Student Exchange Trip to Białystok (Poland)
On 17 May, six students, accompanied by Ms. Beck and Mr. Gehres, set off for Białystok. After spending a night in Warsaw without our hosts, we continued our journey by train to our final destination. There, an exciting exchange programme awaited us, filled with new impressions, fascinating experiments, and wonderful encounters. From the very first day, we received a warm welcome and immediately became familiar with both our accommodation and the Technical University.
One of the most exciting experiences was our visit to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. There, we had the opportunity to see a real rover built by university students. It reminded many of us of vehicles used on Mars. Did you know that modern Mars rovers are capable of independently detecting obstacles? These are exactly the kinds of technologies currently being researched at universities. Two robotics clubs introduced us to their work and presented the competitions in which they have participated very successfully.
In the chemical laboratory at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, we were able to conduct our own experiments. Wearing safety goggles and working with laboratory equipment, we almost felt like real scientists. Our experiments focused on analyzing samples for various cations. We also had the opportunity to experiment in the biological laboratory, where microscopic water organisms became visible through the microscope.
Additionally, we visited a 3D laboratory. There, we observed how three-dimensional welding models are created using specialized software. Today, this technology is used in areas such as house construction, video game development, medicine, and even for learning welding techniques themselves.
On Wednesday, we visited the Marshal’s Office of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. There, we learned how a Polish region is administered. One particularly interesting fact was that Podlasie is one of the greenest regions in Europe. It is even home to wild European bison — the largest land mammals in Europe. An adult bison can weigh up to 900 kilograms.
Later, we visited a weather station, where we were shown how meteorological data is measured. Without such measurements, weather apps on our smartphones would not exist.
On Thursday, we went on a day trip to Tykocin and Supraśl. In Tykocin, we visited a synagogue and learned a great deal about the history of the Jewish community in Poland. With its narrow streets, the town felt almost like a movie set.
Afterwards, we continued to Sokółka and the European Bison Show Reserve in Kopna Góra. There, we were able to observe these enormous animals up close. Many of us were surprised by how massive yet calm the bison appeared.
The Museum of Icons in Supraśl was also extremely interesting. There, we learned that icons are special religious paintings of the Orthodox Church, often decorated with real gold.
In addition to the official programme, there was naturally also time for leisure activities, conversations, and lots of fun with the Polish students. Many of us made new friendships and realized how quickly people can understand one another even without perfect language skills.
For all of us, the trip to Poland was a truly special experience. We not only learned a great deal about technology, science, and culture, but also discovered how exciting international encounters can be. We will certainly remember this week for a very long time.
Text: J. Beck
Photos: J. Beck, P. Gehres