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Contents 2
Chapter 1 Basic Information about the partner countries 3
Basic information about Finland 3
Basic information about Hungary 7
Basic information about Spain 10
Basic information about Slovakia 12
Basic information about Poland 15
Chapter 2 A tertiary education in partner countries 22
Education in Finland 22
Universities in Finland 24
Hungarian tertiary education system 25
Tertiary education in Spain 28
Tertiary education, universities in Slovakia 31
Education in Poland 33
The Higher Education Institutions in Poland 34
The most popular faculties to study in Poland over last 5 years and career paths you can take
37
Ten best universities in Poland 41
Chapter 3 Employment issues 44
Unemployment in Europe and in Poland 44
Employment issues – national and local levels 49
Reasons for unemployment in Spain 50
What steps should be taken? 50
Chapter 4 Business Etiquette 51
Business etiquette in Spain 55
Addressing a person 55
Dress code 55
Time and punctuality 55
At school 56
Meeting and greeting 56
Conversation 55
Business meals 56
Manners and customs 57
Giving presentations in public 57
Preparation 57
Impression 58
Verbal and non – verbal language 58
Confidence 58
Coping with nerves 58
Chapter 5 Disability issues 60
Chapter 6 First aid 67
Chapter 7 My Comenius experience 73
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Chapter 1 Basic Information about the partner countries
Basic information about Finland
Finland is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. In 2012
Finland's population was around 5.4 million. Helsinki is the capital of Finland. Other large
cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti ja Kuopio.
Here’s a list of interesting places worth visiting that are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage
Sites:
Sammallahdenmäki is a Bronze age burial site in Finland in Lappi municipality. It is one of
the most important Bronze Age sites in Scandinavia.
Suomenlinna is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands (Kustaanmiekka, Susisaari,
IsoMustasaari, PikkuMustasaari, LänsiMustasaari and Långören) and which now forms part
of the city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
Old Rauma is the wooden city centre of the town of Rauma. The oldest buildings date from
the 18thcentury, as two fires of 1640 and 1682 destroyed the town. Most buildings are
currently inhabited andowned by private individuals, although along the two main streets and
around the town square they aremainly out side in business use.
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SantaPark (not on the UNESCO list) is an amusement park and visitor attraction near
Rovaniemi inthe Lapland region of Finland. The park is designed to emulate the cavern
residence of Santa Claus onthe Arctic circle. Popular culture often depicts Santa Claus (or
joulupukki in Finnish) coming from Lapland. Therefore, tourists come every year to
Rovaniemi to meet Santa Claus.
Languages
Finnish and Swedish are the two official languages of Finland. Finnish is a member of the
Finnic group of the Uralic family of languages. The Finnic group also includes Estonian and
a few minority languages spoken around the Baltic Sea.
Some examples:
Hello = Moikka
Good Morning = Hyvää huomenta
How are you? = Mitä kuuluu?
I’m fine, thanks = Hyvää, kiitos
Finland’s national anthem was originally written in Swedish by Johan Ludvig Runeberg and it
goes like this:
Oi maamme, Suomi, synnyinmaa,
soi, sana kultainen!
Ei laaksoa, ei kukkulaa,
ei vettä rantaa rakkaampaa,
kuin kotimaa tää pohjoinen,
maa kallis isien!
Sun kukoistukses kuorestaan
kerrankin puhkeaa,
viel lempemme saa nousemaan
sun toivos, riemus loistossaan,
ja kerran, laulus synnyinmaa
korkeemman kaiun saa.
Oh our land, Finland, land of our birth,
rings out the golden word!
No valley, no hill,
no water, shore more dear
than this northern homeland,
precious land of our fathers.
Your splendour from its shell
one day will bloom;
From our love shall rise
your hope, glorious joy,
and once your song, fatherland
higher still will echo.
Jean Sibelius (8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957)
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Jean Sibelius (born Johan Julius Christian
Sibelius) was a Finnish composer of the
late Romantic period. His music played an
important role in the formation of the
Finnish national identity. Sibelius was born
in Hämeenlinna in the Russian Grand
Duchy of Finland, the son of Swedish
speaking doctor Christian Gustaf Sibelius
and Maria Charlotta Sibelius née Borg.
Although known by the typical Finnish and
Swedish name "Janne" to his family,
during his student years he began using the
French form of his name, "Jean", inspired
by the business cardof his seafaring uncle.
He is now universally known as Jean
Sibelius. In addition to the symphonies,
Sibelius's bestknown compositions include
Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste,
the Violin Concerto in D minor and The
Swan of Tuonela (one of the four
movements of the Lemminkäinen Suite).
Sibelius composed prolifically until the
mid1920s. However, after completing his
Seventh Symphony (1924), the incidental
music to The Tempest (1926), and the tone
poem Tapiola (1926), he produced no large
scale works for the remaining thirty years
of his life. Although he is reputed to have
stopped composing, he in fact attempted to
continue writing, including abortive efforts
to compose an eighth symphony. He wrote
some Masonic music and reedited some
earlier works during this last period of his
life, and retained an active interest in new
developments in music, although he did
not always view modern music favorably.
Tove Jansson (9 August 1914 – 27 June 2001)
Tove Marika Jansson was a Swedish
speaking Finnish novelist, painter,
illustrator and comic strip author. Brought
up by artistic parents, Jansson studied art
from 1930 to 1938 in Stockholm, Helsinki
and then Paris. Her first solo art exhibition
was in 1943. At the same time, she was
writing short stories and articles for
publication, as well as creating the
graphics for book covers and other
purposes. She continued to work as an
artist for the rest of her life, alongside her
writing. Jansson is best known as the
author of the Moomin books for children.
The first such book, The Moomins and the
Great Flood, appeared in 1945, though it
was the next two books, Comet in
Moominland and Finn Family
Moomintroll, published in 1946 and 1948
respectively, that brought her fame. Here’s
a quote from the book Moominvalley in
November:
“Lie on the bridge and watch the water
flowing past. Or run, or wade through the
swamp in
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your red boots. Or roll yourself up and
listen to the rain falling on the roof. It's
very easy to enjoy yourself.”
― Tove Jansson, Moominvalley in
November
And here’s a link to a series of
moomintrolls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUim
RPULBKU
Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology is the mythology that goes with Finnish paganism which is still
practiced by the Finnish people. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian
mythology and its nonFinnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians. Some of their
myths are also distantly related to the myths of other FinnoUgric speakers like the Samis.
Finnish mythology survived within an oral tradition of mythical poemsinging and folklore
well into the 19th century.
Although the gradual influence of surrounding cultures raised the significance of the skygod
in a monolatristic manner, the father god "Ukko" (Old Man) was originally just a nature spirit
like all the others. Ukko was a god of the sky, weather, and the crops. He was also the most
significant god in Finnish mythology and the Finnish word for thunder, "ukkonen" (little
Ukko) or "ukonilma" (Ukko's weather), is derived from his name. In the Kalevala he is also
called "ylijumala" (overgod), as he is the god of things of the sky. He makes all his
appearances in myths solely by natural effects when invoked.
Of the animals, the most sacred was the bear, whose real name was never uttered out loud,
lest his kind be unfavorable to the hunting. The bear ("karhu" in Finnish) was seen as the
embodiment of the forefathers, and for this reason it was called by many euphemisms:
mesikämmen ("meadpaw"), otso ("browed one"), kontio ("dweller of the land"), lakkapoika
("cloudberry boy"), metsän kultaomena ("the golden apple of the forest") but not a god.
Tuonela was the land of dead. It was an underground home or city for all the dead people, not
only the good or the bad ones. It was a dark and lifeless place, where everybody slept forever.
Still a brave shaman could travel to Tuonela in trance to ask for the forefathers' guidance. To
travel to Tuonela, the soul had to cross the dark river of Tuonela. If he had a proper reason,
then a boat would come to take him over. Many times a shaman's soul had to trick the guards
of Tuonela into believing that he was actually dead.
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Basic information about Hungary
Flag:
The Hungarian flag changed a lot in the course
of history. At first it was only red and white.
The green was added in the XV. century. All
three colours have their own meaning: the red
means strength the white means loyalty and the
green means hope.
The flag we use today became official in 1990.
The red, white and green stripes are equally
wide without crest.
Language:
Hungarian language belongs to the Finno-Ugrian family of laguages. At the beginning our
language seperated from its closest relatives and started to develop on its own.
After Hungary became catholic latin had a huge influence on our language. We use the latin
alphabet in our own version of it. For a very long time latin was our official language.
From 1790 to 1820 we started to broaden our vocabulary and we changed the we we write our
words. This process is called neology.
Hungarian first became official in 1836 besides latin. It became our only official language in
1844.
The Hungarian alphabet:
a á b c cs d dz dzs e é f g gy h i í j k l ly m n ny o ó ö ő p q r s sz t ty u ú ü ű v w x y z zs
A Á B C Cs D Dz Dzs E É F G Gy H I Í J K L Ly M N Ny O Ó Ö Ő P Q R S Sz T Ty U Ú Ü
Ű V W X Y Z Zs
National Anthem:
Hungary’s first anthem was a song called
Boldogasszony Anyánk. Then in the XIX. century
when we were part of the Habsburg Empire our anthem
was the same as theirs which was Gott erhalte Franz,
den Kaiser composed by Joseph Haydn.
Our current national anthem (Himnusz) was declared
official in 1989. It’s a poem set into music. The poem
was written by Ferenc Kölcsey in 1823.
Legend:
The legend of the White Stag
It’s a pagan legend that discusses the process of settlement of
the hungarians.
According to the lengend there were two brothers called
Hunor and Magor whose descendants are the huns and the
hungarians. While they were hunting in the woods a deer
showed up in front of them and led them to a new land. The
legend says that the deer was sent by one of their gods to show
them the way to their new homeland. The brothers followed the
deer and they settled down on a place we call
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Hungary today.
Famous Hungarian figures:
I. Stephen (997-1038)
He was Hungary’s first king. He was
raised in catholic mentality, he brought
christian faith into our country. During his
reign Hungary went through a lot of
changes and started to develop. This
process granted
Hungary enough power
to remain a strong and
independent country.
Sándor Petőfi: (1823-1849)
Hungarian poet, revolutionist, national hero.
One of the most outstanding figue of the hungarian poetry. He took a very
important part in the revolution in 1848. He wrote the poem called
Nemzeti Dal (National Song) that had a huge influence on the rebellious
crowd.
He died in a battle against the Habsburg Empire.
A piece of literature:
Petőfi Sándor: Nemzeti Dal
Talpra magyar, hí a haza!
Itt az idő, most vagy soha!
Rabok legyünk vagy szabadok?
Ez a kérdés, válasszatok!
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!
Sándor Petőfi: National Song
On your feet now, Hungary calls you!
Now is the moment, nothing stalls you,
Shall we be slaves or men set free
That is the question, answer me!
By all the gods of Hungary
We hereby swear,
That we the yoke of slavery
No more shall wear.
Population:
Our current population is 9 908 798 people. Our population involves people came from
different nationalities like germans, slovakians, romanians, croatians, serbians and gypsies.
The top 5 major cities:
Budapest is our largest city and
Hungary’s capital. Most of the citizens
live here. There are lots of interesting
tourist attractions to see, for example:
The Castle of Buda, The Heroes’
Square and the Chain Bridge.
Debrecen: Our second biggest city.
When you are in Debrecen it’s worth visiting the Zoo of Debrecen, the Hortobágy National
Park and the annual Flower Carnival.
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Szeged: The third largest city in Hungary. In Szeged you can visit the Dóm Square, the
Votive Church and the University ofSzeged which is also worth visiting.
Miskolc: Hungary’s fourth biggest city. You can visit the Zoo and Cultural Park of Miskolc,
the Old Wooden Church and the Cave baths of Miskolctapolca in Miskolc.
Interesting places:
Hortobágy National Park – Puszta:
The cultural landscape of the Hortobágy Puszta consists
of a vast area of plains and wetlands in eastern
Hungary. Traditional forms of land use, such as the
grazing of domestic animals, have been present in this
pastoral society for more than two thousand years. It is
part of the Tisza plain of eastern Hungary.
Old Village of Hollókő:
Hollókő is an
outstanding example of a deliberately preserved traditional
settlement. This village, which developed mainly during the
17th and 18th centuries, is a living example of rural life before
the agricultural revolution of the 20th century.
Hollókő also known for its traditional clothing style and Easter
customs.
Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs:
In the 4th century a remarkable series of decorated
tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman
provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pécs). These are
important both structurally and architecturally, since
they were built as underground burial chambers with
memorial chapels above the ground.
Millenary Benetictine Abbey of Pannonhalma:
The first Benedictine monks settled down here in
996. They were evangelizing the Hungarians, they
found the country's first school and in 1055 they
wrote the first document in Hungarian. From the
time of its founding, this monastic community has
promoted culture throughout central Europe.
The Historic Wine Region of Tokaj:
The cultural landscape of Tokaj
graphically demonstrates the long tradition
of wine production in this region of low
hills and river valleys. It’s located at the
foothills of the Zemplén Mountains in
Northern-Eastern Hungary.
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Basic information about Spain
Spain is situated in south-western Europe and occupies almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. It
has a population of 47.190.493 inhabitants. Its government structure is a parliamentary
monarchy.
Its anthem is The royal march. Spain's national anthem is one of the oldest in Europe and its
origins are unknown. Spain is divided into 17 regions and two territorial divisions.
MAJOR CITIES MADRID: The capital and largest city in
Spain. It has got approximately 3.3 million
people and in Madrid metropolitan area
there is a population of 6.5 million. It is the
third-largest city in the European Union,
after London and Berlin.
BARCELONA: The capital of Catalonia
the second largest city in Spain, after
Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537. It
is also the largest Spanish city in the
Mediterranean sea. It is located on the
north-east Mediterranean coast between
the rivers Llobregat and Besòs.
INTERESTING PLACES WORTH VISITING SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Santiago de Compostela is located in the north-west of Spain, in Galicia. With its
Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the world's
most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb of St James
and the cathedral. Lots of pilgrims go there to see the tomb of the apostle Saint James the
Greater, Santiago.
LA ALHAMBRA
It is one of Spain’s major tourist attractions. Alhambra means Red Female because the
building reflects the colour of red clay. It was built as a small fortress in the 9th century and
later became the emir’s palace. When the Catholic Monarchs reconquered Granada in
1492,Christian rulers started to use it.
LANGUAGE Spanish is spoken by more than 400 million people around the world and it is one of the most
important languages in business and in the cultural scene.
In some places the word Castilian Spanish is used to refer to standard Spanish. That is
because of the region of Castille. In fact, Spanish originated in northern Spain as a
continuation of spoken Latin. In Spain there are a lot of dialects but we can’t confuse these
with other languages in Spain, for example, Extremaduran or Andalucian would be dialects
and Catalonian and Basque would be different languages.
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FAMOUS PEOPLE It very difficult to choose only two famous people in Spain because there are a lot of people
who are good at doing specific things, so we would highlight some well-known people in
different areas:
Pedro Almodóvar is one of the best film director in Spain. In 2012, his film “The Skin I Live”
received four Goyas and also won an Oscar award for “All about my mother”
Diego Velázquez was a Spanish painter, one of the most important painters of the Spanish
Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important
as a portrait artist. One of his most known works is “Las Meninas”
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish sculptor and painter and he is also known for co-founding the
Cubist movement. His best works were “Guernica”, “Las señoritas de Avignon”
or“Maternidad”.
LITERATURE We can find some well known writers:
Miguel de Cervantes: He was a novelist, poet and playwright and considered to be the greatest
in Spanish literature and universally known for writing Don Quixote.
Antonio Machado: He was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish
literary movement known as Generación del 98. He was born in Seville and in his poetry
career, there are three stages:“Soledades”(1899-1907), “Campos de Castilla” (1907-1917),
“Nuevas canciones” (1917-1930)
Federico García Lorca: He was a Spanish poet. Nowadays he is the most
widely read Spanish poet of all time. His major works were: “Impressions
and Landscapes” (1918), “Book of poems” (1921), “Poem of Deep Song”;
written in 1921 but unpublished until 1931. He was murdered in the Spanish
civil war.
LEGEND OF LA SERRANA DE LA VERA It is a widely spread legend from Extremadura about a woman who was
cheated by her lover. As he refused to marry her, she ran away, broken-
hearted, to live in the mountains. “La serrana” hid in a cave and every man
who passed by her was seduced and murdered. It happened to all men
except one who managed to escape and report it to the authorities. Eventually, she was
sentenced to death.
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Basic information about Slovakia
Slovakia is one of the smallest countries in
Europe and it is situated in the heart of
Europe. The population of Slovakia is
about five millions. The capital of Slovakia
is Bratislava and it lies on the banks of the
river Danube. Slovakia is divided into
eight regions - Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín,
Nitra, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Košice and
Prešov. Our national language is Slovak.
The Slovak flag is formed by three parallel
stripes (white, blue, red), and by the
Slovak state emblem – double cross.
The national anthem is “Nad Tatrou sa
blýska” written by Janko Matuška (1844)
You can listen to the national anthem at
this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UALq
d8t3YxY
INTERESTING PLACES WHICH ARE WORTH VISITING
Orava castle It is a treasure of the history of Orava and
still attracts thousands of tourists every
year. This castle is situated on 112m high
cliff above the river Orava, in the village
Oravský Podzámok. The first document
about it comes from the year 1267. There
are still impressive exhibitions, e.g. the
Castle Chapel, the Knight´s Hall, the
Picture Gallery, the Natural Science
Exhibition.
Gothic Wooden Roman-Catholic Church of All Saints
It is from the 15thcentury. It was awarded by the EUROPA NOSTRA PLAQUE in 1993
and this monument was included in the list of European Cultural Heritage. It has a
beautiful wooden altar with patrons of the church. Today, the church is used only
occasionally, e.g. for weddings but its main purpose is to serve tourists.
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Dobšinská Ice Cave Dobšinská Ice Cave belongs to the most
important ice caves in the world. Since
2000 it has been inscribed on the World
Heritage List. This cave has the glaciated
part at elevations from 1,100 to 1,120
metres above the sea level, the
monumental glaciations of the Dobšinská
Ice Cave persist for thousands of years at
elevations only 920 to 950 metres.
Vlkolínec
Vlkolínec is a small village situated at the
foot of a mountain in the north of Slovakia.
This village is situated in the district of the
town Ružomberok in Žilina region. It is a
conservation area of folk architecture. You
can find here classical wooden block
houses typical for central Europe. This
village has been included to UNESCO
World Heritage Site since 1993.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav
Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav was born in
Vyšný Kubín. He was and still is a very
famous Slovak poet, playwright, novelist,
translator, lawyer, and honorary President
of Slovak Matica. Hviezdoslav is one of
the leading personalities of Slovak
literature and culture in Slovakia, he
belonged to among the most important
leaders in Slovak literature. There are also
many squares, streets, a village and even a
waterfall which are named by him.
In the art, we also have an artistic competition in poetry and prose called “Hviezdoslavov
Kubin”.
Among his best known masterpieces we include:
- Letorosty I., II., III.
- Krvavé sonety
- Hájnikova žena
- Ežo Vlkolínsky
- Herodes a Herodias
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Juraj Jánošík
He is considered as a Slovak legend and
national hero. He was a robber who took
money the rich people and gave it to the
poor ones. He grew up in Terchová in a
solitude, in the family whose name was
repeatedly on the serf lists. According to
the Slovak folk legend Juraj Jánošík and
his retinue lived in the forests between
Žilina and Liptovský Mikuláš. According
to the Polish legend he was also looting in
Poland. He was so called “Slovak Robin
Hood”. Jánošík became very famous not
only in Slovakia. He was also known in the
Czech Republic.The Poles use to call him
“hero of the Tatras”.
Ľudovít Štúr
He was the Slovak national revivalist,
politician, philosopher, historian, linguist,
teacher, writer, poet, journalist and editor.
In 1843 he codified the Slovak literary
language based on the Central Slovak
dialects. He was one of the leading
participants in the Slovak National
Uprising.
Blessed Sister Zdenka
Zdenka Schellingová was a Slovak nun.
She belonged to the Sisters of Mercy
Order. It was the order of the Holy cross
pursuit by the Catholic Church in the
Czech-Slovakia. Zdenka Schellingová was
born in Krivá in Orava, as the tenth of
eleven children. Her original name was
Cecilia. Cecilia decided for religious life
very discreetly. In her fifteen, she joined to
the Sisters of Saint Cross Order in the
Podunajské Biskupice. She decided to
dedicate whole her life to God.
15
Basic information about Poland
Location: Poland, an East Central European nation, borders six countries: Germany, Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania. Its Baltic Sea coast spans 328 miles.
Population:38,192,000
Capital: Warsaw
Currency: Złoty (PLN), View Polish coins and Polish banknotes.
Language and Alphabet: The Poles have their own language, Polish, which uses the Latin
alphabet with a few extra letters, namely the letter ł, pronounced like the English. Locals
usually also know a little German, English, or Russian. German will be more readily
understood in the west and Russian more in the east. Polish has the second largest number of
speakers among the Slavic languages after Russian.
Religion: The Poles are devoutly religious with almost 90% of the population identifying
themselves as Roman Catholic. To most Poles, being Polish is synonymous with being
Roman Catholic.
Poland History and Culture Facts
The name "Poland" originates from the name of the tribe "Polanie" which means "people
living in the open fields". Poland first became a unified entity in the 10th century It's first
documented ruler was Mieszko I in the 10th century. From the 14th to the 18th centuries,
Poland and neighboring Lithuania were politically united. The constitution established in the
late 18th century is a monumental event in European history. The next hundred years saw a
Poland divided by those who would control its territory Russia, Prussia, Austria, but Poland
was reconstituted during WWI. Poland was heavily affected by WWII, and today it's possible
to visit some of the Nazi camps established there for the purpose of mass extermination of
groups of unfavorable individuals, including Jews, Roma, and the disabled. The Katyń
Massacre records the murder of some 22,000 of Poland's finest soldiers, academics,
professionals and business owners in the 1940 by the Soviet Secret Police who were buried in
the Katyń Forest in what is today Russia. In the 20th century, a communist regime with close
ties to Moscow ruled until the 1990s, when communism's collapse reverberated through East
and East Central Europe.
The highest mountain in Australia was named in 1840 by Polish explorer Paul Edmund
Strzelecki as Mount Kosciuszko because of the mountain's resemblance to the Kosciuszko
Mound in Krakow. Kraków was the headquarters and the place of coronation of Polish kings
and the nation's capital from 1038 until the move to Warsaw in 1596. Poles represent the
biggest number of people by nationality to rescue Jews during the German Nazi-organised
Holocaust, up to around 450,000 from certain death. Poland holds the world record with the
most people at 6,135 being awarded the title of Righteous among the Nations by the State of
Israel.
16
Dąbrowski's Mazurka (national anthem
of Poland)
Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła,
Kiedy my żyjemy.
Co nam obca przemoc wzięła,
Szablą odbierzemy.
Marsz, marsz Dąbrowski,
Z ziemi włoskiej do Polski.
Za twoim przewodem
Złączym się z narodem.
Przejdziem Wisłę, przejdziem Wartę,
Będziem Polakami.
Dał nam przykład Bonaparte,
Jak zwyciężać mamy.
Marsz, marsz...
Jak Czarniecki do Poznania
Po szwedzkim zaborze,
Dla ojczyzny ratowania
Wrócim się przez morze.
Marsz, marsz...
Już tam ojciec do swej Basi
Mówi zapłakany -
Słuchaj jeno, pono nasi
Biją w tarabany.
Poland has not yet perished,
So long as we still live.
What the alien force has taken from us,
We shall retrieve with a sabre.
March, march, Dąbrowski,
From the Italian land to Poland.
Under your command
We shall rejoin the nation.
We'll cross the Vistula and the Warta,
We shall be Polish.
Bonaparte has given us the example
Of how we should prevail.
March, march...
Like Czarniecki to Poznań
After the Swedish occupation,
To save our homeland,
We shall return across the sea.
March, march...
A father, in tears,
Says to his Basia:
"Listen, our boys are said
To be beating the tarabans."
The Dragon from Wawel
Centuries ago there lived in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill in Cracow a most horrible fire-
belching dragon, a monster that ravaged the nearby meadows by devouring grazing cattle. The
bravest knights tried to overcome the dragon in vain Even before they could took out their
swords the fire from the beast's mouth killed them, so that one after another died
The king who reigned at the time sent out his heralds to announce that whoever could kill
the dragon would as a reward marry his daughter and sit on his throne after his death. Knights
encouraged by such a handsome offer came in large numbers, but they too were destroyed.
The king gave himself up to despair, together with his daughter as she could not expect to
ever be married. The dragon-ravaged country became poorer and poorer.
Then a shoemaker named Krak decided to conquer the beast by a unique strategy. After
stuffing a fat ram with sulphur, he placed the tasty animal at the cave's entrance. The dragon,
being greedy as well as stupid, swallowed the dangerous gift in one mouthful. Its throat
burned so that it ran to the nearby Wisla river, gulping down so much water that it burst with
a great bang, that way he set the surrounding countryside free from the grip of terror. The
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shoemaker married the king's daughter, and after the monarch's death, ascended to the throne.
The town he rescued from the clutches of Smok, the dragon of Wawel Hill, took its name
from him, and bears it to this day with great honour - the old capital of Poland, Krakow.
Famous People
Mikołaj Kopernik born
on February 19, 1473 in
Toruń, Poland was a
Renaissance
mathematician and
astronomer who
formulated a heliocentric
model of the universe
which placed the Sun,
rather than the Earth, at
the center. The
publication of Copernicus'
book On the Revolutions
of the Celestial Spheres,
just before his death in
1543, is considered a
Nicolaus Copernicus or
major event in the history
of science. It began the
Copernican Revolution and contributed importantly to the
scientific revolution. Copernicus had a doctorate in canon
law was a physician, polyglot, classics scholar, translator,
governor, diplomat, and economist.
Born on March 1, 1810, in
Zelazowa Wola, Poland, Fryderyk Chopin, grew up in a
middle-class family. He published his first composition at
age 7 and began performing one year later. In 1832, he
moved to Paris, socialized with high society and was known
as an excellent piano teacher. His piano compositions were
highly influential. He died of tuberculosis and ill health on
October 17, 1849, in Paris
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Marie Curie,Maria Sklodowska Curie, was
born in Warsaw on November 7, 1867, the
daughter of a secondary-school teacher.
She received a general education in local
schools and some scientific training from
her father. She became involved in a
students' revolutionary organization as a
result had to leave Warsaw to Cracow,
which at that time was under Austrian rule.
In 1891, she went to Paris to continue her
studies at the Sorbonne where she obtained
Bachelor’s degree in Physics and the
Mathematical Sciences. She met Pierre
Curie, Professor in the School of Physics,
in 1894 and in the following year they
were married. She succeeded her husband
as Head of the Physics Laboratory at the
Sorbonne, gained her Doctorate of Science
degree in 1903, and following the tragic
death of Pierre Curie in 1906, she took his
place as Professor of General Physics in
the Faculty of Sciences, the first time a
woman had held this position. She was
also appointed the Director of the Curie
Laboratory in the Radium Institute of the
University of Paris, founded in 1914.
Pope John Paul II also known as Karol
Wojtyla (1920-2005). He was a poet, actor
and enthusiast of the Polish mountains He
was the only Polish Pope to this day and
served the second longest. He contributed
greatly to the collapse of communism in
Poland and throughout Central and Eastern
Europe. on 16 October 1978 he had chosen
as a Pope. on 13 May 1981, Jan II Paweł
was shot but fortunately survived The Pope
died on 2 April at 21: 37 His family home
in Wadowice just outside of Kraków
Interesting places visiting in Poland
The Hel Peninsula and the seaside
Hel is a small fishing village and seaside
resort on the tip of the Hel Peninsula, just
30 km north of Gdansk across the sea. The
beaches are clean and sandy, the
atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, plenty
of people playing great beach sports and
swimming. The resort lies on the south
side of the peninsula, with a small port and
a popular beach just minutes from the
centre, and wild sandy beaches to the east
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and the north. There is a lighthouse, a
maritime museum, a sealion centre, plenty
of restaurants and bars serving fresh fish
and other foods, a sand dune park, fishing
and speed boat trips, and shops and stalls
as well as other attractions.
Lake Region
If you are looking for quiet, nature and relaxation, then the
Mazury lake district is ideal. Located in north east Poland,
there are huge tracts of clean forests, clean air, peace and
quiet, also a popular destination for hunting and fishing.
The Mountains
The mountains in the south in the summer are also a great place for a holiday in Poland,
relaxation and getting away from it all, it’s now easy to cross the border into Slovakia or the
Czech Republic to spend some time there too. During the winter resorts such as Karpacz,
Zakopane, Krynica, Szczyrk and Szklarska Poreba have great facilities for skiing and
snowboarding.
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The Eagles Nests Of Poland
If you want to experience a true taste of
Poland’s medieval history, then pay a visit
to the Eagles’ Nests. Situated on the
Kraków-Czestochowa Upland, this is a
chain of 25 medieval castles built to
protect Poland’s western frontier during
the 14th century. Many of them are located
in a protected area known as Eagles’ Nests
Landscape Park, one of more than 120
landscape parks throughout Poland.
The castles were constructed at the
command of Casimir III the Great, who
ruled Poland from 1333 to 1370. At that
time, Kraków was the capital of Poland,
and lay perilously close to the border with
Silesia. Casimir is credited for rebuilding
Poland after decades of war that had
devastated the country – in fact, when he
came to the throne, Casimir’s neighbors
simply referred to him as the King of
Kraków, refusing to acknowledge his title
as King of Poland.
Polish Traditions
January 1 - New Year's Day
New Year's Day is celebrated across Poland on January first. Major city centers, like
Krakow's Main Market Square, are filled with celebrants waiting for the fireworks display on
the night of December 31st.
Springtime - Easter
Easter in Poland is celebrated according to the Western Calendar. Eggs are painted and
special foods are prepared. The majority of Poland's population is Catholic, and church
services are also attended during Easter in Poland. The Monday after Easter is an important
day for those celebrating in Poland.
On All Saint's Day (November 1), cemeteries in Poland are decorated with flowers and
candles. The candles are specially made so that they can burn safely for a long period of time
in order to guide spirits through the night. When darkness falls, hundreds of these candles can
be seen glowing in Poland's cemeteries.
Recognition of this holiday is a part of the Roman Catholic tradition. Many Polish people
consider their identity as Roman Catholics inseparable from their identity as Poles.
November 11 - Independence Day
Independence Day in Poland celebrates the country's assumption of independence in 1918.
November 11 has been celebrated as Independence Day in Poland since 1989.
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December 24 & 25 - Christmas Eve and Christmas
Christmas Eve is the most important Christmas holiday in Poland and is called Wigilia. It is
marked with a special meal, often made up of 12 meatless dishes, and observance of
Christmas Eve traditions. The Christmas tree is typically decorated on this day. A large dinner
may also be prepared for Christmas Day.
All Saints' Day on 1st November is an important religious holiday where Poles visit
cemeteries to honour their loved ones who have passed away.
In addition to birthdays, Poles celebrate their name day or "imieniny", which is the day
commemorating the saint they are named after. The names associated with each day is listed
in all calendars in Poland. Just like birthdays, there are parties with food, drinks, presents and
the singing of the traditional birthday song, "sto lat". And if you want to wish someone on
their name day, just say "Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji imienin!"
Traditionally, the main meal of 3 courses is eaten around 2pm, starting with a soup, a main
course of meat and a desert. Polish dumplings or "pierogi" are one of national dishes and one
of the best recognizable Polish food outside Poland. Poles love their candies and chocolates
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Chapter 2 A tertiary education in partner countries
“We learn for life no for school”
Seneca
Education in Finland
COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
Before primary school children go to preschool education. After that children go to
elementary school (classes 1-6). Then children go to secondary school (classes 7-9).
AFTER COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
There are different kinds of classes to choose, for example a barber, a builder, a car mechanic,
a chef, an electrician…
Vocational school takes 3 years. After that you have a trade and you are ready to work. If you
want to continue studying after vocational school, you can go to polytechnic.
UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
You have to pass the required and elective courses, at least 75. In the last year you have
matriculation examination. Then you graduate.
Upper secondary school takes 2,5-4 years. After that you are ready to go to an university or a
polytechnic.
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Loimaa upper secondary school
Loimaa vocational school
HIGH-LEVEL STUDIES
University
You can go to university after upper secondary school.
In university you can study almost whatever you want.
After that you are highly educated and you will get a good job.
Polytechnic
You can go to polytechnic after vocational school or upper secondary school.
In polytechnic you can study many things about different jobs.
After that you will get a little bit better job.
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GENERAL THINGS ABOUT SCHOOL IN FINLAND
We get a school meal every day and it is free.
We have a free health care in school and also a psychologist.
In comprehensive school we have free education, books, pencils and other stuff.
After primary school we have to buy books and everything else by ourselves, but the
education and food is still free.
Universities in Finland
We have 15 universities in Finland. Here are the best five universities.
The best five universities
1. University of Helsinki was founded in 1640. The university is divided into eleven faculties
which are Theology, Law, Medicine, Arts, Science, Pharmacy, Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Social Sciences and Veterinary
Medicine. The university is located on four main campuses: City center campus, Kampula
campus, Meilahti campus and Viikki campus.University of Helsinki has 36 000 students.
2. University of Turku was founded in 1920. The university is divided into seven faculties:
Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medicine, Law, Social Sciences, Education
and Economics. The university also has faculties in Rauma, Pori and Salo. There are 20000
students.
3. University of Eastern Finland was founded in 2010. The university is located in three cities:
in Joensuu, Kuopio and Savonlinna. The university is divided into four faculties which are the
Philosophical Faculty, the Faculty of Science and Forestry, the Faculty of Health Sciences,
and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. There are 15 000 students.
4. University of Oulu was founded in 1958. The university is divided into six faculties which
are Technology, Sciences, Humanities, Medicine, Education and Business school. There are
15000 students.
5. University of Jyväskylä was founded in 1934. The university in divided into seven faculties
which are Faculty of Humanities, Information Technology, Education, Sport and Health
Sciences, Mathematics and Science, School of Business and Economics and Social Sciences.
There are 15 000 students.
ELIGIBILITY
1) Eligibility for bachelor level studies at university depends on completing one of the
following qualifications:
Finnish Matriculation examination and upper secondary level education
International Baccalaureate examination (IB)
European Baccalaureate examination (EB)
Reifeprüfung examination (RP)
Vocational upper secondary qualification of at least three years duration or an earlier
corresponding qualification.
Competence based vocational upper secondary qualification, further vocational qualification
or specialist vocational qualification or an earlier corresponding qualification Foreign
qualification that gives eligibility to enroll in a higher education institution of corresponding
level in the country of origin. Other applicants may also be admitted, if the university
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considers their skills and knowledge sufficient. This eligibility requirement also applies to
separate applications to bachelor level education or bachelor level education leading to
master's level education.
2) Eligibility to master's level education (not included in the joint application) depends on
completing one of the following qualifications:
Applicable Bachelor's degree
Applicable polytechnic Bachelor's degree
Applicable foreign qualification that gives eligibility to enroll in a higher education institution
of corresponding level in the country of origin
Other applicants may also be admitted, if the
university considers their skills and knowledge
sufficient.
Hungarian tertiary education system
Tertiary educational attendance has grown rapidly
over the years both in Hungary and in the more
developed countries, but the gap between them has
remained. Although there is a rise in the number of university students in Hungary there are
big differences between the different regions of the
country. The Education Ministers from 29 European countries
decided to harmonise and unify their Higher Education. It has
resulted in the Bologna Process which currently has 47
participating countries among them Hungary.The aim was to make
an easily comparable system. A Higher Education system which is
based on three main cycles: bachelor, master and doctor. They
wanted to make it more mobile, travelling to abroad to study is
available.
Admissions to tertiary institutions
To get into a higher education institutions you must successfully pass the upper secondary
school leaving examination, called mature exam. They can do advanced or normal level
exams from the courses. Admission is decided according to a score system which is made up
of the secondary school leaving examination results and the secondary school performance of
the students. Higher education institutions may offer state funded and fee-paying places for
applicants. The number of state funded places determined by the government every year.
Bachelor and Master programmes Bachelor: BA/BSc programmes of 6 to 8 semesters (ISCED 5A, 180-240 ECTS credits)
lead to a first degree
Master: Master level programmes (ISCED 5A, 60-120 ECTS credits) of another 2 to 4
semesters require a first degree as admission criterion.
The pre-requisite to entering doctoral programmes (ISCED 6) is a MA/MSc degree.
There are a few fields of tertiary education (e.g. law and medical studies) where undivided
long programmes remain the standard form of study (10 to 12 semesters, 300-360 ECTS
credits) leading to a first degree but equivalent to a MA/MSc degree.
Advanced vocational programmes
Short cycle advanced vocational programmes ( 120 ECTS credits) are relatively new in the
Hungarian education system. These programmes can be provided both by higher education
The Best Hungarian Universities
1. Eötvös Lóránd University
2. University of Szeged
3. Semmelweis University
4. Corvinus University of Budapest
5. University of Debrecen
26
institutions and upper secondary schools. These programmes lead to an advanced vocational
qualification but does not give a degree.
Post-graduate specialisation programmes
Higher education also includes post-graduate specialisation programmes. You can do it after
the bachelor and the master training,but it doesn’t give you a new degree.
PhD or DLA (Doctor of Liberal Arts)
A PhD or DLA (Doctor of Liberal Arts) degree is can be obtained after a doctoral course
which follows a Master course.
Eötvös Lóránd University (Budapest)
The main faculties of the University is Law, Informatics, Humanities( teacher and
kindergarten teacher training), and Faculty of Science. The most popular is the Faculty of
Humanities and Faculty of Education and Psychology in 2011.( Only in these 2 faculties the
number of candidates is more than 12000.)
University of Szeged
The main faculties of the University are Faculty of Health Care, Faculty of Music, Faculty of
Law, Faculty of Humanities and Faculty of
Engineering.
Semmelweis University
The University is specialised in different
Faculties of Health Science (For examle:
doctors, dentists or pharmacists). This is the
most famous university of doctors in
Hungary.
Corvinus University of Budapest
The main faculties of the university are Faculty of Food Science and Faculty of Economics.
This University is famous for high level of economic education.
University of Debrecen
The main faculties of the
university:
-Faculty of Music
-Faculty of Law
-Faculty of Health Care
-Faculty of Economic
-Faculty of Humanities
The most famous faculty
is the Management
Sciences and Rural
Development. (The
university has more than
35000 students.)
The academic year in Finland
First of all, remember that the academic year in Finland is divided into two terms: Autumn
term (from August/September to December) and Spring term (from January to the end of
May)
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Most degree programmes only accept new degree students at the beginning of the academic
year. So, usually your application will concern studies that start in the autumn term. In some
cases, however, it may be possible to apply for studies that start in the spring term.
During the socalled summer term (JuneAugust)
it may be possible for already registered students to complete some individual course
modules, but generally speaking that is "holiday time" and there is no separate summer term
intake for degree studies.
Applying to universities
The exact application times and deadlines depend on the university and the programme.
However, in most cases the annual application period to the university degree programmes
begins between late November and January.
For Bachelor's level admission at universities, please contact the university directly about info
on how and when to apply (note that the universities offer only a very limited amount of
Bachelor's level programmes in English) for Master's level admission, and information on the
exact application.
Who can apply for exchange student status?
If you would like to study at the University of Helsinki for an academic term or year and then
transfer your credits to your home university, you can apply for exchange student status. In
other words, to qualify, you should be registered and actively studying at a university outside
Finland. As a rule, the student exchanges are based on an agreement made between your
university and the University of Helsinki. Also multilateral exchange programmes exist; for
example, the USbased ISEP programme. The international counsellor or a similar adviser at
your home institution can give you more information about the exchange programmes your
university has with the University of Helsinki.
How can a foreigner get into a Hungarian University
Nowadays Hungary is a popular destination for foreign people in higher education. More and
more student choose to study in Hungary.
The number of foreign students has considerably increased in the last few years. Many of
them comes from the neighboring countries but there are a lot of students from Africa, Asia,
etc (even from South-America).
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Foreigners can study the following subjects in Hungarian universities:
General Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery, Psychology,
Veterinary Sciences, Pre-Medical, Pre-Veterinary, English Language Course, Economics,
Business Administration, Art, Art History, Communication, International Studies, Political
Science
To get into any Hungarian University you have to follow some instructions:
EU/EEA students don’t need a visa to study in Hungary, but they do need to apply for a
residence permit within 90 days of moving to the country. If you want to take a course in
Hungarian, you have to take an exam to prove your language skills.
Application step-by-step:
Choose University and course
Download, print, and fill the application form.
Collect the required documents
Send the documents to the given address
Pay the application fee
Choose an exam place and date and apply for it via e-mail
Application documents are different in every university but there are some documents
which are required in all of the Hungarian universities:
copy of passport/ID
original/copy of Secondary school leaving certificate
application form
medical report
application fee
curriculum vitae
Entrance exam: There’s an oral and a written part in the interview.
After the entrance exam the exam papers will be sent to the universities for evaluation. The
decision is not based on only the exam results. The University Board makes the decision
usually within a few weeks after the exam and the applicants are notified about it by e-mail
or/and hard copies.
Foreign students can also apply for exemption from the entrance exam on condition they hold
Degree in a related field and proof of B2-level English knowledge is also a prerequisite.
Additional required documents for applicants for exam exemption:
- copy of transcript/degree of the related studies the request is based on, or copy of the IB or
A-level
29
- course description of the subjects studied (syllabus)
- proof of language knowledge: B2 level language exam (such as Cambridge FCE/CAE,
TOEFL, IELTS)
TERTIARY EDUCATION IN SPAIN
Most relevant universities in Spain
According to “El Mundo”, a Spanish
newspaper, ranking about universities in
Spain, the best ones are:
1. Universidad Complutense de Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is
a public research university located in
Madrid, and one of the oldest universities
in the world (1293). The university enrolls
over 86,000 students. Alumni include
renowned philosophers (Jose Ortega y Gasset, Ignatius of Loyola,), writers (Federico García
Lorca, Antonio de Nebrija, Pedro Calderón de la Barca), scientists (Santiago Ramón y Cajal,
Severo Ochoa)
2. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid:
It´s a Spanish University, located in Madrid. It was founded in 1971 as the result of merging
different Technical Schools of Engineering and Architecture(18th century). According to the
annual university ranking conducted by El Mundo, the Technical University of Madrid ranks
as the top technical university in Spain, and second overall.
The UPM is part of the TIME network, which groups fifty engineering schools throughout
Europe.
3. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
The Universitat autonoma de Barcelona also known as UAB is a public university mostly
located near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. it consists of 57 departments in the
experimental, life, social and human sciences, spread among 13 faculties/schools. All these
centers together award a total of 85 qualifications in the form of first degrees, diplomas, and
engineering degrees. UAB has more than 40,000 students and more than 3,600 academic and
research staff. The UAB is a pioneering institution in terms of fostering research
4. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
The Autonomous University of Madrid is one of the top universities of Spain and commonly
known by its Spanish initials UAM or as "la Autónoma". UAM is a Spanish public university
established in 1968. UAM has been one of Spain's most prominent higher education
institutions, being ranked first amongst Spanish universities by the El Mundo University
Supplement (known as "Las 50 Carreras"), by The Times Higher Education Supplement, and
by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
30
5. Universidad de Barcelona
The University of Barcelona (Catalan: Universitat de Barcelona) is a public university located
in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. With 75 undergraduate programs, 353 graduate
programs and 96 doctorate programs to over 63,700 students, UB was considered to be the
best University in Spain in the 2011 QS World University Rankings. In 2010, according to
University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), it is the best university in Spain and
83rd university in the world.
Universidad de Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education
institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of
Madrid, in the autonomous community of Castilla and León.
It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of
foundation by King Alfonso IX. It is the oldest founded
university in Spain and the third oldest European university
in continuous operations. It is the top-ranked university in
Spain based on the number of students coming from other
regions.[6]
It is also known for its Spanish courses for non-
native speakers, which attract more than two thousand
foreign students each year
Most demanded degrees:
1. Master in Business Administration (ADE)
2. Architecture
3. Fine Art
4. Library science
5. Biology
Access to university. You need to meet the following requirements:
1- Bachillerato Certificate (equivalent to Upper Secondary certificate)
2- PAU (University Entrance Exam):
a) Compulsory exams (foreign language, Spanish, History and Philosophy)
b) Optional exams (depending on the subjects chosen)
Admission mark:
6/14 Bachillerato marks
4/14 Compulsory PAU exams
4/14 Optional PAU exams
ERASMUS Erasmus program consists of the carrying out of a studies or practices period in another
European university or enterprise. During this period, the student doesn’t have to pay the
tuition fees in the host institution (accommodation, the trip …) because the student receives a
grant for these expenses, although it is not a very big one.There are two types of mobility
programs: mobility for studying and
31
mobility for work experience. It’s usually required to have an important knowledge of
Spanish. In most universities classes at are mainly taught in Spanish, B1 Level is advised but
UCM, for example, offers a free Spanish Language Course for levels under C-1 to students
who apply for it
How a foreign student can get into a Spanish university You must have studied in the European Union or one of these countries: Andorra, Iceland,
Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or China. You can also study in our universities by
having the European Baccalaureate diploma or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. You
can also take the PAU entrance test to improve your marks. If you don’t meet the
requirements you must pass a test arranged by the UNED (Distance Learning National
University).The recognition of foreign certificates, diplomas or studies for non-university
education involves the declaration of their equivalence with the current certificates in the
Spanish educational system. In the case of university degrees, this may involve recognition of
the equivalence of degrees and diplomas gained abroad or partial validation of studies passed.
Tertiary education, universities in Slovakia How long do we have to study to get a certain degree?
a) You can achieve the first degree after studying 3 or 4 years – after its graduation you get
the degree baccalaureate (Bc.)
b) The second degree lasts from 1 to 3 years – after its graduation you get the degree of Mgr.,
Ing., art. ...
c) When you finish the third level – after the graduation you can get the degree of (PhD.)
Famous Slovak Universities
Jessenius Faculty in Martin University of Matej Bel in Banská Bystrica
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra University of Žilina
32
Which faculty can we find at Slovak universities? Faculty of Medicine, Natural Science, Economics, Art, Philosophy, Political Sciences,
Education, Theology, Sport, Military, Agriculture.
COMENIUS UNIVERSITY
“If a human would like to become a human must be educated”
John Amos Comenius
Comenius University in Bratislava is the
oldest and biggest university in the Slovak
Republic. It was founded in 1919 and it
follows the university traditions of
Academia Istropolitana. Studying at the
oldest Slovak university enjoys
popularity with international students –
more than 2,300 students from 80 countries
study at Comenius University. The
university admits about 9,000 new students
every year who can choose from a rich
range of several hundreds of courses.
Comenius University in Bratislava is an
outstanding scientific institution.
Comenius University is also involved on
hundreds of national and international
scientific projects.
Faculties of Comenius University: - Faculty of Medicine – 1919
- Faculty of Law – 1921
- Faculty of Philosophy – 1921
- Faculty of Natural Sciences – 1940
- Faculty of Education – 1946
- Faculty of Pharmacy – 1952
- Faculty of Physical Education and
Sports – 1965
- Jessenius Faculty of Medicine – 1969
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and
Informatics – 1980
- Roman Catholic Faculty of Theology –
1990 (only in Slovak)
- Evangelical Faculty of Theology – 1990
(only in Slovak)
- Faculty of Management - 1991
- Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences
– 2002
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Other important facilities of Comenius University in Bratislava: - Academic library of Comenius University
- Information technology centre of Comenius University
- Botanic garden of CU
- Comenius University press
- In the area of university, there are two tennis courts with aluminic surface
The present educational system in Poland was introduced in 1998/1999 then the pre-school
education underwent certain changes, since 2002, pre-school education has been treated as the
first level of the education system and starting from 2003/2004 school years it became
compulsory for children of six years old. The pre schooling stimulates the general
development and gives the primary reading skill and basic mathematics.
Education in Poland
Pupils of 7-12 attend primary school. Their education is divided into two cycles: the first
cycle (grades 1-3) at which they begin learning and the second cycle (grades 4-6) at which
systematic learning is provided. Primary schools operate on the basis of general educational
plan which determines the minimum weekly number of lesson of particular subjects. The
main components taught at the lower level of the primary school (grades 1-3) These are:
Polish language,
social and natural environment and
mathematics,
crafts and technology,
art and music and
physical education. In the lower grades one teacher teaches all subjects,
In the higher grades each subject has a different teacher and usually pupils change classroom
for each subject. After completing primary school pupils can choose different secondary
education, which is free of charge. General secondary schools provide pupils with general
education, with the possibility of receiving the graduation certificate of general education.
Those who have passed the final examination called matura" may apply to universities. Those
who do not want to study at university and those who have not taken the matura" examination
may continue their education in post - secondary vocational schools.
Secondary schools of vocational education prepare qualified workers and others with
equivalent qualification. They also provide general secondary education. The purpose of these
schools is to meet the demand for qualified workers, and they also provide young people with
the opportunity of acquiring secondary education and taking the matura" examination.
34
Students can choose post-secondary education. They are trained as nurses, accountants,
administrative personnel for enterprises and hotels, computer specialists.
After secondary school students can take higher education. There are various types of higher
educational institutions in Poland.
Studying in Poland will give you a complete education, prepare you for work in the labour
markets of the world. The reform of science and the higher education sector was launched in
the years 2010-2011 The introduction of EST points made it easier for Polish as well as
foreign students to take up studies abroad which can be a life-changing experience because
they expose people to completely new and different worlds, values, attitudes cultures,
languages, nationalities and countries. Poland is in the fourth place in Europe in terms of the
number of people with higher education. The total student population is over 2 million
studying at 450 higher education institutions Each year almost half a million of young
people start their education at universities and colleges. The Polish universities offer more
than 200 high quality study faculties. The structure of studies in Poland corresponds to the
guidelines from the Bologna system newly introduced in the European higher education based
on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). There are 30 thousand
foreign students studying in Poland while almost 100 thousand students from Poland started
their education in another country within the European Union. They can study medicine,
biotechnology or engineering, but also art and business. The diploma awarded to them upon
graduation is recognized in Europe as well as in most countries of the world.
The Higher Education Institutions in Poland are divided into state (public) and private(non-
public) institutions.There are two main categories of higher education institutions:
Universities and non-university type institutions. At the university at least one unit should be
authorized to award the academic degree of doktor (PhD)
www.highereducation.pl, www.mnisw.gov.pl
All higher education institutions are required to end their courses with examinations. There
can be several independent examinations or tests in separate parts of a subject. To
successfully complete a semester (or a year), a student must get the passing (at least
“satisfactory”) marks for all assessments and examinations in the subjects covered by the
curriculum ECTS credits In addition to the grading scale, in the European Credit Transfer
System (ECTS) under which a certain number of credits is allocated to a given subject,
independently of marks awarded. To complete a year successfully, the student has to collect
60 credits (30 per semester).
Grade Description
The most common scale comprises the following marks:
5 very good (bardzo dobry)
4 good (dobry)
3 satisfactory (dostateczny)
2 unsatisfactory/fail (niedostateczny)
credit/pass (zaliczenie)
Sometimes the plus symbol or decimal is used to modify the numerical
35
In Poland there are four main terms referring to academic titles/degrees: licencjat or inżynier
(the equivalent of Bachelor, being the first post-secondary degree you can get as a student),
magister (the equivalent of Master) and doktor (the equivalent of Doctor) no matter whether
you graduate in arts or e.g. molecular biology.
We have First-cycle studies, lasting from 3 to 4 years, lead to the professional title of a
bachelor ( licencjat) or an(Engineer) inżynier in the field of engineering, agriculture or
economics. This is the Polish equivalent of the Bachelor’s degree. The full-time courses are
treated as the basic type of studies. They focus on preparing students for future employment
or education within the Master’s degree programmes. To obtain this degree, students must
earn 180- 240 ECTS credits. The higher education institutions run full-time, extramural,
evening and external courses, which usually requires the students to pay fees. There are
Eleven fields of study with long-cycle programmes which last a bit longer, due to the
difficulty of specialization, these are: acting, art conservation and restoration, canon law,
dentistry, law, medical analysis, medicine, production and photography, pharmacy,
psychology and veterinary medicine. You are awarded the professional title of a Master
(magister after 5 or 6 years of studying
Second-cycle studies – Master’s degree programme (1.5 to 2 years) following the first cycle
studies and leading to the professional title of a Master (magister
Third-cycle studies – Doctoral degree programmes (normally take 3 to 4 years) are for
graduates of Master’s degree programme, leading to the PhD degree, offered by the university
type schools as well as some research institution The PhD degree is awarded to candidates
who submit and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation before the thesis committee and
pass the doctoral examination. The best students at the university get scholarships from the
university or from the Polish Government or a number of Polish higher education institutions
which also offer their own scholarships.
The Polish higher education institutions offer a diverse range of study programmes in Polish
and in foreign languages, mainly in English. The number of degrees in foreign languages is
growing. At present, more than a half of the 119 existing fields of study are accessible in a
foreign language.
In order to graduate, the students are required to:
pass a performance assessment for all subjects, integrated placements and practical work
sessions, and pass all examinations covered by the study programme set for a given field of
study; present, at an appointed date, a diploma project and obtain a passing mark for that
project; pass the diploma examination. the student receives a diploma of completion of studies
in a specific field of study together with a Diploma Supplement (copy of the diploma
translated into a foreign language, describing the degree, level and specialisation).
The academic year in Poland is divided into two terms about 15 weeks each – the winter and
the summer semester. The winter semester starts in October and ends in mid-February, with a
break of ten days for the Christmas holidays. The examination session usually takes two or
three weeks, beginning in January. The summer semester starts in mid- February and ends in
June, with a one-week break for Easter. Summer holidays last for three months from the
beginning of July to the end of September
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Admissions to the study programmes are administrated by the university and candidates
apply directly to the institution of their choice. In general, the requirements for foreign
students applying for universities in Poland are as follows:
provide the following documents to study for BA or MA
if you are an international student requiring a visa or a residence permit to stay and study on the territory of European Union, you should provide such a document.
have the refugee status granted by the Republic of Poland
provide secondary school certificate or an official duplicate issued by the candidate's high school, application form filled in 4 passport-size photographs copy of candidate’s
ID (passport certificate of the English language proficiency optionally (unless the high
school courses were taught in English);
provide medical certificate with no contraindication for studying, admission fee
payment receipt.
provide Undergraduate program diploma or an official duplicate issued by the university, candidate's CV with the details about the school and professional career
optionally one academic reference and one personal reference optionally,
filled out application form, 4 passport-size photographs, copy of the candidate’s ID (passport), proof of English language proficiency (unless the first degree was taught in
English), medical certificate with no contraindication for studying, admission fee
payment receipt.
You can Set up an account in the Online Application System from March till the end
of September and complete the forms you already can : personal data, education
details. School leaving exam results can be entered later
If you're taking part in admission for a programme where the qualification criteria is School leaving exam and you don't have a Polish maturity certificate you need to
register for Central Entrance Examination.
Confirm your registration. Pay your application fee in a currency you declared when setting up your account. Remember that you need to pay a separate application fee for
each registration.
When the date of your entrance exams comes the details about the exam will be sent to your
OAS account no later than two days before.
Are you having problems with arriving because you need a visa? University can issue a
certificate stating that the purpose of your visit is a university entrance exam.
If all registrations are confirmed and all forms completed and confirmed, wait for your
results! You will be notified through your OAS account or even get sms
If you have been accepted for enrolment, now complete the ‘data for enrolment' form, print
out the OAS application form from the ‘required documents' tab and check if you have all
documents required for enrolment ready.
You need to come to the office responsible for your new programme of study (the address can
be found on your OAS application form) and bring all required documents with you.
