On Friday, 1st July, 2022, the summer course Solidarity with Ukraine, dedicated to the citizens of Ukraine and financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange NAWA, officially began.
The programme’s description
From 4th July until 30th September, participants of the course take part in a program of Polish and English language courses, as well as workshops which help to develop soft skills and to enable adaptation in a new environment.
In the first week of the course the additional classes included workshops on orientation in Polish culture, mindfulness and stress reduction. The agenda for the next weeks offers workshops on psychoeducation, career planning, intercultural communication, using IT programs such as USOS, and recognizing fake news.
Also, beginning from the second week, participants will have the opportunity to take advantage of the mentoring programme coordinated by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and language discussions organized by the Volunteer Centre of the University of Warsaw.
The Inauguration
From the very beginning, the organization of the course has been supervised by three university offices:
The representatives of the above mentioned offices welcomed the participants. Dr Piotr Kajak, Deputy Director of the Polonicum, also introduced the participants to the Polish language courses conducted by the Polonicum. Also, a warm welcome in the mother tongue was given by the professor of linguistics, a Ukrainian citizen, Andriy Danylenko, a visiting professor at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warsaw, and an employee of the Pace University in New York.
During the presentation prepared by the Welcome Point, students learned basic information about the capital of Poland, the history and functioning of the University of Warsaw and the support they can receive at the university, including legal counseling, psychological assistance, equality of members of the university community, or support for people with disabilities.
The Campus Walk
The participants took a walk around the central campus of the university led by Dr Przemysław Deles, the curator of the University of Warsaw Museum. They had the opportunity to admire the Golden Hall and the Senate Room of the Kazimierzowski Palace, the Column Hall of the Faculty of History, and the Ballroom of the Tyszkiewicz-Potocki Palace.
