Theory, but also practice
Nicola Secci, who comes from a Polish-Italian family, decided to pursue his education in Poland. „I checked university rankings and online forums, but I also called individual universities”, recalls the third-year Applied Computer Science student at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. „Other people’s opinions were crucial for me because I didn’t know anyone in Poland, so I had to rely on information I found online and obtained over the phone”, he says.
Nicola explains that support for international students at Wrocław University of Science and Technology is of a very high standard. He praises the Centre for Domestic and International Relations as well as the activities of ESN (Erasmus Student Network). He is also actively involved in helping others: he is a co-founder of the PoloniaToMy.pl platform and the originator and organiser of „Studia in Polonia”, the largest higher education fair promoting Polish universities held in Rome. The event brought together 11 Polish universities, including the Medical University of Warsaw, AGH University of Kraków, Jagiellonian University and Warsaw University of Technology, along with dozens of students from Polish schools and young Italians interested in studying in Poland.
„When I came to Poland, I was prepared for the Italian model of higher education, where theoretical knowledge is the most important element. Poland is different. Knowledge is important, of course, but here practical experience matters as well. There are plenty of activities and events. Student research clubs receive funding, which allows students to develop their own projects. Our university is alive! It’s not just about attending lectures and going back to your dormitory to study. There are research clubs, student organisations, meetings and something is always happening”, Nicola explains. „Before coming to Poland, I knew I wanted to live in a student dormitory so I could meet people and… because it was inexpensive. In Italy, there are very few pormitories”, he adds.
Around 1,400 international students are currently studying at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, a ccounting for nearly 8% of the total student population. The largest groups come from Ukraine, India and Belarus.