37
The most popular faculties to study in Poland over last 5 years and career paths you can
take
These are the IT studies concerning the computer studies and skills in data processing,
database production and transfer, for example technology, in economics, genetics. The
branch of studies also concerns the software making, the change in data processing, transfer
through software use for different purposes. The faculty is very popular among the
candidates, they don’t have any problems finding job after graduation. Possible professions
you can do after, finishing IT studies.
business analyst
business information systems
eBusiness
Internet communications
IT consulting
online media production
programming
system administration
web design
web development
Law and administration give you a thorough knowledge In public life examines the role of
the administration in government and legal education as well . It concerns penal law,
constitutional law, civil procedure it will explore the various trends in American public
administration, examine the unique circumstances involved in
Administering public organizations and look at different techniques of public management.
public administration will provide the student with a survey of Polish. Possible professions
you can do after, finishing Law and administration
tax office
job advisor,
Insurance account manager
license manager
school manager
the public administration worker
barrister
barrister's clerk
solicitor
judge
property valuer
court executive officer
land steward
Management the faculty for those who want to run the company responsible for managing
the organization, its employees, customers, reputation, assets and interests of stakeholders.
The company management is primarily concerned with the strategy, structure, and operations
The successful manager will identify options for the company as well as help with additional
resources to implement solutions. The studies will prepare its graduates for operating across a
wide variety of services such as business strategy, marketing, financial and management
controls, human resources, information technology, e-business and operations, and supply-
38
chain management. The students doing the faculty will find out how to carry out research and
collect data to understand the organization , conduct analysis interview clients, employees
running focus groups and facilitate workshops, prepare business proposals/presentations. The
future candidates for this faculty should know at least two foreign languages at B2 level at the
beginning and continue foreign language learning towards fluency while studying. The
faculty also try to include soft skills such as team work and the ability to communicate,
negotiate. Possible professions you can do after, finishing Management
management consultant
company manager
maintenance engineer
human resources manager
Construction is one of the quickest developing faculties at the universities, the students learn
about the construction materials used in building, gain training in design as well as in
installation and maintenance. They need to have a combination and designing skills, the
students learn to read detailed diagrams, plans and drawings, get skilled in using whole life
cycle costing techniques, learn how to keep the work to the budget, or designing site-specific
equipment as required, find out how to negotiate and develop project contracts organize and
assess the work of contractors , the faculty offers new specializations, such as intelligent
buildings and organic lighting or the new technologies that help to reduce the carbon
emissions of a building. The faculty offers course in constructing law of the EU Possible
professions you can do after, finishing Construction
architect
architectural technologist
building control surveyor
building services engineer
building surveyor
commercial/residential surveyor
consulting civil engineer
contracting civil engineer
engineering geologist
estate agent
historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
housing manager/officer
landscape architect
planning and development surveyor
quantity surveyor
rural practice surveyor
site engineer
structural engineer
town planner
water engineer
Production Engineering is responsible for the research, specification, design and
development of materials to advance technologies of many kinds. Its expertise lies in
understanding the properties and behaviours of different substances, from raw materials to
finished products. The field is also referred to as materials science or materials technology.
39
The students learn how to provide efficient solutions to the development of processes and
products, ranging from small component designs to extremely large plant, machinery or
vehicles. They will find out how to work on all stages of a product, from research and
development to design and manufacture, through to installation. The graduate will be
equipped as well in skills of management. Possible professions you can do after, finishing
Production Engineering
automotive engineer
bBiomedical engineer
broadcast engineer
building services engineer
chemical engineer
communications engineer
consulting civil engineer
contracting civil engineer
control and instrumentation engineer
drilling engineer
electrical engineer
electronics engineer
energy engineer
food technologist
land-based engineer
maintenance engineer
manufacturing engineer
manufacturing systems engineer
materials engineer
mechanical engineer
mining engineer
naval architect
petroleum engineer
production manager
quality manager
site engineer
structural engineer
technical brewer
technical sales engineer
telecommunications researcher
water engineer
Economics – the faculty connected with production analysis, with the distribution and
consumption of foods In the nation. It explores how a citizen and the society use the resources
to produce various goods and to consume or use them. Together with finances and
accountancy the Economics is the faculty chosen most often. Possible professions you can do
after, finishing Economics
accounting technician
actuary
chartered accountant
chartered certified accountant
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chartered management accountant
chartered public finance accountant
corporate investment banker
corporate treasurer
financial adviser
financial manager
financial trader
internal auditor
investment analyst
operational investment banker
retail banker
senior tax professional/tax inspector
tax adviser
Environmental engineering is the integration of science and engineering principles to
improve the natural environment, to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation
and for other organisms, and to clean up pollution sites. Environmental Engineering can also
be described as a branch of applied science and technology that address the issue of energy
preservation, production asset and control of waste from human and animal activities.
Robotics engineers
Environmental studies and ecology the faculty prepares you to deal with ecosystems as a
whole, the abundance and distribution of organisms (people, plants, animals), and the
relationships between organisms and their environment. In the faculty you will conduct
surveys to identify, record and monitor species and their habitats, learn about the taxonomy
how to classifying organisms and how to create habitat for endangered spieces, you will
analyse and interpret data, using specialist software programs, you will become aware of
environmental policies in the EU You can specialize in the following areas (e.g. freshwater,
marine, terrestrial, fauna, flora) and then carry out a wide range of tasks relating to that area.
Possible professions you can do after, finishing Economics
ecologist
energy engineer
energy manager
environmental consultant
environmental manager
marine scientist
nature conservation officer
recycling officer
waste management officer
water quality scientist
41
Ten best universities in Poland
Jagiellonian University of Cracow http://www.uj.edu.pl/
The University of Warsaw http://www.uw.edu.pl/
Adam Mickiewicz’s University of Poland http://amu.edu.pl/
Warsaw University of Technology http://www.pw.edu.pl/
University of science and technology of Stanisław Staszic in Cracow http://www.agh.edu.pl/
University of technology in Wrocław http://www.pwr.wroc.pl
University of Wrocław http://www.uni.wroc.pl/
Warsaw School of Economics http://www.sgh.waw.pl
University of Medical Sciences of Poznań https://www.ump.edu.pl/
Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń http://www.umk.pl/
The Jagiellonian University
In 1364, after many years of effort, King Casimir the Great got permission from the Pope to
establish a university in Krakow, the capital of the Kingdom of Poland. It was the second
university to be founded in Central Europe. Studium Generale in Krakow, as the school was
then called, consisted of three faculties only: liberal arts, medicine and law. The students had
the right to elect the Rector Rector was elected by the professors only from 1400 when it was
restablished by the queen Jadwiga.
The restored Krakow University soon became prominent in the world of learning. In the
second half of the fifteenth century the Krakow schools of mathematics and astrology
flourished. In that period, in the years 1491 - 1495, Mikolaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus)
studied liberal arts in Krakow. The status of the University was reflected in the fact that in the
years 1433 - 1510 as many as 44 per cent of the students came from other countries than
Poland
In the eighteenth century the University continued to decline, yet some symptoms of change
became gradually apparent. The systematic teaching of German and French was introduced,
as well as lectures in Polish law, geography and military engineering
The third and final Partition of Poland posed a serious threat to the very existence of the
University, but fortunately it was saved by the intervention of Professors Jan sniadecki and
Jozef Bogucki in Vienna. Once again the University became a major academic centre.
Scientific achievements of the time included the work of the following professors: the chemist
Karol Olszewski (1846 - 1915) and the physicist Zygmunt Wroblewski (1845 - 1888), who
were the first to liquefy oxygen and nitrogen from the air in 1883, and later also other gases.
42
The Jagiellonian University was dramatically affected by the German occupation of Poland.
On 6th November the Nazis ostensibly invited the University professors and other teachers to
a lecture by Obersturmbannführer Müller. The lecture turned out to be a trap. 144 University
staff were arrested by the Gestapo, together with some students, 21 professors of the
Academy of Mining and others, and sent to a concentration camp. The years 1939 - 1945 had
a devastating effect on the University. 34 University professors and other staff died in the
concentration camps of Sachsenhausen, Dachau and Auschwitz, as well as in Kharkov, Katyn
and other death camps, the victims of both the Nazis and the Soviets.
The structure of the Jagiellonian University is unique in Poland. Among the 15 faculties, there
are three which comprise the Collegium Medicum: The Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry,
Pharmacy, and Health Protection. These three were separated from the University in 1950,
following the Soviet model, and reincorporated in the Alma Mater in1993. Until recently, the
Jagiellonian was the only Polish university with medical faculties, although currently the
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń also has them.
The Jagiellonian University educates on the three levels: Ordinary, Masters, and Doctoral,
following the principles of the Bologna Process. 650 jubeelee
The University of
Warsaw
The university of Warsaw founded in 1816, is the best university and a leading research
centre in Poland. The high level of scientific research
University of Warsaw is listed among top 4% of the World-Class Universities and recognized
by prestigious international rankings such as, the Times Higher Education World University
Rankings and the CHE Excellence Group 2010 (subjects: chemistry, physics).
Currently, there are 20 faculties and 30 other units, including the Centre of New Technologies
The University collaborates with ca 1,000 foreign institutions, including 420 partnerships
within the boundaries of more than 1,100 Erasmus agreements and 240 partners from 52
countries within the boundaries of university agreements on direct collaboration.
UW offers undergraduate, graduate and post-diploma studies, organizes summer schools and
vocational courses, initiates interdisciplinary programmes and introduces new teaching
techniques. Its offer is adapted to the needs of the changing world and the challenges and
complexity of the labor market. Our scholars regularly receive awards and win competitions
for research grants. UW students are well-educated and very competitive, winning many
contests and championships. Scientific and vocational development of our students is
supported by appropriate offices, organizations, and cooperation with numerous institutions.
National and international companies highly value our graduates
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Adam Mickiewicz’s University of Poznań
Adam Mickiewicz’s University of Poznań was founded in 1919 after Poland gain its
independence in 1918, it was named as the Polish University of Poznań. The first faculty run
in 1919 was the one of Philosophy, Then the Prussian authority changed its name of the High
School of Piast Monarchy in 1919. The beginning of the academic year took place 7 May
1919, it was 308 years after the foundation of the university. In 1925 the faculty of
Mathematics, Science, and Humanities were launched
King Sigmund Vasa founded the College of Jesuits which was considered the first university
of Poznań in 1611. The same charter was given to the College of Jesuits by the kings of John
Casmir in 1650, John III Sobieski in 1678
The Nazis closed the university down and dissolved the governing body of Professors just
after the war began September 1939, many lecturers were killed in the concentration camps.
The ones that survived together with the lecturers gave the lectures in the Secret University
of Western territories together with the professors of Warsaw University. The university was
restored after the war.
You can study at fifteen faculties at Adam Mickiewicz’s University including humanities,
science, Philosohy, sociology or arts. There are daily programmes as well as extramular
studies for which you need to pay fees
44
Chapter 3 Employment issues
Unemployment in Europe and in Poland
Unemployment is one of the most important economic and social problems in Poland because
the unemployment rate has been rising steadily over the recent years. During the communism
the official unemployment level was less than 1 %, but according to historians and the
economists the hidden unemployment was over 50 % in some factories. That meant that a job
for a person was done by two people. Due to the political and economic system
transformation (form the centrally planned economic model to a free market system) after the
1989 the unemployment rate started to rise rapidly. In 1990 it was 61%. Up to 2002 the Polish
economy has adapted to the free market system in a way, and the unemployment rate was
only 20%. And this unfavorable trend was reversed, since 2002 the unemployment has
declined to 15 % in 2006 and 9,5% in 200 the lowest unemployment rate. Such decline was
due to the economic upward trend which produced more
45
job offers . Then, due to the
economic crisis in 2009 the unemployment rate increased to nearly 12% and to 12,8 in 2010.
The unemployment rate in Poland over the last 20 years
A strong differentiation is observed in the unemployment rates for various parts of Poland.
The highest unemployment rate for one region means that it can be more than twice the figure
in the other region. In the warmińsko – mazurskie voivodeship in the north – east part of the
country the unemployment rate in February 2011 was 21,5% while in the richest district:
mazowieckie with the capital city only 10 % The highest unemployment rates are primarily
seen in the regions dominated by the agriculture, mining, and manufacturing industries.
46
The unemployment rate by administrative districts (February 2012)
Unemployment in Poland is affected by fluctuations of the weather and seasons. For example,
in winter there is a high unemployment especially in tourist, building industries and in
agriculture.
Polish unemployment is a problem for young people (below 35 years of age) According to
Eurostat data 24,9% among the unemployed are young. It’s because the young people have
unually no experience on the job market, their qualifications are incompatible with
employers’ demands and they are not flexible enough. Women and people over 50 also
experience difficulties finding the job. People of the last group spent almost half of their lives
under the communist system, so they find it difficult to adjust to the capitalist system. They
are unwilling or they don’t have a chance for re-education and qualification changing.
The unemployment in Poland tends to be of structural or long term in nature. As we can see in
the chart there are 34 % of the unemployed who cannot find a job over 12 months; this, in
turn, has an impact on the health and well being of large segments of society.
Despite economic growth during the last 20 years and a large emigration of job seekers,
unemployment in Poland remained at some of the highest levels in Europe.
47
Poor labour laws aimed against employers.
Significant bureaucracy and legal difficulties when employing and dismissing, almost no
temporary solutions for employers to avoid taxes and give them more flexibility to employ
and fire. Such situation prevents the healthy labour market from development.
Poland’s economic achievements over the past two decades should be celebrated. However
the danger is that using the achievements to justify and sustain, inflexible, outdated, labour
system may prevent the long term growth, discourage entrepreneurship and result in high
levels of structural unemployment in Poland for years to come.
Large wage taxes and expensive social security benefits (ZUS) – employers often avoid the
expensive costs for social security and taxes associated with hiring an employee on a
permanent contract, usually they offer short term or temporary contracts.
Influential trade unions prevent change they have a strong political influence and have acted
to prevent modernization of the labour system. Protecting the interests and benefits of their
members in the mining, manufacturing,
Public sector has, in turn, prevented the possibility of a more flexible labour system in the
Polish economy, that affects developing industries.
