BUT’s international campus
The international community of Bialystok University of Technology has grown to include young people from almost every corner of the globe. This year’s students include representatives of:
- Europe: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Türkiye, Ukraine and Belarus,
- Asia and the Middle East: China (including students of the International School of Engineering, ISE), Taiwan, Bhutan and India,
- Africa: Egypt and Morocco,
- Central America: Belize.
For many of them, Białystok is their first stop in Europe and their first encounter with a new culture.
Safety, the law and a traditional Polish meal
Welcome Dinner is an event designed to help international students settle into the university and the city. The official part of the meeting focused on safety and integration with the academic community. Students learned about the rules in BUT’s halls of residence and attended an information meeting with representatives of the Police and the Border Guard. Afterwards, they had the opportunity to ask questions about Polish law and staying safely in the country.
The participants also received a brief introduction to Polish language and culture, and the day ended with a traditional Polish meal shared as a networking opportunity.
Why did they choose Bialystok University of Technology? Students explain
The newly arrived students emphasise that Białystok attracts them with its high standard of education, safe atmosphere and beautiful architecture.
Emerson from Belize will study at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences:
– I came from Central America on a scholarship. I’ve been here for a week and I’m absolutely delighted! Białystok has beautiful architecture and engineering. I want to learn as much as possible about civil engineering here, then go home and rebuild my country following the example of what I see in Poland. Back home, 15°C (60°F) is the coldest it gets at Christmas, but I love winter, so you won’t hear any complaints from me!
Bianka from Denmark has also chosen the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences:
– My mother comes from Poland, so I know a little of the language and really want to speak Polish fluently. I chose Białystok because the photographs made it look like a very friendly, charming city. In the future, I want to design large, multi-storey buildings and take part in major engineering projects.
Malena from Portugal will study at the Faculty of Computer Science:
– I was already at Bialystok University of Technology on Erasmus last semester and decided to come back because I felt so warmly welcomed. You have many excellent professors here and an Erasmus Student Network that works wonderfully. The atmosphere is amazing and I feel very comfortable here. Here’s an interesting fact: when I first arrived, I couldn’t swim, so I signed up for swimming as part of my sports classes, and now I’m doing really well!
More than studying – trips, culture and Italian Day
Prof. Dorota Anna Krawczyk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at Bialystok University of Technology, explains the importance of looking after international students:
– Alongside acquiring knowledge, we want students to become ambassadors for Bialystok University of Technology. Thanks to funding from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) and the Erasmus+ programme, we organise trips to the region’s most interesting places – visits to Supraśl, Tykocin and Białowieża. We also organise cookery and language workshops – emphasises Vice-Rector Krawczyk.
The university is maintaining its momentum. Erasmus Days events will take place very soon, and Italian Day on 16 October will offer an even closer look at the culture of the large group of students from sunny Italy.
We wish all our new international students a fruitful academic year and unforgettable moments in Podlasie! Welcome to PB!
The event was organised by the International Cooperation Offices of Bialystok University of Technology as part of the ‘Culture, Skills and Integration at BUT’ project, funded under the Welcome to Poland 2025 programme with European funds from the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 (FERS), through the NAWA project ‘Support for higher education and research institutions in serving foreign nationals and Polish women and men travelling abroad’, project no. FERS.01.05.IP.08-0003/24.
See the photo gallery from Welcome Dinner, held on 1 October 2026:
