Study in Poland!

Here are just a few reasons why you should consider studying in Poland …

Poland is a fascinating country and is the geographical and cultural crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe. Located at the center of the Northern European plain, the Poles have been a nation of survivors since the foundation of the first Polish state more than 1000 years ago. Through its turbulent history, the Polish people have managed to maintain their identity, and today, the country enjoys a crucial position as the largest of the former Eastern European states and one of the most populous members of the European Union.

Poland is a member of the European Union. Since joining the Schengen Area in 2007, there are no passport checks between Poland and it’s border countries; Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Lithuania. This means that once you have entered the Schengen Area, you can travel hassle-free between 24 countries without any overland or sea border passport controls, from Portugal to Poland and from Greece to Finland.

Thanks to its location, Poland occupies a special place in the European Union. Poland’s border on the river Bug became the EU’s eastern border and in a wider geographical and geopolitical sense Poland occupies a central position. As more and more foreign investment is shifted to Poland from Western Europe, as well as from the USA and Asia, Poland is preparing for an increase in foreign workers and immigrants from all over the world.

Polish institutions of higher education participate in international student exchange programmes and engage in bilateral agreements with other higher education institutions around the world.  Almost 200 Polish higher education institutions have been awarded the Erasmus University Charter and there has been an increase in the mobility of Polish students.

Poland’s education market has developed faster than any other in Europe during the last twelve years. The number of higher education institutions has increased five fold, while the number of students has quadrupled. Each year almost half a million young people enter university or college.

Polish academic traditions reach back to 14th century; some of Europe’s oldest universities can be found in Poland.  The Jagiellonian University of Cracow was established in 1364. Among the list of famous Poles are Nicholas Copernicus and Marie Skłodowska-Curie, both world renowned scientists.

Today, Polish universities continue the glorious traditions of their predecessors. Warsaw University is ranked first in the Top Coder international IT ranking, outperforming great institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A representative of Poland also leads the Top Coder individual ranking.

Polish universities offer high quality studies and are an integral part of the European education space. All leading universities offer programmes taught in English, which include studies in medicine, engineering, humanities, business and finance. Poland takes an active part in the Bologna Process, which facilitates the recognition of qualifications and study periods within Europe. Thanks to the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) students can be fully mobile, and continue education in other countries.

More information on Polish Higher Education: www.studyinpoland.pl

Poland in short

• Official name:  Republic of Poland /Rzeczpospolita Polska (short form: Poland/ Polska)
• Government type: republic
• Location: Central Europe
• Border countries: Belarus 416 km, Czech Republic 790 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 103 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 529 km
• Language: Polish
• Capital city: Warsaw
• Major cities: Gdańsk, Kraków, Łódź, Poznań, Wrocław
• Population: 38 116 000 (2012)
• Total area: 312 685 sq km (304 465 sq m – land, 8220 sq m – water)
• Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
• Local time: GMT + 1 hr
• Member of the European Union: Since 2004
• Religions: Roman Catholic 89,8%, Eastern Orthodox 1,3%, Protestant 0,3%, other 0,3%, unspecified 8,3%
• Monetary unit: zloty (PLN)