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Ready for the EXPO
- I am very proud that you were one of the few chosen to work in the Polish Pavilion. I warmly congratulate you on this achievement, said Vice-Rector for International Relations dr habil. Magdalena Barwiołek, NCU Prof. during a meeting with students who are about to start their six-month internships at the Expo in Osaka, Kansai.
Nine students of Japanese Studies will travel to Osaka: Jakub Narkun, Bartłomiej Sowa, Dominika Pospieszyńska, Andrzej Korkosz, Magdalena Żak, Emilia Kilanowska, Weronika Sadowska, Weronika Frątczak and Tomasz Zieliński. To qualify for the programme, they had to meet a number of requirements, including fluency in Japanese and English and experience in promotional activities and working in an international environment. For six months, they will work at the Expo - the largest and most prestigious economic, cultural and tourism event. It is to be held on the artificial island of Yumeshima on an area of 155 hectares, starting on 13 April and lasting until 13 October.
A total of 48 students selected from Polish universities will be working in the Polish Pavilion, so the group from the NCU is a large part of it. On Friday, 14 March, they were met by the Vice-Rector for International Relations, dr habil. Magdalena Barwiołek, NCU Prof. and the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Education, dr habil. Monika Wałachowska, NCU Prof. The meeting was also attended by mgr Wojciech Nowak, NCU's Department of Oriental Studies, and Anna Prykanowska, Deputy Head of the Department of International Partnerships and Educational Mobility. They mainly discussed the challenges, expectations and dreams of going to Japan. Prof. Magdalena Barwiołek emphasised how proud she was of the nine NCU students.
I sincerely hope that this six-month stay will bring you unforgettable impressions, acquaintances and aesthetic sensations. Make the most of this time and get the most out of your stay,' said Prof. Barwiołek.
The students are intensively preparing for the trip. They have already received training on the programme of accompanying events and on cultural and regional promotion. They also need training on the culture of working with clients in Japan and on diplomacy, which will be provided by staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The trip is planned for 8 April and is funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Polish science at the Expo
An important part of the promotion of Poland at the Expo will be the programme for the promotion of Polish science and education, prepared by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the National Agency for Academic Exchange, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency and the Ministry of National Education, and co-created by Polish universities and science institutions.
In order to achieve this, a special programme 'Kierunek EXPO' ('Destination EXPO') was launched to strengthen the international position of Polish higher education by initiating cooperation, presenting innovative projects and educational activities in Japan. Fifteen projects were selected from among 22 applications (for a total of almost PLN 5 million). Polish science will be represented at the Expo by: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Silesia, Poznań University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, University of Gdańsk, University of Warsaw, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Wroclaw University of Technology, and Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The Polish Academy of Sciences and one of its institutes will also make their presence felt in Japan: Robert Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery.
Their projects will be on display throughout the Expo, with a cumulation of events planned between 22 and 26 April - when science will fill the entire Polish Pavilion.
