Tales of the Skazka Canyon, Turkish coffee and tea traditions, the history of the sports rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona – these were just a few of the topics at the integration evening for Erasmus+ winter semester students. This traditional gathering marked the highlight of the Orientation Days, during which participants from Spain, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Turkey, and Georgia toured the university, met with coordinators, and took part in an intensive Polish language course. At the integration evening in the "Rubikon" Student House, young people presented short talks about their universities and home countries, as well as shared their interests, allowing us to get to know their diverse passions and personalities.
Ismail A. Ibrahim, a physiotherapy student from Fenerbahçe University in Turkey, originally from Egypt, passionately shared insights into his country’s rich culture. He delivered a fascinating presentation on Egyptian mythology and traditional papyrus, followed by stories of his academic experiences, his self-founded scientific club, and numerous exchanges and projects related to physiotherapy.
Our partnership with Ala-Too International University in Kyrgyzstan has been ongoing for several years. This time, we hosted Elina Asekova, the first international law student from the Erasmus+ Program at our university. Dressed in traditional Kyrgyz attire, Elina introduced us to her country’s culture, illustrating her stories with colorful photos, including images from Issyk-Kul Lake and Skazka Canyon.
From the south of Spain, specifically Andalusia, Pedro, Juan, and Alejandra, representing the Faculty of Health Sciences, specializing in physical education, shared unique Spanish traditions and patiently answered questions about siestas, the history of the Alhambra, and the sports rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The largest group consisted of guests from Turkey, representing as many as 13 universities. Each of them spoke about their universities and home regions, bringing Turkish hospitality to life with traditions of coffee and tea, as well as a love for street cats. One of the participants even shared a local treat—lokum.
The evening concluded with a presentation by Dilges and Habab, English philology students from Aydın Adnan Menderes University. With humor and self-irony, they introduced their university and hometowns. Dilges, who hails from Hakkari, proudly spoke about his mountainous region, where winter temperatures drop to -35°C.
We wish each of our international guests much success in the upcoming winter semester and keep our fingers crossed for excellent grades!