The years 2002- 2006 belong to the crisis years in the job market in our region as well as in
the country. The slowdown in the economical development in the region and the country
results in the fewer number of job facilities and the increasing number of the unemployed
people. The statistics show a small decline in the number of the unemployed people in the
years 2007- 2012, it’s connected with the job mobility of the unskilled or the low skilled
workers. Over the decade, the largest number of the unemployed have been the young people
25-34 age group. They made 954 people in 2009 in the region, it was the 60 % of the
unemployed registered in the district job centre. The significant is the fairly low number of
the unemployed people over the 50 – 55 years of age, only 168 people, it means these people
enjoy their workplace and are quite safe in the job market, but there aren’t any new places for
the unskilled inexperienced or low skilled workers.
In 2009 there were 157 unemployed registered with higher education among them 100
women. Since that year, the number of people with higher education has been gradually
increasing because the graduates can’t find job after some faculties. They try to take up
another faculty, corresponding to the labour market or start the job under their qualifications,
migrate abroad for a job search there they work out of their profession but for higher salary.
48
Among the registered people in the job office are the ones with elementary schooling , and
lower secondary schooling 1034 people altogether. There were 1039 people registered with
the vocational education. The main problem in the district is the long term unemployment,
people stay out of work up to 12 or longer to 24 months.
The job facilities in the local labour market of Golub – Dobrzyń
49
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES (NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS)
There are nearly 6,000,000 unemployed people in Spain. That means that 1 in 4 Spaniards are
out of work, an unemployment rate of 26 per cent. About 3,500,000 jobs less than in 2008,
when the recession hadn’t started yet.
In Almendralejo the most affected population sector is the youths. Many of them have a low
level of education or dropped out of school earlier than expected
50
One of the most affected age groups by unemployment is the youths. The number of 16-24
year old Spaniards out of work rose to 51.4 per cent in December, 2012 more than double the
European Union average.
Reasons for unemployment in Spain: · The effect of the housing bubble. The construction boom and associated industries attracted
a lot of young people that were left without a job after the crisis. Now many of these young
people have a basic qualification and low skills to develop other activities.
· Temporary employment. It has been customary to hire workers for a short period of time
since firing full-time workers involve high costs for the employers.
· Not enough growth. The Euro crisis and the Spanish debt stop the government from finding
solutions.
What steps should be taken? Education:
Flexible education programmes to reduce early school leaving.
Introduction of Dual Vocational Education facilitating the transition to the labour market.
Labour Market:
Creation of a single permanent contract to avoid temporariness.
Promote recruitment of the unemployed.
Programmes to encourage: Self-employment, entrepreneurship and competitiveness
51
Chapter 4 Business Etiquette
Etiquette is an unwritten rule synonymous with manners
Etiquette is variously defined as
Politeness
Consideration
Thoughtfulness
Good manners & behavior
It is treating others as you would like to be treated with consideration, thoughtfulness &
courtesy.
Introducing people
In business, introductions are based on power and hierarchy
Gender plays no role in business etiquette; nor does it affect the order of introductions.
Introduce someone from your firm to a client or customer.
Introduce a junior executive to a senior executive.
As you say each of the individuals' names, look at him or her.
The way you respond to someone else's introduction is just as important as making the
introduction
Always stand for introductions and offer your hand.
If you forget someone’s name
Confess and express sincerity and warmth. Say: „I am so sorry. I have completely
blanked on your name.”
Ask the person to please repeat his or her name.
Ask the person how he or she prefers to be addressed.
Business card tips
Never leave your home or office without
your cards and plenty of them.
Keep your cards in a quality business
card case that protects them from wear
and tear.
Invest in quality business cards.
Know where your business cards are at
all times.
Hand them out with discretion. Never
assume someone wants your card, ask
first!
Never ask a senior executive for his or
her card ; many will exchange cards
with others of similar rank.
Give and receive cards with your right
hand–the hand of discretion.
52
Give the card so the person who is
receiving it can read it without having to
turn it around.
Always make a comment about a card
when you receive it.
Keep your business cards up to date.
Give and receive cards with your right
hand–the hand of discretion.
Give the card so the person who is
receiving it can read it without having to
turn it around.
Always make a comment about a card
when you receive it.
Keep your business cards up to date.
Don't write notes to yourself on someone
else's business card during the exchange
unless they appear relevant.
Don't write notes to yourself on someone
else's business card during the exchange
unless they appear relevant.
Meeting and Greeting
You only have ONE opportunity to make a good first impression
When meeting someone, shake their hand firmly, look directly into their eyes, and say
their name in your mind three times.
Shake hands firmly with everyone present look directly into their eyes, and say their name in your mind three times: men, women, and children -- at business and social
meetings. Shake hands again when leaving.
Handshakes are light not firm.
Women should extend their hand to men first.
Use last names and appropriate titles until specifically invited by your hosts or colleagues to use their first names.
The goals of small talks
Good small talk is like the tennis game.
Someone receives the ball, answers a question, and then hits the ball, asks a question.
The goal is to keep the conversation alive.
The weather: it affects us all
A good book: this is a sign of an intelligent, aware, curious individual which will reflect
well on you.
Transportation: We all have direct experience.
Your surroundings: This can be anything from the actual room or to the city itself.
Sports
Conversation stoppers
53
Do not ask about:
religious beliefs
financial situation
any illness
details about a divorce or an affair
someone's weight, height, shoe size, age or mental health.
harmful gossip; and
telling racial, ethnic, and sexually oriented jokes
Small Talk Tips
First, observe. Your small talk will be more effective if you take the time to look
for the best possible icebreaker.
Stay safe.
Ask open-ended questions.
Make strong eye-contact, the key indicater of your interest and respect.
Be aware of your body language revealing how you really feel.
Body Language
Words only account for 7% of an initial impression. Vocal quality accounts for another 38%.
The rest of 55% of any first impression is based on non-verbal perceptions of appearance and
behavior.
do not display affection in public, it is not polite to seem back slapper or toucher
Hugging, kissing and touching is usually reserved for family members and very close friends.
keep a certain amount of personal space. Do not stand too close to another person or put your
arm around someone's shoulder.
Staring is considered rude.
To gain and increase respect, first establish your presence in a room, then smile.
Corporate Culture punctuality is important for business meetings. Be on time.
prefer a congenial business relationship, but tend to get right down to business after a few
moments of polite conversation.
Business is best initiated through a well-connected third party.
Expect formalities and protocol to be observed in business
Meetings should be scheduled well in advance.
Meetings generally have a concrete objective, such as: making a decision, developing a plan
or arriving at an agreement.
Presentations should be detailed and subdued.
The Polish are known for being skilled businesspersons.
Dining and Entertainment
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Summon a waiter by raising your hand. Don't wave or shout.
Most business entertaining is done restaurants or pubs over lunch. The host, the one who
extends the invitation, pays the bill.
An invitation to someone's home is more common in England than in the rest of Europe.
Do not discuss business at dinner in someone's home unless the host initiates the
conversation.
when invited to someone's home, arrive at least 10-20 minutes after the stated time. Never
arrive early.
A male guest of honor is seated at the head of the table or to the right of the hostess. A female
guest of honor is seated to the right of the host.
Wait for your host to begin eating before you eat.
Host or hostess always initiates first toast, which is usually only given at a formal dinner.
Keep your hands on the table at all times during the meal -- not in your lap. However, take
care to keep your elbows off the table.
When finished eating, place knife and fork side by side on the plate at the 5:25 position.
You should leave a very small amount of food on your plate when finished eating.
The guest of honor should initiate leaving a party.
When the host folds his napkin, this signals that the meal is over.
Leave a dinner party shortly after dinner ends.
Write a thank you note to the hostess.
It is considered impolite to ask for a tour of your host's home.
Dress People in the larger cities dress more formally
Men and women wear wools and tweeds for casual occasions. Slacks, sweaters and jackets
are appropriate for men and women.
Avoid striped ties
For business meetings, men should wear dark suits and ties. Women should wear suits,
dresses or skirts and blouses.
Do not wear a blazer to work. A blazer is country or weekend wear.
For formal events men may wear black ties, business suits, morning coats or tails. Inquire
which is required. Women generally wear cocktail suits or dresses.
Gifts Gifts are normally not exchanged in business settings.
When invited to someone's home, always bring a small gift for the hostess. Give flowers,
chocolates, wine, champagne or books. Present the gift upon arrival.
Gifts are opened upon receiving.
It is polite to send flowers in advance of a dinner party.
Helpful Hints Men should open doors for women and stand when a woman enters a room.
Always hold the door for a person following behind you.
Honor rank when entering a room. Allow higher rank to enter first.
Respect the desire for privacy. Don’t ask personal questions, such as where a person lives or
what a person does for a profession or job. Don’t talk about money.
Some rule of thumbs In business, introductions are based on power and hierarchy
Gender plays no role in business etiquette; nor does it affect the order of introductions.
Introduce someone from your firm to a client or customer.
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Introduce a junior executive to a senior executive.
As you say each of the individuals' names, look at him or her.
The way you respond to someone else's introduction is just as important as making the
introduction
Always stand for introductions and offer your hand.
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN SPAIN
ADDRESSING A PERSON:
In Spain, people have two surnames, composed of their father’s first surname and their
mother’s first surname. Also like in other countries we can have two first names
We usually say Sr (Mr) and Sra (Mrs) before the name or replace the name when we address
to an older person, a superior or a stranger only if this is not a young person. In this case we
don’t use Señor or Señora, because we speak in one way or another depending on if we are in
a formal or informal atmosphere.
INFORMAL: (When there is an atmosphere of trust.) friends, family. In this friendly
environment we talk in a relaxed manner, we address people saying “tú” instead of “usted”,
which is very formal and also we use slang, each region has its own way of speaking and
greeting. To greet we can say “hey” or “hola”
FORMAL: We use formal language in more formal situations where we use a precise
vocabulary for example in a job interview, a debate or a ceremony. As opposed to informal
language we use “usted” instead of “tú”
DRESS CODE: In Spain there aren’t strict rules about what to wear or not. Like in all countries we use an
outfit or another depending on what we'll do and where.
In a business: If you want to make a good impression you have to look fashionable. For
business, men should wear a suit with a jacket and with a tie or without it , even in warm
weather, and women usually wear dresses, blouses and skirts with heels.
Parties and celebrations: When we go out we usually get dressed up or try to wear our best
outfits. Men wear jeans with stylish shirts and maybe a jacket, in this type of parties it isn’t
common to wear a tie, but there are men who put it on. Women wear dresses, skirts and also
jeans with tight shirts, boots or heels... Women make up themselves and they usually put on
lots of accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, also hair accessories like ribbons.
A middle-aged or old man doesn’t’ wear the same clothes
to go to a party as a teenager. They prefer more comfort and elegance at the same time.
Finally in Spain not everyone wears“Flamenco” dresses. There are many types of folkloric
costumes, each community has its own, and ied on a specific date.
TIME AND PUNCTUALITY In Spain the working hours for shops and businesses are regulated by the government. Shops
are usually open in the morning and reopen after lunch until about 0830. pm, Monday through
Friday, and Saturday morning. Large department stores are open all day. Professional offices
usually open from 10 to 2, then from 5 to 8. Banks are open from 9 to 2 pm .
Most shops and businesses close at lunchtime to rest and take “siesta” , which is typical in
Spain. The Spanish usually take “siesta” in summer, because it is very warm.
Lunch is between 2 pm and 4 pm. Dinner is generally at 10 pm.
The view of time tends to be somewhat flexible. In social situations it is common to show up
late but being on time for business situations is expected.
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But appointments and deadlines tend to be kept and most transportation services run on time.
As a general rule, in the south, people tend be more relaxed about time than in the north.
AT SCHOOL In most public high schools you do not have to wear uniforms, and students usually go with
casual wear. But in private and government-funded schools students must wear uniform.
Marks at high schools are given on a scale from 0 to 10 with 10 being the highest and 5 being
the minimum passing grade for a given subject.
Mobile phones are not allowed at schools as a general rule. If you need to make a phone call,
you can use the telephone in the main office. If a teacher sees you using your mobile in class
it can be taken away until your parents come to collect it.
MEETING AND GREETING A kiss on both cheeks. Actually you don’t kiss their cheeks, you just kiss on the air while
you’re touching cheeks. From left side to right side. That’s used between girls and a woman
and a man.
Shaking hands. You shake the right hand, this is used between men, and everyone if it is a
serious situation.
Hug. This happens among friends.
Meeting. In meetings Spaniards would like to check if they can trust you, so they will ask you
about things like your family. You should be honest.
CONVERSATION Spanish people love to talk, so you can ask about their family or free time. But you should be
careful with some topics like age or Spanish food, for example. Here in Spain we are very
proud of our cured ham and wine, so maybe speaking badly about that isn’t a good idea. If
you’re a woman probably they will say things like “you look good.”
Then you could say thanks, because in Spain we prefer humble people.
BUSINESS MEALS Doing business in Spain is similar to doing business in the rest of Europe.
While many Spaniards kiss on both cheeks when meeting, this is not common in business
relationships. When doing business in Spain handshakes are standard as with the rest of
Europe and a kiss is appropriate
If you are female, don't be surprised if they compliment you and tell you that you look good.
You can compliment them back if you feel like it or just say thanks.
Several people may also try to speak at once and interruptions are not uncommon. If this
happens it should not be interpreted as rude.
More typically, the deals are done at the office, and then after the successful negotiations, you
all go to celebrate at a restaurant.
The Spanish are great conversationalists. This is how they spend their free time.
The Spanish are proud of their food and wine. Don't be surprised if an evening out lasts until
the late hours.
Spaniards do not, on average, speak English as well as a Northern European. Many companies
in Spain have staff with good English language skills, but try to speak Spanish.
BODY LANGUAGE
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Never touch, hug or back slap a Spaniard you do not know well, unless a friendly Spaniard
touches you first.
Generally, Spaniards stand very close when talking.
Spaniards speak a lot with their hands. In most conversations, hands are waving around giving
emphasis on what is being said. Never mimic them.
It is common to see people hug in public; couples kiss in public, women interlock arms with
men while walking in the street ( del brazo). Public physical contact is considered normal
within certain limits.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS In Spain, when you are considered a friend you will be treated in a familiar way and
politeness won’t be necessary and the rules become relaxed, but you must be more formal
with the older generation.
If you don’t say “please” or “thank you”, it is not considered impolite as a general rule. It is
thought unnecessary among family and friends, or in everyday exchanges in shops and
restaurants.
