Study Abroad in Poland
Situated in the heartland of Europe, Poland has been
both a bridge and a front line between eastern and
western Europe. Today, free from outside interference,
Poland is the place to go if you're interested in seeing
how a nation picks itself up off the floor and tries
to reinvent itself. It's a multifaceted country where
the capital and medieval old towns are coddled by
contemporary city slickers and where horse-drawn carts
negotiate country lanes in areas where the 20th century
appears to have got lost somewhere down the road."
Those with a taste for history and its mementos are
invited to the many painstakingly restored old town
centers, the Royal Castles of Warsaw and Cracow, Poland's
former capita, and the old palaces erected by Polish
magnates, bringing to mind the memory of bygone
centuries. They will certainly enjoy our museums which
include the unique in Europe, medieval, underground
salt-mine in Wieliczka and the Nicolaus Copernicus
Biographical Museum in the old bishops' seat in Frombork.
Connoisseurs of the Art are sure to be interested in
the calendar of artistic events in the homeland of
Chopin and Penderecki: the Chopin Piano Competition and
the Wieniawski Violin Competition, both well-known
throughout the world, the Warsaw Autumn Festival of
Contemporary Music, the Jazz Jamboree International Festival
of Jazz Music, the Piknik Country Festival of Country
Music, and many cultural events for youth and folklore
festivals.
To the observer of social and political change in the
modern world, Poland comes upon the stage as the
cradle of the 'Solidarity' movement which shook the entire
communist system and changed the shape of Central
Europe in recent years. It is the homeland of Pope John
Paul II and a country of people open and hospitable to
visitors. Poland is also the homeland of many Nobel
prize winners: Henryk Sienkiewicz, Wladyslaw Reymont,
Czeslaw Milosz, Wieslawa Szymborska (literature), Maria
Sklodowska-Curie (chemistry and physics), and Lech
Walesa (peace).
In spite of a turbulent history and the dramatic
changes shaping Polish society today, Poles have vigorously
maintained a distinct sense of culture and community.
Come and meet them on their home ground and visit the
land that continues to motivate and inspire them
currency
The currency of Poland is Zloty
1 Polish zloty = 0.311944 U.S. dollars
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $489.8 billion;
per capita $12,700.
Real growth rate: 3.5%.
Inflation: 2.1%.
Unemployment: 18.3%.
Arable land: 46%.
Agriculture: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat;
poultry, eggs, pork, dairy.
Software companies in poand
ˇ AIS.PL
ˇ Computer Associates
ˇ ComputerLand SA
ˇ DRQ Sp z o.o.
ˇ Logotec Engineering SA
ˇ The Polished Group
ˇ Softbank
ˇ Prokom Software
ˇ Infoservice
ˇ Optimus
ˇ MKS Vir
ˇ Young Digital Poland
ˇ Vulcan Media
ˇ SuperMemo World
ˇ Nahlik Soft
ˇ Jacek Skalmierski
ˇ Creamsoft
ˇ Comarch
ˇ e-Pro
Jeronimo Martins Dystrybucja S.A.
The company is one of the largest employers in Poland,
giving jobs to over 12,000 people. In the ranking of
Poland's largest employers prepared by Rzeczpospolita,
Jeronimo Martins Dystrybucja was ranked 9th
Currently, the largest employer is the Maria
Curie-Sklodowska University (UMCS).
Population
In recent years the population of Poland, currently
38,7 million people, has been experiencing very slow
growth.
Approximately 62% of Poles live in cities, with are
mostly small or medium sized, and half of the population
lives in 42 cities with a population of over 100.000
inhabitants.
Approximately 62% of Poles live in cities, with are
mostly small or medium sized, and half of the population
lives in 42 cities with a population of over 100.000
inhabitants. Approximately 62% of Poles live in cities,
with are mostly small or medium sized, and half of the
population lives in 42 cities with a population of
over 100.000 inhabitants. Warsaw, the capital and Polish
largest city has a population of 1,6 million people.
Apart from the capital, the Polish largest cities are
lodz, Cracow, Wroclaw, Poznan and Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia
conurbation, with together for about 3,6 million
people. With respect to size of population, Poland ranks 8th
in Europe and 29th in the world, with an average
population density of 124 persons per km2.
The population of Polish communities abroad is
estimated at 12 million, with the largest communities living
in USA (5,6 million), Commonwealth of the Independent
States (2,5 million), France (1 million), Germany (0,8
million), Canada (0,4 million), Brasil (0,2 million).
From the ethnic point of view, Poland is one of the
most homogeneous countries in Europe, with over 98% of
the population being Polish ethnic origin.
Education system
Primary Education
The reformed 6-year primary school, introduced in the
school year 1999/2000 under the Act of 8 January 1999
on the Implementation of the Education System Reform,
is divided into 2 stages:
Stage I covers grades 1,2 and 3, and is called
integrated teaching Teaching at this stage is designed to
ensure smooth transition from pre-school to school
education.
Stage II covers grades 4,5 and 6.
Teaching at this stage is arranged in subjects listed
in the outline timetable: Polish language, history and
civics, modern foreign language, mathematics, natural
science, music, art, technology, computer sciences,
physical education, religion or ethics.
In addition to separate subjects, the following
"educational paths" have been introduced at this stage:
health education, ecological education, reading and media
education, education for society, education for family
life, cultural heritage of the region, patriotic and
civic education
The school head is responsible for the inclusion of
these paths in the curricula implemented by particular
teachers.
No special test or examination is envisaged between
stages 1 and 2. Class composition is based on the age of
pupils.
Secondary Education
In the framework of the education system reform in
1999 three-year gymnasia were established as a first
(lower) level of the secondary school. Since 2002 upper
secondary schools have been operational.
Lower Secondary Education: Gymnasium offers 3-years of
full-time general lower secondary education for pupils
who completed the reformed 6-year primary school. It
is compulsory for all pupils. The gymnasium is targeted
at pupils aged 13 to 16 and is considered the last
stage (Stage 3) of general compulsory education.
It provides education by subjects, the widest possible
variety, but at the basic level. One of the aims of
this stage is to identify the abilities and interests of
the pupils and to help them make a rational choice of
a further education route.
Upper Secondary Education: the age of pupils in upper
secondary education is between 16 and 18/19/20 years.
The upper secondary education is not divided into
cycles.
Since the school year 2002/03 the following
post-gymnasium schools are operational: zasadnicze szkoly
zawodowe (basic vocational schools, pupils aged 16 to 18/19)
- duration 2 to 3 years, the graduates receive a
diploma confirming vocational qualifications upon passing
of an exam, it is possible to continue education in a
2-year supplementary general lyceum or in a 3-year
supplementary technicum.
3- year licea ogólnoksztalcace (general secondary
schools, pupils aged 16 to 19) which enable pupils to take
the Matura exam and obtain a swiadectwo dojrzalosci.
3-year licea profiloane (subject oriented secondary
schools, pupils aged 16 to 19) - teaching is carried out
in the general profiles of vocational training, it
enables the pupils to take the Matura exam and obtain a
swiadectwo dojrzalosci.
4-year technika (vocational secondary schools, pupils
aged 16 to 20) which enable pupils to obtain a
vocational qualifications diploma upon passing of an exam,
and to take the Matura exam and obtain a swiadectwo
dojrzalosci.
2-year uzupelniajace licea ogólniksztalcace
(supplementary general secondary schools, pupils aged 18/19 to
20/21) for basic vocational schools' leavers which
enable pupils to take the Matura exam and obtain a
swiadectwo dojrzalosci (operational since 1 September 2004).
3-year technika uzupelniajace (supplementary secondary
vocational schools, pupils aged 18/19 to 21/22) for
graduates of basic vocational schools which enables
pupils to take the Matura exam and obtain a swiadectwo
dojrzalosci, as well as to obtain a vocational
qualifications diploma upon passing of an exam.
Post-Secondary (non-Tertiary) Education
Post-secondary schools admit graduates of general
secondary schools based on a secondary school leaving
certificate. Tha age of pupils is between 19 - 20/21.
Post-secondary schools provide courses within the
following groups of branches: teacher education, arts,
economics and administration, medical studies,
technology, agriculture, forestry and fishery, transport and
communication, hotel services and computing. The most
popular branches include: teacher education, economics,
library science, hotel services and computing.
Duration of education depends on a type of occupation
and for majority of them is 2- 2,5 years.
Tertiary Education
Following the transformation of the political system
in 1990 a major change took place in the higher
education system. On the basis of a new law on higher
education adopted on the 12th of September 1990 higher
education institutions were granted institutional autonomy,
freedom in teaching and research and internal
self-governance was developed.
Under the new legislation non-state higher education
institutions were established. In the academic year
2002/2003 there were 395 higher education institutions
(including the military, internal affairs and church
establishments), of which 125 were state and 270 were
non-state institutions.
Higher education institutions are targeted at teaching
students at the vocational or Master degree level and
at preparing them for commencement of their
professional careers. Academic higher education institutions
also carry out scientific research (or create works of
art) and train doctoral students for research, artistic
activities and teaching. Development and dissemination
of national culture are also included in higher
education institutions together with co-operation with local
communities and preparation of students for social
life.
A school of higher education can offer uniform Master
degree studies, higher vocational studies as well as
supplementary Master degree studies. It can also offer
postgraduate courses, PhD studies, as well as special
studies and courses.
system (including non-state institutions):
universities
technical universities
agricultural schools
schools of economics
teacher education schools
medical academies
maritime schools
academies of physical education
schools of arts
school of theology
non-state schools of higher education.
The requirement to apply for admission to higher
education studies is the Matura certificate (swiadectwo
dojrzalosci). Generally, enrolment may be based on an
entrance examination or a qualifying interview, or it may
not involve an entrance examination, in all cases the
submission of documents and the payment of fees
follows the above mentioned procedures. The school can
charge an examination fee up to the amount defined by the
Minister for the given year.
In order to make HE accessible to higher number of
young people, the system of financial support to students
from the state budget has been introduced. Financial
support to students in HEIs is provided in the
framework of university student support funds. Students at
state HEIs who follow day courses can receive social
allowances, special grants for the disabled, grants for
scientific achievements, housing allowances, meal
allowances and allowances from trust. Since 2001 day
students from non-state and church run HEIs can also apply
for social allowances.
Tertiary Education Diploma
Schools of higher education have a right to confer the
following professional titles: magister - conferred to
graduates of Master Degree courses in humanities,
natural sciences, maths, physics, chemistry, physical
education, economics, social studies and law, as well as
medical science apart from the following areas:
physicians training, dentistry, nursing and midwifery;
cities
the cities in poland :-
Danzig, Krakow , Lodz, Warsaw and Wroclaw
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