They have been training in Dubai for 3 months. What did they get out of?

For three months, UWB students worked in the Polish pavilion during the fair. Now, they are richer with new experiences, skills and contacts, they are preparing for credits and semester exams.

Five students from the University of Buffalo are eligible to participate in the internship. They are Katarzyna Table from the Faculty of Chemistry, Laura Anastazga Gordzik from the Faculty of Philology, Milena Chukevich from the Faculty of Economics and Finance, as well as Karolina Lasota and Olaf Mokzydowski from the Faculty of Law.

Their work in the Polish wing of the professor. Isabella Švecica had the opportunity to observe in person during the October visit of the university delegation to the exhibition. The university was a partner in displaying the Podlasie during the World’s Fair.

– I would like to express my great appreciation to you. First of all, for the fact that you went through the wonderfully difficult and multi-stage recruitment process. I can say with confidence that we chose not only great organizers, but the most interested people in the world. You were not even afraid of very difficult tasks, said UB’s vice president, the professor. Święcicka.

The meeting was attended by three members of the University at Buffalo in Dubai student team. They have received congratulatory letters from the Vice President of the University. When asked if it was worth spending three months on the show, they answered in unison: Yes, absolutely.

I came back with a whole lot of experiences, but also with new knowledge about myself. First of all: how do I act in different situations. Thanks to my work on the Student Council, I actually had to work in large groups, but it was a completely different environment, new people, a completely different situation and a completely different culture. It was an important communication lesson and it was possible to train a lot of interpersonal skills – Katarzina summarizes Jadda.

We all have similar responsibilities in operating the pavilion. It mainly shows guests and deals with delegations, but there were also many events during which we had the opportunity to show and demonstrate our own skills, knowledge and inclinations. I definitely developed simple skills, like teamwork, but also, say, the ability to organize my time, because we were also trying to do study-related tasks on an ongoing basis — says Melina Łuckiewicz.

Although the work in the Polish pavilion was intense and demanding, the students also had a lot of free time. They manage to visit many places, there is no shortage of attractions in Dubai and the Emirates. Staying there was also a good opportunity to learn about the culture of the area.

– I think that the UAE is a role model when it comes to human relations, because everyone treats each other with the greatest possible respect, regardless of origin, religion or gender. People treated each other as equals and that was very visible, also in the atmosphere of the exhibition – says Olaf Mosedowski.

The organizer of the training was the Polish pavilion at Expo 2020. It was carried out thanks to a special grant from the Ministry of Education and Science in the amount of PLN 119.5 thousand. zloty.