When some spanish people are in a pub or in a restaurant, they usually say “jefe” (boss),
“maestro” (master), “campeon” (champion), “niño” (boy) , “máquina” (machine) to get
attention the waiter’s attention.
Spaniards do not physically stand in line (queue), but they have a sixth sense about who
arrived before them and who arrived after them, instantly knowing when it’s their turn. Make
sure to ask who’s last when you arrive, especially because Spaniards aren’t afraid to complain
if someone should “cut in line”. With that said, be prepared to assert yourself to get served.
GIVING PRESENTATIONS IN PUBLIC
If this were on a list of the human race greatest fears, public speaking would be right at the
top. Whether it is forgetting your lines or realizing you have a tail of toilet paper hanging out
of your trousers, fear of public speaking really boils down to fear of being ridiculed, rejected,
and publicly humiliated. However, public speaking is something that you can get over.
The most important thing is preparation. You have to search information and write what you
are going to say, it is easier like that. Another point to keep in mind is the impression and your
appearance. We must remember that body language is even more important than the oral
speech sometimes. Your feelings and attitude will depend on the situation or place you are
and the people you are talking to.
Moreover, there are some tips you can follow to be a little bit more relaxed such as drinking
some water, thinking your speech is just a conversation with one person, smiling or even
making a funny comment about the topic you are explaining.
PREPARATION The first thing you have to do if you want to make a good speech is to write what you are
going to say. Of course it will be easier if you know what you are talking about, even though
you have to search information to complete your knowledge about your topic, and that will
make you more competent.
You have to write it with your own words, and not to read everything you are saying.
Before giving your speech you will have to memorize it, but some experienced and talented
people don’t memorize it, they just improvise, but that is best done at informal situations,
besides, it is risky.
A trick is to use slides or notes with the main ideas written on them.
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Moreover, you will have to know where are you going to give your speech. It is better if you
know whether you are going to be standing or sitting, and if you will be on stage you have to
know how to move on it.
IMPRESSION You have to know if you are making a good impression. You have to be relaxed and
confident. Your voice has to be fluid and clear, you have to speak articulating your words, not
thinking in understanding yourself, but in making others understand you.
To improve your voice you can speak in front of a mirror, looking at your gesticulation and
movements.
In addition, you have to try to keep the attention of the public, that’s not easy, because the
interest of your speech is relative, there may be people who really like the topic you are
talking about, and there are others who don’t.
You can use visual aids to illustrate your speech, using them to remember ideas.
VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE You have to speak clearly, as we said before, but what about body language?
That says many things about our personality, if we are nervous or calm people, of if we feel
comfortable in your element.
It is not advisable to use unnatural gestures. You have to smile and look at people in the eyes.
It is not a good idea to walk around the stage either. That may distract the public and not to
keep your hands in your pockets, just make soft movements with your hands to achieve a
better understanding of the public.
CONFIDENCE Many times fear may lead to negative self-talk, especially before you speak, with thoughts
such as "I'll never be good at this!" It lowers your confidence, so you’ve got to avoid it.
Positive thinking can make a huge difference to the success of your communication, because
it helps you feel more confident.
For example, you can use affirmations and visualization to raise your confidence. This is also
important right before your speech or presentation. Visualize giving a successful presentation,
and imagine how you will feel once it is over and when you have made a positive difference
for others. Use positive affirmations such as "I'm grateful. I have the opportunity to help my
audience" or "I'm going to do well!"
Second one, people trust people who look at them in the eye, so look at your audience when
you are speaking to them. Don't look at the floor -- there's nothing down there. Don't look
either at your notes -they will think you haven't prepared it-. You appear more confident
when your head is up, which makes your audience think you to have command of the room.
COPING WITH NERVES How often have you listened to or watched a speaker who really messed up? The answer is
"not very often."
When we have to speak in front of others, we can prevent terrible things from happening. We
imagine forgetting every point we want to make, or doing so horribly that we will lose our
job. But those things hardly ever happen! We build them up in our minds and end up more
nervous than we need to be.
To overcome stage fright we have to prepare our presentation well beforehand. People go to
presentations to learn something, so watch a good successful presentation first. That will help
you have positive thinking
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You can also focus on one friendly face at a time, and talk to that person as if he or she is the
only one in the room.
And also, who doesn't like to laugh a little? You don't have to be a comedian, but a few funny
comments can help humanize you to your audience. Win them over with a smile and a clever
remark, if you can.
Even you can drink some water; you can reorganize your ideas and feel more confident
And one thing really important: relax. You are ready. You have prepared for this speech so
there is no need to be worried. You know the material and you know your audience. Now just
go out and do your best.
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Chapter 5 D I S A B I L I T Y
Disabled persons are persons with limitation
at work caused by longstanding (at least half a year long period) health conditions or diseases,
or/and difficulties in basic activities.
Types of Disabilities: The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) identifies and defines the following categories of
disabilities:
Physical - affects a person's mobility or dexterity
Intellectual - affects a person's abilities to learn
Psychiatric - affects a person's thinking processes
Sensory - affects a person's ability to hear or see
Neurological - results in the loss of some bodily or mental functions
Associations for the disabled: National Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The association which provides
support and assistance for deaf and hard of hearing children, adults, and their families.
Down Foundation: The organisation which ensures that as many children with Down
Syndrome as possible are brought up within their own families and live an independent life.
National Autism Association: An umbrella body for the various organisations representing
the interests of autistic people and their families.
National Deaf and Blind Association : The association which represents the people´s
interests - deaf and blind disability. It offers training for sign language interpreters and special
education teachers, as well as education and therapy for deaf and blind children.
Daily life: In everyday life we can meet a lot of disabled people everywhere. While we go
out, shopping or just climb stairs without any obstacle, people who live with disability have a
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lot of difficulties with things which are common for us for healthy people. That is why we
must help them with several devices to make their lives easier.
Public places: Our government is trying to help these disabled people to live their life in an easier way. A lot
of places such as shopping malls, businesses, doctors' offices and other public places are
adapted to the needs of the disabled people.
Furthermore every public building like schools, universities, business offices have to
provide a safe incline for anyone with a handicap to enter the buildings. Besides the buildings
it is very necessary special ramps to be placed everywhere for better entry.
Paralympics Games: The Paralympics Games is a major
international multi-sport event involving
all of the sportsmen and sportswomen all
around the world with a range of physical
and intellectual disabilities including
mobility disabilities, amputations,
blindness, and cerebral palsy. There are
Winter and Summer Paralympics Games.
They follow the Olympics Games since the
year 1988. All the Paralympics Games are
governed by the International Paralympics
Committee.
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Henrieta Farkašová
She was born in May 23, 1986, in
Rožňava. She is a Slovak downhill skier
and a five-fold winner of the Paralympics
Games. She is the most successful
Paralympics sportswoman in the Slovak
history. At the Winter Paralympics Games
in 2010 in Vancouver where she won three
gold medals for the visually impaired
disciplines: giant slalom, super combined
and super giant slalom. Then she won a
silver medal in downhill skiing. The fourth
Paralympics gold medal was won by her at
the Winter Paralympics Games in Sochi
(Russia) in 2014 skiing for visually
impaired. She also won the bronze medal
here in the slalom and the fifth gold in the
giant slalom.
Ján Riapoš
He was born in September 28, 1968, in
Heľpa. He is a Slovak Paralympics athlete
and a representative of the Slovak
Republic for the Paralympics Games.
Among his successes belong four gold and
one silver medals. He is our most
successful Paralympics sportsman. He is
also the chairman of the Slovak
Paralympics Committee and the President
of the Slovak Union of disabled athletes. In
2005 he was declared for the Paralympics
sportsman of the decade. He is considered
for one of the best European champion in
the individual table tennis in wheelchair
for last twenty years. On the last Summer
Paralympics Games in London 2012, he
achieved the greatest success when he
triumphed in the individual and team
category .
Polish Humanitarian Action Our mission is to make the world a better place by alleviating human suffering and promoting
humanitarian values. The work of any of us contributes to saving people’s lives.
Janina Ochojska is the founder and president of PAH. She is an extremely modest woman, an
unquestioned authority in the field of humanitarian aid. She was born on 12 March 1955 in
Gdańsk She is an astronomer and journalist by She has always been an active community
worker. Her aim in life has always been helping others She was diagnosed with polio and had
an operation in France in 1984. There she first encountered the idea of a humanitarian
organization.
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EquiLibre, where she worked as a volunteer. She
coordinated the French medical and food aid for Polish
hospitals and she organised support convoys to Bosnia.
Guidelines for language relating to disability
Good terms to use Bad terms to use
Person/people with disability / has a
disability,
the disabled, the handicapped, defectives,
invalids, deformed, crippled
People without disabilities, typical person Normal, healthy, able-bodied
Wheelchair user, uses a wheelchair Wheelchair bound, confined to a
wheelchair
Congenital disability, birth anomaly Birth defect, affliction
Has Cerebral Palsy (CP) A victim of cerebral palsy
People with an intellectual disability Mentally deficient, retardate, a retard,
feeble minded, slow
Person with Down’s Syndrome A Down’s or Mongoloid
Person who has epilepsy, seizure disorder,
fits
The epileptic
People who have mental illness, emotional
disorder, or mental health issues
The mentally ill, crazy, psycho, mental
case
People who are blind or visually impaired The blind
People who are deaf or hearing impaired Deaf mute, deaf and dumb
Person with speech or communication
disorder
Tongue tied, mute
Basic Points of Etiquette
Avoid asking personal questions or referring to someone's disability if it isn’t relevant to the situation. If you must ask, be sensitive and show respect
Be tactful with physical contact. If you are talking or helping the blind, tell them about
your presence, or touch gently, if you are the guide of the person, tell them about the
obstacles, you meet on your way.
Ask if you are not sure how to behave in the presence of the disabled person.
A handshake is NOT a standard greeting for everyone. When in doubt, ASK the person whether he or she would like to shake hands with you. A smile along with a
spoken greeting is always appropriate.
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Be considerate and patient of the extra time it might take for a person with a disability
to do or say something.
Find out, by polite asking if the disabled person needs your help, Be polite and patient when offering assistance, and wait until your offer of assistance is accepted; then
listen to or ask for specific instructions.
When planning a meeting or other event, try to anticipate specific accommodations a person with a disability might need. If a barrier cannot be avoided, let the person know
ahead of time.
Don't use "normal" to describe people who don't have disabilities. It is better to say "people without disabilities" or "typical," if necessary to make comparisons
Never say "wheelchair-bound" or "confined to a wheelchair." People who use mobility
or adaptive equipment are, if anything, afforded freedom and access that otherwise
would be denied them.
While conversation, talk directly to the disabled person, not to their guide or a helper Speak directly to the person with a disability, not just to the ones accompanying him
or her.
Never assume that a person with a communication disorder (speech impediment, hearing loss, motor impairment) also has an intellectual disability. This is not a good
assumption, people with intellectual disabilities often speak well and their limitations
are not always obvious initially.
Ask if you are not sure how to behave in the presence of the disabled person. Never
pretend to understand what a person is saying. Ask the person to repeat or rephrase, or
offer him or her a pen and paper. It is OK to say “I am sorry, I do not understand what
you are saying”.
It is okay to use common expressions like "see you soon" or "I'd better be running along." Speak to a person with a disability as you would anyone else. Don't overreact
and don't help if you are not kindly asked to do so.
Relax. Anyone can make mistakes. Offer an apology if you forget some courtesy. Keep a sense of humor and a willingness to communicate.
DISABILITY IN SPAIN
In the mid 1900’s, people with disabilities were segregated from mainstream society and
confined in mental institutions. Fortunately, things have changed dramatically and now there
is a concern about their situation.
Throughout the 20th century, they still were separated from the others, and, often, rejected.
Even the terms used to refer to them were cruel and inappropriate, but, luckily, at the end of
the 20th century other terms started to be used. Social awareness and the development of
associations composed of parents and disabled people also contributed to normalization and
integration.
On the other hand, there are still some problems, such as in rural areas, or when they have to
ask for a sign language interpreter or the expenses families have to face because there isn’t
enough funding for disabled people.
If we talk about employment, sometimes there’s a lack of concern. It is, because they don’t
really know that disability. There are workplaces or jobs where they don’t want to admit
people with disabilities or maybe just be responsible for them. But not everything is so
negative; there are a lot of employers who hire people with disabilities and benefit from a
range of grants and other funding.
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And, of course, there are some laws related to the disabled people’s situation, such as LISMI.
This is a law, passed on 7th
April 1982, for the Social Integration of Handicapped People,
which claims that all the Spanish companies with a workforce of over 50 workers must “have
a reservation quota for disabled people ".
Its goal, among others, is to stimulate and to promote the disabled labour integration.
In spite of the existence of this law, there were a number of companies that didn’t fulfill this
legal obligation, so new measures had to be taken to implement the law thoroughly. That way
the advantages people from general population have over disabled people are reduced.
In terms of education different laws were developed at the beginning of this century to fight
against discrimination and encourage inclusion, which means equal education of all students
in regular classes and appropriate educational classes for every student, so everyone is
accepted and supported.
Breaking down barriers People with disabilities face many barriers every day – from physical obstacles in buildings to
systemic barriers in employment. However, the most difficult barriers to overcome are
attitudes other people carry regarding people with disabilities.
We can see these attitudinal barriers through pity. People feel sorry for the person with a
disability, which tends to lead to patronizing attitudes. People with disabilities don’t want pity
or charity, just equal opportunity to learn their own way and live independently.
Unlike physical barriers, attitudinal barriers that often lead to discrimination cannot be
overcome simply through laws. The best remedy is familiarity, getting people with and
without disabilities to mingle as co-workers, associates and social acquaintances. In time,
most of the attitudes will give way to comfort, respect and friendship.
Etiquette: What can we do to interact with people with disabilities? Listen to the person with the disability. Do not make assumptions about what that person can
or cannot do..
Extend common courtesies to people with disabilities as you would do with anyone else.
Shake hands or hand over business cards. If the person cannot shake your hand or grasp your
card, they will tell you. Do not be ashamed of your attempt, however..
It is okay to feel nervous or uncomfortable around people with disabilities, and it's ok to admit
that. It is human to feel that way at first. When you encounter these situations, think "person"
first instead of disability; you will eventually relax.
