Over 220 people at the Welcome Dinner for international students and guests at Bialystok University of Technology

On 9 October 2024, the third of four planned meetings for international students and guests took place at the Mechanical Faculty of Bialystok University of Technology, as part of the Welcome at BUT project, carried out by the university with support from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) “Welcome to Poland” programme.

The Welcome Dinner garnered great interest from international students. We hosted over 220 people, including Erasmus+ students, full-time students, and ISE students. Special guests at the event included Assoc. Prof. Dorota Anna Krawczyk, DSc, PhD, Eng, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at BUT, representatives of the Border Guard and Police, and Erasmus+ programme faculty coordinators.

The meeting began with an official welcome from the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation. Then, Servando Herrera Zuazo from the International Relations Offices presented useful information about studying at Bialystok University of Technology and living in Poland. The presentation included practical tips on how to navigate campus life and university functions, as well as advice on moving around the city and the country.

In the next part of the meeting, representatives from the Border Guard and Police introduced the basic rules and regulations for foreigners residing in Poland.

Marta Orpik from the International Cooperation Office, the coordinator of the Welcome at BUT project, presented information about upcoming events that will be organised as part of the Welcome to Poland programme at Bialystok University of Technology. International students will be able to participate in activities such as culinary workshops, tours of Białystok and the region, trips to the Sybir Memorial Museum, Pumpkin Party and Christmas Meeting events, as well as the BUT Cup football tournament. These activities will be made possible thanks to funding from NAWA.

At the end of the presentation part of the event, Alina Jabłońska Domurat from the Polish Language and Culture Centre, POLISH LAB, gave a presentation on the Polish language, including interesting facts about the country’s culture and history. The presentation concluded with a short quiz using the Kahoot app, where participants competed for small prizes.

The Welcome Dinner concluded with a meal featuring Polish dishes, during which students had the chance to try pierogi, kartacze, babka, bigos, and żurek. The event fully achieved its aims of introducing Polish culture to our new students and integrating them into the BUT academic community.

The next Welcome Dinner is planned for March 2025.

by mr based on materials from the International Relations Offices of BUT