Paula

Scholarships available for foreign students in Lublin

Are you a foreign student looking for some scholarships to cover your tuition fee and costs of living in Lublin? – If so, then you should read the article!

Students with Polish origins have possibility to apply for scholarship of the “Polish Community” Association for Polish origin students. The scholarship is offered to students studying at Bachelor’s, Master’s and PHD programs. It is usually awarded for one semester but there is a possibility to prolong it depending on student’s academic achievements.

The Konstanty Kalinowski scholarship program is a good opportunity for Belarusian students to have their maintenance, accommodation, insurance and visa costs covered during 5 years of their studies. The scholarship is funded by the Polish Government and students don’t have to know Polish language to be awarded the scholarship.

Moreover, Visegrad Scholarship Program (VSP) is a great chance for incoming Master’s and PHD students. You have to be an outstanding student coming from the country included in the Scholarship program. For further information please check out the link here.

If you are a national of any of the Eastern Partnership member state then you are eligible for the Stefan Banach Scholarship. Particularly, the scholarship is available for students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The monthly allowance of the scholarship is 1350 PLN. More information about the eligibility criteria and deadline you can find on the following website.

The John Paul II Foundation Scholarships is open to individuals enrolled in BA, MA and PHD programs. The Scholarship is awarded for 9 months and covers accommodation in the John Paul II Foundation House (men) or a residence hall of the Catholic University of Lublin (women), living costs and administration fees. Please visit the webpage.

The “Fellowship Research & Experience” Scholarship Program is for students from EaP countries and Russia. It lasts from 2 to 6 months period. For further details please visit the page.

There are many other scholarships that you can apply for, but you have to keep your eye on deadlines and check websites frequently. It will be helpful to check out the Lublin official website that provides information about various scholarships.

In this article, we will give a short overview of some NGOs in Lublin, especially the ones working in the area of foreigners and/or students.

The Rule of Law Institute Foundation (Fundacja Instytut na rzecz Państwa Prawa): This is the NGO of which Login:Lublin is a part. The main aim of the foundation is to promote the development of Rule of Law in Poland, which is done focusing on ten main objectives. What is important for foreigners in Lublin is that we can help with the legal aspects of their stay, like for example visa related issues. Another interesting thing we do is offering lessons in Polish language for foreigners.

Centre for Support of Migrants and Refugees, Caritas Lublin (Centrum Pomocy Migrantom i Uchodźcom): This is a part of the Catholic charity “Caritas”. It offers support for asylum seekers and refugees in Poland, helps people in intercultural situations, offers psychological support, legal support and support with finding work and helps with the integration of foreigners.

Dla Ziemi: This organization has different projects, related to local communities – like for example helping improving the educational situation of village children – as well as projects related to foreigners, named “STRANGERS? Growing closer together” and “We want to live in Poland”, a project specifically related to female migrants and refugees is called “The voice of women”, it aims to increase the social participation of this group.

Homo Faber Association: This is a NGO mainly focusing on the issue of human rights protection and the relation between government and people. It tries to build up a civic society and also is focused on both historical &current multiculturalism and fighting with discrimination in different areas. They organize “welcome actions” for foreigners, publish a guide about living in Lublin which is also available in English, introduce the city to foreigners and teach foreigners Polish language and culture.

Volunteer Centre (Regionalne Centrum Wolontariatu w Lublinie): This organization was established in 1999. Since the moment of establishment it has 20.000 people in Lublin working as volunteers. It searches volunteers willing to help and tries to promote this kind of work. It tries to set up organizations and centers of volunteers/volunteering.

Sempre a Frente: The aim of this NGO is to help people to develop themselves. It wants to help people both young and old to get important social skills, which can help them on the labor market. It wants to promote social responsibility, initiative and enterprise. Also it promotes doing volunteer work and different kinds of education, because it sees this as a way for young people to gain skills. The NGO is divided into three parts; Personal Development Lab, Centre for Youth Information and Development and the Youth Actions Space. It has also projects related to Ukraine and Georgia.

We wish that this list will be useful for you, unfortunately we could not include all NGOs in Lublin, but we tried to mention some important ones.

Known and unknown squares of Lublin – The Andersen’s Theatre Square

Looking for an interesting place with the whole panorama of the city you should definitely visit the Andersen’s Theatre Square. Only few tourists know how beautiful view can be seen from that place. Our another virtual walk will provide us to the panorama of the city.

Presenting this little place, we should mention about the theatre itself. The Andersen Theatre have been called The Theatre of a Doll and an Actor. The theatre is situated in the part of the Dominicans’ monastery. The theatre is an interesting way of entertainment for children and youth. The performances are the mixture of playing actors and staging of dolls and puppets that are prepared for the play. In addition, in the theatre we can take part in a special lessons and seminars about literature and theatre. The lessons are not only for children and young people. There are some events prepared for the school teachers. It is worth checking the website of the theatre and look for something that interests you, your siblings or your own children.

In front of the theatre there is a stunning place owned by the Dominicans. The place is settled on a hill and that is why the panorama seen from this place is so magnificent. The place is so calm and quiet that you can forget about the noises of the city. You can sit on the big benches and have a rest. In the evenings, thousands of lights, lanterns and cars light up the whole panorama. In summers, there are movies and concerts played there but also you can take part in some seminars and some other cultural events. In spite of the fact that the place is surrounded by the old buildings, it gives the charm and romantic scenery for this place.

