Among the thousands of people employed in large and small companies in Krakow are many foreigners. One of them is Adrian, a student from Germany.

Despite the fact that Poland and Germany border each other, we are more likely to see Poles going west to study and work. Adrian breaks this rule. Find out why.

Welcome Centre: Hi Adrian! Good to see you!

Adrian: Hello! Thanks for having me on the project.

Welcome Centre: How did it happen that you found yourself in Poland? Can you tell us more about it?

Adrian: I originally come from the southern part of Germany. I arrived in Krakow about 18 months ago to start taking the first steps in my professional career. Since then, I have been working at StateStreet Bank International GmbH.

Welcome Centre: And how did you come to be at our University?

Adrian: I always felt that I wanted to leave Germany and spend part of my life in another country. In Poland, I saw easy job prospects in the field I wanted to work in and the best chance for rapid career development. However, I didn't want to give up on further education, so I looked around for part-time studies. Choosing KUE was easy, because I needed something that was flexible enough for me to continue working and that was close by. The part-time master’s programme was the perfect solution for me.

Welcome Centre: It’s great that you found such a combination. And despite Poland and Germany being so close, do you see any differences? Has anything surprised you?

Adrian: I came to Poland while it was still going through the pandemic. The surprise was that, while we had to wear masks almost everywhere in Germany, the rules in Poland were far more relaxed or were not followed as much. That held true for many aspects of life, not only mask mandates. Likewise with shopping. It took some time before I got used to local products. The obvious difference is also the language, though this wasn’t the biggest challenge as you can get by well enough with English. I had some trouble with university recruitment and official matters in general in Poland. Here, it often felt harder to get by with English compared to everyday activities.

Welcome Centre: So that would probably be something you would want to change at the university.

Adrian: This would probably require a broader change. But there are indeed a few things I would do differently. One improvement that immediately springs to mind is the university mail newsletter. I feel that I get way too many messages daily, and they are almost never in English either, so I have to translate them all just to find out if they are relevant to me.

Welcome Centre: Yes, we are also struggling to make a difference in this area too.

Adrian: But I can’t complain too much, so I will say that I like the University and the programme I’m studying. This combination of practice and learning is important to me.

Welcome Centre: So, do you think your Polish experience will be helpful to you in future?

Adrian: Yes, definitely. I feel like I have grown a lot as a person through living abroad and gained many new perspectives while doing so. Coming to Poland was definitely the right decision for me. I have an opportunity to develop professionally and academically. In my free time I can follow my passions: cooking, training and eSports, as well as politics, economics and sociology.

Welcome Centre: What would be your advice to other international students or applicants who are still hesitating or feeling uncertain about going abroad?

Adrian: If you feel that the world has more to offer than what you are used to at home, if you always had an urge to experience a different way of life and a foreign culture, then take the leap and find out. Living abroad can be an incredibly enriching experience and you have far more to gain than you have to lose.

Welcome Centre: And are you already thinking about what you will be doing after graduation?

Adrian: My dream is to live in East Asia for a while in the future. For now, that's the plan in my head.

Welcome Centre: Sounds great! So we are keeping our fingers crossed for your success!

Adrian: Thanks! And see you around campus!