Polish aid

The scholarship holders were also greeted by representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej – NAWA) who, along with the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and higher education institutions, are involved in the implementation of the programme.

The organisers of the ceremony prepared lectures, a presentation about Poland, and a Q&A session for the participants. During a lecture titled “How to take care of your mental health every day in extraordinary times?”, Marta Porębiak, PhD, an expert and psychologist from the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, told the scholarship holders how to deal with negative emotions such as apathy and frustration. Another lecture, titled “Where am I going? – or how everyday decisions influence our life”, given by Martyna Kwiatkowska, a coach, will help the participants consciously manage their academic career in Poland. The scholarship holders also had an opportunity to find out what places in Poland are worth visiting or seeing. They learned interesting facts about our country’s history and culture, as well as everyday life in Poland.

NAWA offers scholarship assistance to 800 beneficiaries from Belarus who will study at over 70 Polish higher education institutions over the next months. The most popular subjects are management and information technology. Support for Belarusian students and scientists is one of the components of the Solidarity with Belarus aid package that Poland announced in August 2020.