Erasmus Plicy Statement

Strategy and objectives
Gdansk School of Banking (WSB) has been participating in Erasmus Program since 2006-2007 academic year and the students and academics exchange has been held. In the beginning there were 28 bilateral agreement signed. Every year the number of agreements has been increasing, due to the Schools interest in widening its offer. We search for new partners which will give us new possibilities to develop our offer and increase mobility.

The main task in the scope of international relations is to develop international exchange of students and lecturers. In connection with big interest shown by the students wishing to study abroad, an increase of outgoing students is planned each year. By sending each year bigger number of students abroad and by making a good promotion campaign we believe that we will increase also a number of incoming students. In the 2008/2009 academic year we had a pleasure to host students from: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Portugal and Turkey. We do our best to welcome next year even more Erasmus students at WSB. Creating international groups of students, in which students will share their point of views and will show practical approach to intercultural communication, is one of main goals for us.

Erasmus Program is also an exchange of teaching staff. By exchanging lecturers with our partners we are strengthening relations, which allow us to be more creative in terms of internationalization. By benchmarking some solutions and by inviting foreign lecturers we want to make our classes even more interesting. We are convinced that it has a great impact on the quality of education. A substantial point of our international strategy is to be perceived as an international School open for the world.

Thinking not only about Polish but also international students the School plans to become more and more international. That may happen by increasing number of Erasmus students and lecturers but also by new courses offered in English. During the Lifelong Learning idea WSB plans to develop its English specialization, so that International Business and Finance will offer all the courses taught in English.

To give to the Erasmus activities more visibility Gdansk School of Banking runs an information campaign for students, teachers and administrative staff by: providing regular information on the program in the School's mass media such as Extranet and WSB homepage, publication of articles promoting mobility in the student magazine, information meetings.

Quality of academic mobility activities
The Gdansk School of Banking ensures the high quality of academic mobility by using the ECTS system and recognition of period of studies abroad. Thanks to the information that is held in the ECTS package everyone is able to learn about courses taught at WSB.

The International Relations Office takes care of outgoing students by preparing needed documents, helping in finding accommodation abroad and keeping in touch with all the students while their time abroad. Our institution gives recognition for satisfactory completed courses during the mobility period.

The Gdansk School of Banking is open for the incoming students. We assure quality of offered courses taught in English, as well as we provide classes in small groups. Thanks to the elastic and modern approach of teachers to the foreign students an individual completion of courses is possible.

At our university works International Student Group (ISG) which helps student in theirs first days in Poland. ISG organizes many events during the academic year and helps to integrate Erasmus students with Polish ones. Thanks to Program Mentor incoming students can be in touch with Polish students before their arrival. The personal Mentor is someone who will answer all the questions and will pick up from the airport. After the period of studies at WSB each foreign student receives confirmation documents.

Quality of students’ placement activities
According to the placements regulations dated on 4th February 2005, the placements programmes for students are organized by the Students Career Office. At WSB internships are obligatory part of study programme. The placement programme is prepared by the lecturers of WSB who are also experienced in a business world in the fields of: Finance, Banking, Econometrics, Informatics and others.

The training programmes for students must complete the theoretical knowledge which they gain during studies. Students preferences and predispositions are taken into consideration while choosing the company.

Gdansk School of banking has been cooperating with many companies in Poland and is still searching for new relations abroad. We are trying to establish close relations with European companies that will give places for our students according to the prepared programmes. Each period of placement abroad is recognised as equivalent to the obligatory placement in Poland. Students get information in the supplement to their diploma concerning the placement abroad, so that future employer can see what other activities apart from studies student were doing.