Visit of students from Artevelde University
From March 28 to April 1, 2022, for the first time, we hosted at our Faculty students and coordinators of the "Study Trip to 3city" program from Artevelde University of Applied Sciences.
The main theme of the "Study Trip to 3city" program was entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Our guests had the opportunity to listen to the lecture "Entrepreneurship from the perspective of Polish companies", led by Dr. Anna Sperska. The lecture was accompanied by a lively discussion and exchange of insights on the experiences of Polish and Belgian companies. It was extremely interesting to meet Ms Lidia Ziaja from the Export Department of Ziaja Polska, who talked about the success of the Ziaja brand on the international market, the implementation of the sustainable development strategy, as well as product innovations and innovative solutions in the field of business communication implemented by Ziaja Polska. The next item in this part of the program were creative workshops prepared and conducted by employees of the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park.
In turn, the simulation game "Giving Europe a Home", carried out with the participation of Artevelde University students and students of the Faculty of Economics, created a unique opportunity to learn and understand the specificity of the functioning of EU bodies and negotiations conducted within the framework of EU policies. The game was also a fantastic opportunity to build new relationships and bonds.
We are proud to emphasize that the involvement of students in the implementation of the planned activities and the substantive level of the discussions and sessions were very high.
Our guests from Artevelde visited the Old Town and the European Solidarity Center in Gdańsk, the cities of Gdynia and Sopot, as well.
The last point of the the agenda of Artevelde University's visit at the Faculty of Economics was the meeting of the coordinators of the "Study Trip to 3city" program and the coordinator for international cooperation from Artevelde University with representatives of the Department of International Business. The main purpose of the meeting was to work out a strategy for the development of further cooperation. The cooperation with Artevelde University of Applied Sciences is coordinated by dr Monika Grottel and dr hab. Joanna Bednarz, prof. UG.
We would especially like to thank Ms. Lidia Ziaja from Ziaja Polska, Mr. Tomasz Limon - President of the Management Board of "Employers of Pomerania" and Ms. Anna Schulz-Misiurska from Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańsk S.A. for commitment to the preparation and implementation of the "Study Trip to 3city" program.
Here is a summary of the visit sent by our friends from Artevelde University and students participating in the program:
The months of planning, online meetings, and the 6-day trip to Tri-City has just flown by. Six days of immersion in Polish history, culture, and how they influence business and entrepreneurial spirit of Polish people have shaped students’ perception of Poland.
The students of International Management at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences from Belgium did a guided tour, visited Solidarity Centre, strolled through the streets of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, took part in the design thinking workshops at Technological Park, but the key aspect of this trip was collaboration with our partner school, University of Gdańsk.
The students of Faculty of Economics at University of Gdańsk and International Management of Artevelde University of Applied Sciences listened to the lecture about entrepreneurship in Poland by dr Anna Sperska, participated in an online call with Ms Lidia Ziaja on sustainability and internationalisation at Ziaja company, and worked together for 2,5 days on a simulation game Giving Europe a home. Their engagement, cooperation, enthusiasm and participation is something that both universities can be proud of.
We would like to show our gratitude to dr hab. Joanna Bednarz and dr Monika Grottel for helping us in preparations and organization of our stay. Their expertise, openness, enthusiasm and big hearts made them dream hosts for our group.
Students of International Management at Artevelde wanted to say a big thank you. Below you can read what they wrote:
A mind opening experience with a diverse group of people coming from different cultures.
I liked the University and the teachers and students were really nice. I enjoyed doing the simulation game and collaborating with students.
I made some great friendships and it was really nice to get introduced to debating and creating coalitions was also interesting.
I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in this amazing project!
Opportunities in sight!
An unforgettable experience!
An enlightening and fun cooperative game, with a diverse and international crowd!
I found it interesting to cooperate with students from different places, and to approach the game from a point of view that wasn’t my own.
Thanks for making my first trip ever outside Belgium a memorable one. I really enjoyed the collaborative game we had with the students and lecturers of University of Gdańsk. They were so open and easy to work with!
Great school with devoted teachers and amazing hospitality.
It was an exciting trip full of not only studying, but also new experience, culture and lovely people.
Thank you for introducing us to your country
Thank you for the experience
Thank you for the new set of friends
And yes, I will surely go back for more. I haven’t made enough of your people and culture yet!
We will definitely come for more, so instead of goodbye, we would like to say thank you and see you soon!
Paulina Christiaens
Eef Scheerlinck
Eef Hast
And a few more words from the students of the Faculty of Economics participating in the program:
One of the best experiences I've ever had at uni. In such a short time we met so many open-minded new people, it was really extraordinary.
Great opportunity to meet new people and work on communicational skills. The media guy was the
highlight of whole game, greetings buddy
The project was a great experience overall. The guest team was really open minded and engaged in every activity in a positive manner which made the simulation more enjoyable.
All students were really engaged what made the game serious and educational. It was also an interesting experience to try to adopt the perspective of a party with different political views than ours. The game showed us well what are the obstacles and problems occuring in the EU parliament.
I enjoyed the game and the experience of meeting students from Belgium. The game was interesting and it taught me how the process of proposing amendments, forming coalitions, etc work.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!