Foundations in Spain One of the main associations in Spain working hard on the representation and defence of
people with disabilities is CERMI. How can CERMI achieve this purpose? They try to group
the entire people with disabilities sector and make social pressure. With this they have higher
strength and representation before the government, this is very important to achieve the
objective of non-discrimination and full citizenship for people with disabilities.
This organization works in the entire Spanish state, but just CERMI can’t cover all so it is
divided into separate platforms and so they can focus on more specific cases. There are also
other associations that support and help CERMI with its functions and objectives. We can
name some of them: Down Extremadura, FEAPS, ONCE (which is an organization for blind
people that runs the most popular charity lotteries in Spain and its main source of income.
Nowadays CERMI groups turn to 7000 associations and organizations which together
represent more than 3.8 million people, 10% of the total population.
High-skilled people with disabilities. Appropriate and inappropriate terms Perhaps Stephen Hawking is the best-known person with a disability. He was born in Oxford
and he is one of the most important scientists in human history, he is an English theoretical
physicist and cosmologist.
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Hawking has a disease called neuro-muscular dystrophy, an important disability that made
him lose mobility and later the ability to speak..
He has a quality which is perseverance, and as a result of it, he provided new knowledge to
modern science, especially about the universe, the Big Bang theory, and the black holes.
Another high-skilled person with a disability is Teresa Perales, a Spanish professional
swimmer, who has won a total of 22 Paralympic medals (six of those were won at the 2012
London Games).
She is paraplegic, nevertheless, she has been strong enough to become a professional
swimmer.
A person really surprising is Miguel Galindo, a Spanish skier and a ski coach who teaches and
helps blind skiers by telling them how to go on a mountain. It is incredible because people
who don’t have any disability wouldn’t be able to go through a mountain without seeing
anything, so they must have very high developed senses.
There are many other high-skilled people who have become professionals in their field, and in
spite of their disability, they have fulfilled their wish, with determination, patience and a very
high mental strength..
Concerning RESPECTFUL DISABILITY LANGUAGE, it consists of using terms which
don’t cause an offense to disabled people.
The problem is that we don’t know when a word offends a disabled person, because we don’t
pay attention to the meaning behind the word. However, we have to be careful with our
vocabulary, because if we were disabled, we wouldn’t like to be called with terms that might
sound offensive or pejorative.
For example, it is correct to use terms like “disabled”, or “people with disabilities”, but to talk
about people who are not, we shouldn’t use “normal people” or “healthy people”.
That way, we would address to a blind person, using “blind”, but not “dumb” or “invalid”.
Other terms we shouldn’t use are words like “retarded”, “insane”, “deformed” and many
others.
Instead, we should use terms such as “person with learning disability”, “wheelchair user” or
“person with a speech disability”.
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Chapter 6 FIRST AID
When an accident happens it is very important to act very fast and mainly right. Of course, it
is very complicated and difficult when there is a lot of blood, noise, chaos and you are under
the pressure. We should avoid mistakes like dragging out a person in unconsciousness when
there is no fire or it is not necessary. We should not start saving life before we insure vehicle
or we should not provide first aid before we check breathing and other vital functions.
Assecuration of the place of the accident
Stop in a safe distance in front of the place
of the accident.
Then place the warning triangle in assured
clear distance ahead.
Turn off the engine of the crashed car and assure the vehicle against to movement or back lift
(do not turn back reversal car)
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Life saving acts
At first we must check vital functions of the patient if he or she breaths and he or she
does not growl stop intense bleeding. We cover the open wound of chest. We ensure patency
of air passages.
Check by sight for :
Breathing
Bleeding Body position
Look and colour of face
Check by ear for:
Breathing bruit
Badges of the stricken (moan, answer on
the questions)
Check by touch:
Breathing movements
Pain of stricken area
Deformations
Temperature of the skin, sweat etc.
How to stop powerful bleeding:
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Pick up the wound above the level of the heart, push it by fingers or put a tampon there. Then
do a treatment with a bandage and if the bandage leaks add another layer.
Dragging out:
Drag out the wounded person only if
There is another danger like fire, falling down the hillside etc
If the person blocks helping the other wounded person
It is not able to provide first aid at that position of person
Rauket´s maneuver: Keep in mind potential damage of spine- beware of spine rotation. If you cannot drag out
wounded person on your own.
Taking helmet off: Carry out in pair
First the rescuer must keep head position in the ax of the body
Second one turns off the helmet also in the ax of the body
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Unconsciousness: The wounded person does not react on the
accosting or shaking.
Take out freely laying objects in mouth
Slump over his head
Push forward his jaw
Put him into stabilized position
If he or she does not breath, begin to
resuscitate
Keep watching the wounded person all the
time
Stabilized position: If the wounded person breaths and we feel the heart actions (we must check it every
minute)
we kneel down to the wounded person and:
Bend the leg (that one which is further from you)
We put the hand on the abdomen (again
the further one)
We catch patient´s bended knee and
shoulder on the other side from us and roll
him over a side
We push on the forehead and bend his
head back for better breathing
We also bend his arm in the elbow and put
in under the face
Resuscitation:
Do it if you cannot hear breathing after slumping over his head and if you cannot see
breathing movements after slumping over his head30 times push the chest right in the middle
(after 30 times there comes two in breath but it is not necessary but in that case do not stop
pushing)
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Anti shock steps: Anti shock position
Make sure that he or she is in warmth
ADMINISTERING FIRST AID
Following the Spanish Red Cross advice, in case of emergency it is crucial to adopt the PAS
approach to avoid that lack of knowledge or panic doesn’t let us take correct emergency
actions . In Spanish, P.A.S. stands for protecting (proteger), warning (avisar) and helping
(ayudar).
The first one is to protect, which means that you must move the person out of the road and
protect their spine. Also you should keep calm and put on the reflective vest.
Next, go out of the vehicle and place the warning triangles in the correct
distance.
The next step is help. Alert emergency services by calling 112 to request the
presence of an ambulance and qualified personnel at the site.
If more than one person is there one should attend to the victim and the other
one should call 122 for help.
When calling 122, indicate:
Whether the victim is unconscious.
Approximate age
Exact location
Administering first AID. Different cases:
Check for breathing: You must check the airways, if there´s no response, you must shout
for help and you must start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
Clearing the airway
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Initial evaluation. Examination of the mouth, consciousness and breathing.
If the victim coughs strongly and is breathing well: encourage him to cough and do not
perform any manoeuvres
If coughing is weak and breathing is difficult, perform manoeuvres to clear
the airway like this:
Five blows on the back with the heel of the hand (between the shoulder and
blades), with the adult leaning slightly forwards.
Then perform five abdominal thrusts (Heimlich manoeuvre)
Mouth to mouth ventilation Cover the victim’s mouth with your lips.
Pinch the victim’s nose between the thumb and index finger of the hand that
is on the victim’s forehead, keeping the airway open.
Breathe your air into the victim’s mouth, making sure that the chest rises. If you cannot make
the chest rise on breathing in air, check that the airway is open
Cardiac massage It consists of rhythmic compressions of the chest which make the blood flow towards the vital
organs such as the heart, lungs and brain. We must follow these steps:
Put the victim on the floor face up. Locate the centre of the chest and place the heel of one
hand on the lower third of the sternum. Place the heel of the other hand on top of the other
hand, interlocking the fingers of both hands together.
With your arms straight, press the weight of your body, pushing the victim’s chest down
about 4-5 cm.
The arms should be vertical over the centre of the chest in order to apply the pressure more
easily and the fingers should be raised so as to avoid damaging the ribs
Moving an unconscious person If the victim cannot stand, is unconscious or they are in a room filled with smoke, you can
move the victim:
By crawling while the victim holds onto your shoulders/neck (conscious victim).
By grabbing their shoulders/shirt, cradling their head in your arms and pulling.
By rolling them onto a blanket or sleeping bag and pulling.
Shock It is the body's reaction to a serious injury. It is a general term that describes a weakening of
the
body's systems, especially the cardiovascular system.
How to treat shock: Have the victim lie down and be calm. Start with no pillow.
Cover them with a blanket.
If their face is pale, raise feet. If their face is red, raise their
head.
Monitor his condition and write down what you see:
Take his pulse every five minutes.
Note the breathing pattern: shallow/deep, quick/slow
Check the injury and change dressings or make adjustments as needed. Look for
additional injuries.
Ask the victim for medical information: medical history, allergies, phone numbers of people
to contact, etc.
Talk to the victim and reassure him.
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Chapter 7 MY COMENIUS
EXPERIENCE
Manuel Macho Becerra
Luckily I have taken part in three meetings in the Comenius project so I will write about all of
them.
Firstly, the second meeting and the first I participated in took place here in Spain and it was a
good experience to help the other Comenius students to learn about our culture and
personally, about first aid. Obviously I made new friends and I could meet some of them in
the other two meetings. Here we had the chance to go to an adventure park in Hornachos near
my town.
The second meeting in Finland was exciting because I wanted to go to Finland before
knowing about the Comenius project. At first, I was surprised by the way the Finnish take
care of the public stuff because here most of us take care of that stuff but there are still people
that don’t take care of them. The people we met there, were very friendly although we thought that they weren’t so friendly. About the meeting, the presentations we watched there
were a little bit boring but I had a lot of fun there and we learnt a lot about the Finnish culture.
Last but not least the meeting in Poland made me think about my personal life so it was a little
bit strange experience but a good one because there I had fun mostly with my friends and also
with some Poles. I learnt about the history near the zone we were and it is an amusing history
that you can have fun learning about it.
Summarizing I think that the main objective that everyone must have in these experiences is
just having fun while you try to learn about what is around you.
Anastasia Altukhova
Fortunately, I had two Comenius experience in only two years and I have to say that they
were the better travels in all my life. I was in Slovakia (the first Comenius trip) and in Poland
(the last Comenius trip). The first travel was a year ago, in January 2013. My six classmates
and me were selected for the first trip and the true is that we were very nervous because we
didn’t know the people, the countries and in general, Comenius was the first program that we
did in our class. The first impressive news about Slovakia was the person in who’s house I
lived. I was waiting for a student, but one day I received an Email from Monika Krileková, a
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English teacher in Slovakia. I was so surprised! Monika has three children, however I was a
little scared to stay in her house. The second unexpected news was that also Karoliina Perho,
a Finnish student, will live with me in Monika’s house. I don’t remember very well the flight
because for me travel in plane was a normal thing, so I was sleeping for all the trip.
When we arrive to Nizna, I forget my English! In the moment when I sat down in Monika’s
car I couldn’t even explain how was the trip. Luckily, Karoliina aided and was speaking with
Monika. Later, we arrived to home, because we lived near to Nizna, in other town. When I
met Monika’s family all my fear disappeared. I love that family!
In summary, my first Comenius experience passed so fast. I met a lot of new people, I learnt
very interesting worlds like “Prst” which mean “finger” in slovak, I improved my English,
etc, etc, etc. But the most exciting thing was the snow! I’m from Ukraine and the last time
when I have saw the snow was when I was seven years old. So I was so happy to see it again!
When we came back to home I didn’t think that I couldn’t repeat another Comenius trip, but I
was wrong! Happily I was wrong! Only one month ago I was in Poland!
This time I was more calm and more excited for the travel. In Poland Daria Behling, a Polish
student, was my host. We were speaking on Facebook so much and I was so happy to be in
her house. The week In Poland pass also so fast and this time we knew a lot of people from
other countries, so we were more aroused. We met a new very interesting culture, we were in
differents and beautifuls cities, we very in Polish army (the better thing for me in all my
Comenius experience) and other many things.
The worst moment was the farewell, we knew everybody that this was the last trip, the last
experience and probably we couldn’t see each other many times... But I have to say that this
experience was unforgettable!!! I’m so happy to know all these people that I met, to see two
different and amazing cultures and countries, to start speak better in English, to had
this trips!!!
Maria Sanchez Esperilla
How can I describe these amazing experiences?
I've travelled abroad for the first time with the help of this great project: “COMENIUS
SKILLS FOR LIFE SKILLS FOR FUTURE”. After this trip, Comenius gave me another
second opportunity to travel abroad again..
I've discovered new cultures, new different lifestyles but the most important thing.. I've met
amazing people that I'll never forget. They made me happy during a week in Finland and
during another week in Poland again.
What beautiful landscapes in Finland! I'm in love with this country! Enni Linnoja was my
host in Finland and she showed me how finnish people are : polite, happy and thoughtful.
Just over a month ago I was in Poland. Last meeting. Asia Mierzejewska was my host and I
was her host in Spain so we go on with our friendship. It was fantastic to see her again!
Poland has beautiful monuments that I want to visit in future!
This project has changed my life, really. Now I'm an open minded person and I´m waiting
hopefully for more opportunities to travel around the world, learn languages and have more
experiences. Thanks for everything Slovak, Finnish, Hungarian and polish people. Many
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feelings around me when I think about this experience that just people that have participated
in this project can feel it.
“Never say never” See you in future.
Blanca García Pérez
There’s no doubt that the Comenius Project gave me the best experiences of my life. At first,
everyone in my class was so excited, we wanted to go to all the countries, even when we
knew that we couldn’t. We have been working hard for two years, and today we can say that
it has been worth it. I would always remember the first day in Almendralejo for the other
comenius partners. I was afraid that I wouldn’t know what to say, how to say it, and I will
forget all that I know about English. Luckily, I was wrong. A Polish girl called Paulina,
stayed at my house. It was nice, as the days passed by, we became friends. I think that
everyone became more confident speaking English here, we understood that you can make
mistakes. It doesn’t matter. You have to make them for to improve.
The day they had to go, was so sad. But we wished that maybe we can see them again in
another country. Fortunately, I went to Finland. I say fortunately, because I stayed at Kerttu’s
house, who has an amazing family. Also, it was nice to see again people that we meet in
Spain.
I was really surprised by the landscape, it was like a movie, so beautiful. And I should
mention the lazer fight, I haven’t seen that before, and we had a great time there. I can’t talk
about everything because it’s too much, but I’m glad to keep these memories.
With this project I have learnt English, of course. But I have learnt more interesting things,
like the culture of another European countries and a little bit of Suomi, for example. And the
best of the Comenius Project is the people I have met. I have to say thank you to everyone,
you have a friend in Spain.
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Comenius Meetings
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