It is worth sitting in this interesting place. The sunny days are coming and people seek for calm places to forget about the noises and daily stuffs.

The next walk will be continued…

It may happen that you find yourself in a situation where your life, health or possessions or the one’s around you are in danger. It is not always that you will have enough strength or ability to react on your own. That’s why you should know basic phone numbers to call for help in case of emergency.

112 – is a general emergency number that you can dial directly from your mobile phone. Calling this number dispatcher will forward your application to the appropriate service, responsible for this kind of help.

Under this number you can notify about:

theft
break in/burglary
fire
road accident
cases of violence
sudden fainting and loss of consciousness
serious injury and heavy bleeding
electrocution
recognition of a person wanted by the police
other sudden situation threatening life, health, safety or public order

Provide the information on:

nature of the accident
place of occurrence
number and condition of people injured
your name and surname
your telephone number

Calling the emergency phone number remember to:

execute orders of the dispatcher,
precisely answer dispatcher’s questions
mention some characteristic point nearby if the place of the accident doesn’t have an address
stay on the line until the dispatcher confirms accepting your notification
keep your phone line unoccupied in case the dispatcher tries to call you back to verify the notification or to get more information

Remember!

The emergency calls are always recorded.

List of most important emergency telephone numbers:

999 – Ambulance

998 – Fire Brigade

997 – Police

994 – Water Supply Emergency

993 – Heating System Emergency

992 – Gas Emergency

991 – Electricity Emergency

981 – Road Assistance

986 – Municipal Police

988 – Helpline

Serhiy Pavlovskiy

PESEL number. How can you get this number?

As a foreigner, you often hear in Polish offices or other places the question of having a PESEL number.

In this article you will learn what a PESEL number is, and what it is used for.

PESEL is a specific registration system for people permanently staying in Poland. Each person receives a unique eleven-digit number that allows easy identification of the holder. Each of the 11 digits of the number has its own meaning. Your PESEL number will contain your date of birth (first 6 digits), serial number, indication of gender (for women last but one digit is even, and for men – odd) and a control number.

Will you need it and when?

A PESEL number is used for identification purposes only. You will need it e.g. while using medical services (examinations and treatment in the hospital), concluding contracts (renting an apartment, opening a bank account, signing a mobile phone contract) issuing other documents (driving license, bus pass) or paying taxes. However, if you haven’t got a PESEL number, in most cases, you can replace it with other information, e.g. the date of your birth or tax identification number (if you are subject to tax, e.g. due to the work you perform).

How can you get this number?

Before 1 May 2015 PESEL numbers were automatically assigned to each foreigner registering a permanent or temporary residence longer than 3 months. At present, these rules have changed.

If you stay in Poland on the basis of visa or temporary residence permit, you will have to apply for a PESEL number by yourself, indicating the specific provision of the law, which requires you to have this number (e.g. Art. 35 pt. 1 of the Act of August 20, 1997 on National Court Register Act).

The appropriate authority of municipalities responsible for notifying permanent or temporary residence will still automatically (ex officio) give you a PESEL number, but only if you stay in Poland on the basis of e.g.:

permanent residence permit
residence permit for a long-term EU resident
refugee status
subsidiary protection
asylum
permit for a tolerated stay
temporary protection
permit for humanitarian reasons

Serhiy Pavlovskiy

Starting from ancient times, many different fairs were taking place on the territory of Lublin. Every fair was a picturesque event in which took part not only citizens of Lublin, but a lot of foreigners. Atmosphere there was joy and fun. One of such a big and probably the most popular fair was (and is) the Jagiellonian Fair, held from 15 to 16 century. Today that old fair has transformed into an annual festival with different kinds of attractions and ways for spending free time.

During long time Lublin’s fairs were well-known all over the Eastern Europe. A lot of foreign merchants were coming here, although the main trading partners were still those living in Lublin or somewhere near Lublin. It was possible because of the crossroads of trade routes that led from Hungary to Lithuania, from Western Europe to Russia and the Hanseatic ports in Turkey. And Lublin was the heart for this way.

Local residents know that Jagiellonian Fair – is an extraordinary celebration of life. This is colorful show with music and theatrical parades. Here you can see the knights, street musicians. In this fair history intertwines with the present, tradition with the present-days elements. This action – the August meeting of culture. Generally whole Lublin – City of Culture, that’s is why it is not surprising that every month something connected to culture happens.

Jagiellonian Fair is divided into several parts, which makes it possible to share all the action on certain thematic segments. For example, the handicrafts fair, various workshops and exhibition of various handicrafts. There is also a musical part, a fair for children and others.

Particular entertainment gives Knight’s tournament for Silver leaf trees in Lublin. This is reconstruction of an ancient tournament of the 15th century. Knights from different countries, such as Austria, Ukraine, Poland compete in 10 different types of team competitions as well as in single battles.

Interestingly, even during the night fair continues its active work. Organizers always take care of a good rest and entertainment. That’s why there are held so-called night of dance, night performances and film screenings. You can also take part in different games that are stylized into medieval type. The organizer of this event is Warsztaty Kultury W Lublinie.

Today, like centuries ago, Lublin is an important place for meeting between East and West as the largest city on the eastern edge of the European Union, “Gates European Union to the East.” That is why Jagiellonian Fair – an event that brings cultures together.

More information you can find here