From October 13 to 19, 2024, Nataliia Lysak, a student at the Department of Human Resource Management and Administration, the Institute of Economics and Management, Lviv Polytechnic National University, took part in the academic exchange under the Sustainable Development Week organized and conducted by the Gdansk University of Technology as part of the cooperation between universities and the ENHANCE Alliance.
The ENHANCE Alliance is part of the Erasmus+ funding program, which brings together European technological universities and promotes the mobility of students and academic staff, as well as promotes innovative forms of learning and interaction with society. Participation in this program was funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).
Nataliia Lysak says:
– Lviv Polytechnic nominated 6 students from the following Institutes: the Institute of Economics and Management, the Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Fundamental Sciences and the Institute of Computer Technologies, Automation and Metrology. Our small, but very cool team quickly found a common language, we supported each other and were involved in all the activities. During our stay at the Gdańsk University of Technology, we attended various lectures, workshops and excursions. In particular, workshops on stress management, human impact on climate change, equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as a cooking workshop.
As an HR manager, I was particularly interested in the stress management workshop, where I learnt a lot, but what struck me most was that even positive events, in our opinion, can be among the most stressful and cause various diseases. That is, the causes of stress can be not only external but also internal. That is why it is important to understand that the way we perceive, interpret and evaluate a particular event in our lives can have a significant impact on our health.
During the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) workshop, we worked in multinational teams of five. We were developing a project that would promote these principles in society.
The lecture and workshop on the impact of human activity on climate change were quite informative. We have determined that global warming depends on the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is caused, in turn, by human activity: inefficient use of resources (including energy and water), burning oil, coal, gas and other fuels, the spread of landfills, the development of livestock and other types of agriculture. All of this has an impact on our environment. That is why during the cooking workshop we cooked vegan food, which has less negative impact on the environment.
In addition, we had yoga classes at the university’s sports center, as sports are also part of the Global Sustainable Development Goals.
Moreover, we had excursions to the Gdańsk University of Technology, the cities of Gdańsk and Sopot. Attending the university tours gave us the opportunity to get to know more about its structure and opportunities for students. The tours of Gdańsk and Sopot gave us a deeper understanding of the cities’ history, which greatly broadened our horizons and encouraged us to pay attention to what had been overlooked before. In our free time, we also visited the city of Gdynia, and after the program finished, we had time to enjoy the capital of Poland – Warsaw.
Thanks to the Sustainable Development Week at the Gdańsk University of Technology, I became much more familiar with the goals of sustainable development, which is the basis for the formation of modern approaches to environmental, social and economic problems. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and my only regret is that I did not start applying for academic exchanges earlier. Therefore, my advice for junior students is to take advantage of opportunities while you have them! This will greatly expand your horizons, help you gain new experience and, last but not least, overcome the language barrier.
