International national days have become a permanent fixture in the University calendar. After editions devoted to Spain and Portugal, Mediterranean energy took over the campus of Bialystok University of Technology on 16 October 2026.
– National days devoted to individual European countries have already become a tradition. Every year, we organise an event of this kind as part of Erasmus Days at Bialystok University of Technology. This year, our journey has reached Italy, – says Professor Dorota Anna Krawczyk, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at BUT. – We are hosting students and staff from Italian universities and have also prepared a host of attractions, from culinary workshops to an evening of Italian music. We have cooperated with universities in Italy for many years, while developing new relationships with, among others, the University of Udine, our partner in the Across European University alliance.
Bridges of cooperation between Poland and Italy
The first part of Italian Day brought students and staff of Bialystok University of Technology together in the auditorium of the Centre for Modern Education. The official opening was enhanced by a special video message from His Excellency Luca Franchetti Pardo, Ambassador of Italy to Poland.
The English-language programme included talks by guests from Italian partner universities, among them Professor Anna Maria Pinna of the University of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. Mohamed El Hakimy, a doctoral student at the University of Florence, spoke about building relations between Poland and Italy and the benefits of academic exchange.
– This is already my fourth time in Białystok, and on every visit I see how strong the bridges between our universities are. Summer schools, visits by lecturers and Erasmus+ exchanges are excellent opportunities to get to know one another better and work together. I warmly encourage students from Bialystok University of Technology to visit Florence. If, for example, you study civil engineering, you simply have to go there to see the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore or the Vasari Corridor in person. These are extraordinary achievements of engineering from centuries past, – Mohamed El Hakimy emphasised.
In her talk, ‘Italian Crash Course – 15 Minutes to Survive in Italy’, Dr Agata Mannino, Across European University Coordinator, introduced the basics of the Italian language in a humorous way and dispelled stereotypes that have grown up around both nations.
– At first glance, Italy and Poland appear to represent two entirely different worlds, separated by geography, climate and the temperaments of their people. In reality, this is not the case. I always thought that my name, Agata, was purely Italian, yet in Poland people keep asking me whether I am from here! It is a simple example, but there are many more links between our countries. Today, we are jointly creating the Across alliance, which brings together nine universities and nine different cultures. Diversity is our greatest asset, while education and research are the best way to connect the younger generation, – Dr Agata Mannino noted.
Hospitality without borders
Julia Dakowicz, a Civil Engineering graduate of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences who now works in BUT’s Mobility and International Agreements Unit, described a stay in Italy from a student’s perspective. As an Erasmus+ participant, she spent a year at Università Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona.
– What can surprise you about Italy? Definitely the hospitality. Italians are incredibly open and treat their guests like members of the family, – Julia Dakowicz recalled. – An Erasmus stay is first and foremost about people, travel and a wonderful adventure. While studying at the university in Ancona, I was surprised that almost all examinations there are oral, which was a major challenge at first. However, my Italian classmates and professors supported me.
Participants could not only listen to accounts of time spent abroad, but also take part in an interactive quiz about Italy with prizes and practise the art of Italian gesticulation using excerpts from the film ‘Eat Pray Love’.
Fresh pizza, baked on site by the staff of the Eatallo restaurant, was available in the foyer of the Centre for Modern Education of Bialystok University of Technology. The tasting was accompanied by photographs displayed in the exhibition ‘Scopri l’Italia con Erasmus+’, inspired by the experiences of students and staff of Bialystok University of Technology.
A special attraction of the event was the ‘Flavours of Italy’ cookery workshop organised at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of BUT. Under the guidance of chefs from the ‘Zmokła Kura’ studio, students and University staff learned the secrets of traditional Mediterranean cuisine. They learned how to make the perfect pizza dough and bake it correctly. They also tried their hand at preparing iconic Sicilian desserts—crisp cannoli filled with ricotta cream. The classes attracted enormous interest and all places were taken in the blink of an eye.
Italian Day finale at Białystok’s ‘Spodki’
In the evening, the celebrations moved from the University campus into the city. An Italian Evening, open to Białystok residents and the academic community, was held at the ‘Spodki’ venue of the Podlaskie Institute of Culture in Białystok.
A capacity audience listened to personal accounts by BUT staff of their Erasmus+ trips (‘Discover Italy’), as well as a talk by Francesco Morabito (‘My Italy’). The star of the evening was actress and singer Monika Mariotti, who performed an energetic Italian musical stand-up show entitled ‘Spaghetti Poloneze’. Italian-style refreshments and the final Festa Italiana—a dance party with a Mediterranean atmosphere—completed the event and brought this year’s Erasmus Days 2026 celebrations at Bialystok University of Technology to a close.
Monika Rokicka
The event was organised by the Office of the Vice Rector for International Cooperation and the Mobility and International Agreements Unit of Bialystok University of Technology as part of the international Erasmus Days celebrations, which in 2026 ran from 12 to 16 October.
Event partners:
See the photo gallery from Italian Day at Bialystok University of Technology, held on 16 October 2026.
