Study meetings by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA)

From Tuesday March 5 to Thursday March 7, a group of 46 students from the Politics & Social Studies teacher training program from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences will visit Poland as part of our annual study trip. Our participants are 20 – 24 years old, studying to become teachers in civics and social studies at high schools in the Netherlands.
The aim of our trip to Poland is to gain better insight into regional developments in the areas of politics, society and education. In the context of these themes, we are organising study visits to government and educational institutions, political organisations, local media outlets and NGOs.

As part of our study trip, we would like to organise an event at the Centrum Wielokulturowe on Wednesday March 6 with representatives of the Polish Institute for Public Affairs and diplomats from the Dutch embassy in Warsaw.

Several themes we will touch upon during these meetings are:

– the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Poland; the impact of students and young professionals on its outcome; and the role of social media in voter mobilisation
– Developments with regard to the judicial system, the position of the media and democratic institutions in Poland
– Poland’s foreign policy, its role in the EU and its relations with neighbouring countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania.
– Since we are from the Netherlands, we also aim to discuss Polish-Dutch relations

The main purpose of the event is to introduce our students to Polish politics and society, by organising a series of study visits to stimulate the intercultural exchange of ideas and knowledge between our Dutch students and Polish guests.