkable so we don’t have to go far to enjoy ourselves.  Usually we go for convenience and end up at the café at the end of our street though (laughs). To do sports or enjoy nature we don’t have to go far either.  There are a number of sports facilities nearby and we can go to one of the parcs or other green areas for a picknick.”

“I’m a big movie fan but again, since Sofi joined us, it’s been harder to go to the cinema.  There’s something called Cinema Poussette in Leuven I heard (‘poussette’ is Leuven dialect for a baby stroller), a cinema experience especially for parents with babies or toddlers.  Larger seating, a place to put the stroller nearby, dimmed lights and sound, so you can enjoy watching a movie on a big screen but still be with your baby.  Something I really want to try!”

Find out more about Alexander’s company MICLEDI, about the city of Leuven or International House Leuven.