At the moment foreign students account for only 1.39% of those attending Polish universities, with most of these students coming from Ukraine, Belarus and Norway.
Many institutions, such as Lazarski University, are making new efforts to cater to foreign students by offering degrees in English at both undergraduate and graduate level. The country´s bargain courses are a major attraction for young people abroad.
When the country joined the EU in 2004 it was reported to have been hit by a brain drain, with many young people moving abroad. While it is true many young people did move abroad – more than half of those who left were aged between 24 and 35 – many highly-qualified people remain. Poland has no shortage of doctors and engineers. Higher education is highly valued in Poland and around 80% of graduates go on to study to master´s level.
Poland is also fast-emerging as the Silicon Valley of central Europe. Companies such as Dell, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, IBM, Motorola, Siemens have chosen to open offices there.
Even during the short amount of time I have known Poland, I´ve watched it modernise and develop vibrant cities. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before it becomes a first choice for Brits studying abroad.
