Welcome Point – a photo report
Welcome Point with free Wi-Fi will operate at the University of Lodz Library at Matejki 32 until 8 October this year. The mentors on duty will communicate in English, as well as in other languages, depending on the mentor's nationality.
University of Lodz is among Polish universities that admit the largest number of international students. For years, the University of Lodz International Relations Office has been supporting newly arrived students in the difficult process of implementing operating principles of the university, as well as in seemingly prosaic issues related to everyday life, such as using public transport or health care.
Every student of the University of Lodz who starts studying here must face new challenges such as the organisation of classes, new subjects or the course of the examination session. Students from other countries face additional challenges, which most of us are not aware of, such as: lack of knowledge of Polish and the realities of life in Lodz and Poland, cultural differences and educational realities. For many of them, it is their first stay abroad or the first such a long trip away from home (studies last from one semester to several years) and a difficult separation from their families
– explains Liliana Lato, Head of the International relations Office at the University of Lodz.
The University of Lodz Welcome Point is a point that was missing on the map of our university. It is a place where students support students, so the information you can get here is practical and first-hand. Our mentors had to face all the challenges that await new students in the past. Apart from advice and support, we are here for anyone who wants to rest, relax or chat
– adds Filip Markowski, the University of Lodz student, Mentor from the Welcome Point.
To help international students find their way in the new reality, every year the University of Lodz International Relations Office employees organise welcome meetings for new students, as well as other integration activities, e.g. picnics, trips, Easter and Christmas meetings, as well as the beautiful and unique "Christmas Guest" campaign during which the University of Lodz employees invite international students to their family Christmas dinners.
The International Relations Office employees have managed to diagnose many of the challenges that newly arrived students face thanks to a survey conducted in the previous academic year. The study results indicate that students are satisfied with extensive institutional support, but they would also like more frequent contacts with peers and the exchange of experiences. Hence, among other things, the idea of creating a Welcome Point came up.
The University of Lodz Welcome Point has been created as part of the "Welcome Onboard" project financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the Welcome to Poland Programme (2022). Next year, we will also launch a Virtual Welcome Point and an interactive onboarding course for new international students of our university.
Source: International Relations Office, University of Lodz
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz, photo: Maciej Andrzejewski, Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz