My name is Romina Naydenova. Born in Bulgaria and raised in Belgium, I earned a Master degree in Architecture at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Brussels. During an exchange program at the Istanbul Technical University I discovered the challenges of informal settlements, urban policies and development. Since then, I have worked on cooperation projects with several NGOs and gained a valuable insight into project management, funding agencies and proposal writing. The Development Economics and International Cooperation program strongly complements my technical background and its multicultural and multidisciplinary environment will make me a better professional for the future.