About Poland
Poland is officially known as the Republic of Poland and is located in Central Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous member state of the European Union. Warsaw is the capital and largest city of the country. Other major cities in Poland include; Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Szczecin. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships. Poland is bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukraine to the east, Germany to the west and Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south. Poland also shares maritime boundaries with Denmark and Sweden as its north territory extends to the Baltic sea.
Poland is known to have one of the most healthy and richest cuisines in Europe. Poland has given rise to the culture of consuming healthy and organic products only. Kuchnia polska style of food preparation is very popular in Poland. Polish cuisines have also been influenced by other central European cuisines. Although typical Polish cuisine is enormously tasty. Some of Poland’s food are:
✓ Pierogi – Filled Dumpling.
✓ Gołąbki – Polish Stuffed Cabbage Recipe.
✓ Rosół – Authentic Polish Chicken Soup.
✓ Bigos – Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew.
✓ Żurek – Traditional Polish Soup.
✓ Sernik – Traditional Polish Cheesecake.
✓ Paczki – Polish Doughnuts.
✓ Ptasie mleczko – Bird’s Milk.
Poland is also known for its outstanding historical and cultural heritage that offer a wide range of attractions ranging from museums to UNESCO sites. Places to go for sightseeing in Poland include the following:
▪ The Wawel castle in Kraków: The very first UNESCO heritage site ever established, for centuries home to the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood. The Rynek (market square) in the Stare Miasto is the largest medieval square in Europe.
▪ Warsaw: The capital city is impressive for its history which is still present nowadays on the streets of the old city. Plenty of monuments lit commemorate the Heroic Uprising for the liberation of the city from the Nazi occupants during WWII.
▪ Wroclaw The former European capital of culture (2016) is home to several operas, theaters, and hundreds of iconic dwarfs along the streets! In the city’s colorful Rynek you’ll also find the oldest restaurant in Poland, Piwnica Świdnicka, which has welcomed famous visitors such as Pablo Picasso, among others.
International students also have the opportunity to learn Polish and this can be done by either enrolling in Polish language preparatory courses or by making friends with Polish citizens and conversing with them.
Why Study in Poland?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Affordable Cost of Living
The cost of living in Poland is relatively very affordable when compared with other European countries in the Schengen are and and EU. For example, monthly accommodation fees vary from €70-100 (dormitory) to €120-150 (per room in a shared students’ apartment) while monthly food expenses range from €70-90. Public transport also provides cheap tickets with a single ticket costing under €1 and a 24 hour ticket costing about €5
Work and Study
International students in Poland can work while studying at the same time. As a student there are opportunity for various paid or unpaid internships and depending on your field of training, you will not always need to be able to speak Polish. 20 hours of work per week are permitted during studies and 3 months of full time work are permitted during the summer holidays.
You Can Apply Without IELTS
IELTS is not always mandatory for international students to gain admission into some Polish institutions. Some of the universities that don't require IELTS include:
✓ University of Warsaw
✓ Jagiellonian University
✓ Warsaw University of Technology
✓ Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
✓ AGH University of Science and Technology
✓ Adam Mickiewicz University
✓ Warsaw University of Technology
Scholarship Availability
Poland provides a lot of government-aided as well as university scholarships to the EU and non-EU students. There are large number of institutions that provide scholarships through government, foundations and even universities themselves. Some of these include:
✓ Poland Scholarship Official Portal.
✓ Government of Poland Łukasiewicz Scholarship.
✓ University of Warsaw Scholarships.
✓ Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Scholarship.
✓ Ulam NAVA International Program.
✓ Lazarski University Scholarship.
✓ Erasmus Scholarships in Poland.
Extension After Study
International students have the opportunity to extend their temporary residence permit in order to seek employment.
Permanent Residence Permit
International students can apply for a permanent residence permit after living in Poland for at least 5 years.
High-Ranked Universities with High Quality Education
Due to Poland’s European traditions, standards and highly qualified academic staff, Poland has so many public and private universities that deliverhigh quality education. Polish certificates are globally and internationally recognized. Poland is also known to be a home of many well-known higher education institutions, with nearly 20 ranked in the top 1,000 worldwide. Some of the best universities in Poland include:
✓ Jagiellonian University: the oldest in Poland, located in Kraków.
✓ University of Warsaw: located in the capital, it’s the largest university in the country.
✓ Warsaw University of Technology: the second-most important higher education institution in Warsaw.
✓ AGH University of Science and Technology: another great university in Kraków, specialized in technical and engineering degrees.
Affordable Tuition Fees
International students consider Poland as a cheap and affordable option in comparison to other study destinations in Europe. The average fees vary from private universities to public universities but more or less it ranges between 1000 euros to 4000 euros per year.
Programs taught in English
Lots of Polish universities offer a wide range of English-taught courses to international students and the educational sector itself has been expanded tremendously since the last few years.