The congress of Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program participants was held on May 10-12, 2017. Those who take part in 17th round of the program and study in various academic centers in Poland met in Nałęczów and Lublin, among other things to present their diploma theses.
The meeting was also a good opportunity to talk about the scholarship holder’s career paths they want to pursue after their stay in Poland, and how the knowledge gained and contacts made thanks to Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program can contribute to reaching their targets.
The Congress Guest was Elena Vetrova from Belarus, an alumnus of the 2003/04 program round, who referred in her presentation to the discussion about the future plans of the this-year program participants. Elena Vetrova told about her activities and projects in ecology she implemented in Belarus. Their implementation was possible thanks to contacts she established during her stay in Poland as a scholarship holder.
During the workshops the Kiklanders shared impressions from their stay in Poland. They paid special attention to such aspects as well developed city infrastructure, including public transport, or revitalization and promotion of the city brands. They also appreciated less formal relations of students and the academic staff, which they observed in Polish universities, or city residents willingness and ability to self-organize, as well as developed NGOs working for the benefit of the disadvantaged groups.
The scholarship holders listened also to a lecture given by Dr. Wojciech Janicki of the Institute of Social and Economic Geography at University of Marie Curie-Skłodowska on “Global conflicts – What do we Face?” The lecture triggered a lively discussion on the modern world conflicts which all have to do with the problems of access to water, oil deposits or fishing grounds, as well as with intercultural differences.
At the end of the congress the scholarship holders had an opportunity to learn the history of Lublin and its monuments, when they went on a guided sightseeing tour.
The meeting also made an opportunity to have individual conversations, exchange experiences and strengthen relations established among program participants studying in various academic cities.
The Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program has been implemented since 200. Its objective is to share Polish ex-periences in transformation and European integration with representatives from Eastern Europe, the Cauca-sus and Central Asia during two-semester complementary studies at Polish universities. Under individual study programs, the scholarship holders study selected aspects of economics and management, public admin-istration and business, law, social and political sciences, journalism, NGO management and culture manage-ment. In the current academic year 46 scholarship holders participate in the program. They represent the following 8 countries: Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Kirgizstan.
