At the beginning of July, we, Georgiana and Erica, were luckily selected to participate in the UniSafe Intensive Study Program, which happened between 11th and 15th July in the lovely Krakow, Poland. We were delighted to have been there as representatives of both ’Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ University of Iași and ESN Iași.
It was a five-day summer school that took place at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (being founded in 1364, this makes it one of the oldest universities in the world) and gathered together students from all corners of Europe – Pavia and Bologna (Italy), Edinburgh (UK), Granada (Spain), Poitiers (France), Coimbra (Portugal) and, of course, Iași (Romania) – in order for them to share experiences regarding the safety and security while in a mobility.
We can say that our time in Krakow went by very quickly, even though the summer school lasted 5 days. In the first day, we got acquainted with the programme, the city and with the people that were going to be our friends for the next days – the other students, but the trainers as well. We saw the highlights of Krakow through a guided tour and took a Survival Polish course, where we learned basics of language and culture – so we could say ’ Hello’, ’ Goodbye’, ’Thank you’, and get smiles from the Polish retailers.
The second day was pretty full and productive, since we were presented the theoretical part (module on Cultural Awareness), as well as the practical one. We visited the JU Disability Support Service, where we participated in a workshop sensibilizing to the needs of students with disabilities and we got a better grasp and understanding of the difficulties they may go through during a mobility. We ended the day with a workshop on First aid training and we learned how to perform CPR. With this being the last activity on the agenda, the only thing that remained was for us, the students, to get to know each other better and create bonds that could last a lifetime.
On Wednesday we continued with another module regarding context and personal risk awareness and with the second part of the First aid training. We also participated in a role-play workshop; this last activity was meant to put us in the shoes of an Erasmus student with an irrecoverable disease asking for a doctor’s advice, in order to prescribe the student what to carry with them while in a mobility. During the workshop, we also had to put together the first aid kit for the student, as well as to create a daily schedule for them.
We ended the day with a relaxing movie about Erasmus mobilities and how easily they can change our lives.
Thursday was the last day of theoretical modules, where we discovered many ways to maintain the safety on work sites, especially in the archeological field. Also, as a practical activity, we visited Malopolska Biotechnology Center in order to get a few insights on safety while working in a laboratory.
We could not miss a short trip to the lake near the laboratory, perfect for us, the students, to connect even more at the end of the day.
Friday was for a feedback session in which we had the chance to express our thoughts on the days we spent together. This day was full of different emotions that moved all of us. Along with a certificate and a unique message for each student from the trainers, all of us remained with many unforgettable memories, group pictures and useful information that we will certainly use in our future mobilities.
We are extremely thankful for joining this programme, for meeting so many open – minded people and we are excited to apply all the knowledge that we recently gained.
Authors: Doroftei Georgiana, Filote Erica
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