Erasmus Student Network at Cracow University of Economics is just a local section in international association ESN AISBL which is one of the biggest students’ organisations in this university and the city of Kraków. In ESN UEK in a few so called ‘working groups’ we have around 100 active members who voluntarily give their free time to welcome, help, entertain and show polish culture and do many more for abroad students who came to Kraków on different exchange programmes to spend here a part of their studies. The organisation has its own strict structure- on the top there is a six-person Board and their work is controlled by the Audit Committee. The members are divided into junior, informal and formal members who work in ‘working groups’ such as Social, Culture, Sport, Party, Travel, PR and many more. A great help to presently working members are Alumni and the Honoured members but also many partners and friends in Kraków, Poland and abroad.
To tell the truth it is hard to describe by words what ESN UEK really is. The profile of this organisation was shaped through… well 10 years! In 2013 ESN UEK would celebrate its jubilee.
First of all ESN UEK is the bond between people, friendships and memories. Throughout 10 years of its existence, ESN UEK and its members organised incredible time for more than 2 000 exchange students who came to study at UEK. Tour de Kraków group helped to see the best of our city for a few hundred groups from different cities in Poland.
ESN changes the way you see the world. It helps you to open up your mind and your heart. This organisation gives the opportunity not only to meet people from different continents, race, from all over the world, but also provides the chance for actual and real relationship with them. Existing in such an international society comes with confrontation of believes, stereotypes, expectations and fears. However, meetings and spending time in real life often verifies all of that and the conclusion is that we are practically the same – we want to study, develop our talents, have fun, experience something that is, for now, unknown to us, talk with others and change under the influence of intellectual sensations.
To be an ESN member has nothing to do with corporation – like routine. It’s being a part of one big family of ERASMUS STUDENT NETWORK, which has around 14 000 members in the whole of Europe!
ESN is a real thing, a place which enables beautiful and meaningful slogans about international integration come true, which reaches also outside of Europe. Members of ESN UEK are young, full of energy and ideas and most of all have a need to give something back to the society and open their hearts for abroad guests, to show them how beautiful Poland is and how welcoming polish people are.
The good that we are creating here should go on not only for 100 years but till the end of world.. and one day longer. All the best ESN UEK!
Karol Peszko
President of ESN UEK