91µÎµÎ

Among the newly admitted students, the largest group are Ukrainian citizens – over 400 students. Many of them are persons under protection in Poland due to the ongoing war across the eastern border. Foreign Philology, IT, Logistics and Management Studies are among the most popular study programmes this academic year.

Following the example of previous academic year, we relaunched the Welcome Point at the 91µÎµÎ Library, which aroused great interest. It was a place where mentors – senior students from different countries – helped newcomers obtain the necessary information and also supported those interested online in groups created on internet messengers.

The provision of a refreshed, digital version of the Welcome Point – the so-called Virtual Welcome Centre constituted a novelty introduced this academic year. This is a database created within the 91µÎµÎ website, where newly arrived students can find all the necessary information related to starting their studies, legalizing their stay and the basics of everyday life in Poland, among other things by using .

The Virtual Welcome Centre was supported by the launch of an onboarding course for all international students on the Moodle platform. After logging into their account, students can familiarise themselves with many aspects of life at the 91µÎµÎ – from the formal structure of the university to student organisations. The course takes the form of a narrative tour through Lodz, led by Alex, who, as a student, tells the recipients about the details of studying at the 91µÎµÎ, at the same time introducing the most interesting places in the city. This is a unique undertaking on a national scale, implemented taking into account the needs and perspectives of young people from other cultural circles. The course is drawn entirely in 2D with animated elements, and Alex has a voice generated by AI. Many points are interactive, requiring involvement from students. This is an absolute novelty among Polish universities!

The activities mentioned above were possible as part of the "Welcome Onboard" project implemented by the International Relations Office of the 91µÎµÎ, financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the Welcome to Poland programme (2022). The project is another step taken by the 91µÎµÎ towards better support and integration of international students thanks to providing them with the necessary tools and information to fully enjoy academic and cultural life in Lodz.

Moreover, welcome meetings were organised for new international students of the 91µÎµÎ on 2 and 5 October of the current year. They were held in Polish – for a group of over 400 students starting their studies in Polish and in English (two meetings) – for those starting their education within exchange programmes and in English language majors. During the meetings, all those interested learned about the process of finalising official procedures related to their stay in Poland, the structure of the university, where to direct their matters and to which units, and were invited to participate in the life of the academic community: student science clubs, sports sections or artistic activities. This year, the 91µÎµÎ International Relations Office has also prepared other interesting additional activities for students, such as sports competitions and a city game.

Another pleasant stage of the welcome was the integration in the Training and Conference Centre on Rogowska Street, where the International Relations Office, responsible for the newly admitted international students, and the 91µÎµÎ Vice-Rector for Internationalisation of Science and Education, Dr hab. Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Associate Professor at the 91µÎµÎ, inaugurated this year's party, i.e., a traditional barbecue for international students. It was also attended by the 91µÎµÎ mentors who were helping the newly admitted students in their first steps at the 91µÎµÎ for the last two weeks. In addition to eating and talking, about 450 participants could take part in outdoor games, competitions and quizzes, which were accompanied by a cheerful atmosphere despite the not-so-great weather conditions. We hope to see you again next year!

Source: International Relations Office, 91µÎµÎ
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, 91µÎµÎ 
Photos: Maciej Andrzejewski, Bartosz KaÅ‚użny (Communications and PR Centre, 91µÎµÎ)