The International Relations Office of University of Prešov, in collaboration with the EURAXESS Centre, organised the pilot intercultural event called INTERNATIONAL DAY. Its aim was to promote intercultural and global education directly on the university campus. The programme included cultural performances by university groups and panel discussions with the university’s partners, as well as home and international students and researchers.

Opening ceremony and cultural programme

The event was opened by the Vice-Rector for International Affairs and External Relations, Prof. ThDr. Mária Kardis, PhD. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of international experience, which fosters both academic and personal growth and supports the development of cooperation and internationalisation.

The cultural programme was opened by Fr Peter Milenky, Vice-Rector of the Blessed Bishop P. P. Gojdič Priestly Seminary in Prešov, together with the band Anastasis. The musical programme continued with a performance by the IUVENTUS PAEDAGOGIKA women’s choir. The event was hosted by presenters from the Institute of Slovak Studies and Media Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Mgr. Barbora Petrášová and Milica Petrušová.

Panel discussions

From Campus to Career: How Can International Experience Open Doors?

In the first session, representatives from partner institutions took part in the discussion: Lýdia Tobiášová, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Fulbright Slovakia Scholarship Programme; Ján Jaš, Regional Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham); and Dalibor Mikuláš, Ph.D., former Vice-President of the National Slovak and Czech Museum in Iowa. They spoke about the demands of the international labour market on university graduates, their experiences of mobility programmes, and career opportunities.

Global Minds, New Ideas: Research Mobility and Academic Exchange

The second session was dedicated to both domestic and international researchers. The university was represented by Mgr. Ivana Trellová, PhD., BCBA, from the Department of Special Education at the Faculty of Education, and Prof. PhDr. Jaroslav Kušnír, PhD., from the Institute of English and American Studies at the Faculty of Arts. Scholarship holders from the National Scholarship Programme of the non-profit organisation SAIA were represented by Amit Kumar, a visiting professor from India, and Thiago Nogueira, a postdoctoral researcher from Brazil. They discussed their experiences of international mobility and partnerships, how research collaboration can contribute to addressing global challenges, and how research work influences collaboration with people from different cultures.

My World Changed: Stories from Student Mobility

During the closing discussion, students who had already taken part in mobility programmes, as well as international students currently studying at the university, shared their experiences. The Slovak students were represented by Diana Čurpakovičová, a Master’s student at the Faculty of Education, and Ľudmila Žedényiová, a Bachelor’s student at the Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences. Among the international students, Erasmus+ students Fabián Luis Lorenzo from Spain and Shovkat Mammadova from Turkey were introduced, as well as Kheraiya Tarun Niteshbhai, who is studying full-time at our university. They spoke about their impressions of the university and life in Prešov.

Quizzes, information stands and international cuisine

Between the discussions, visitors could take part in an English or Italian quiz and visit the information stands, which featured the Euraxess Centre, the Welcome Office, the Department of International Affairs and External Relations, ESN, the Centre for Languages, Cultures and National Minorities, the Institute of Ukrainian Studies, the Institute of German and Romance Studies, the University Pastoral Centre, and partner organisations SAIA, Fulbright, Jazyková Novejša and Alliance Française.

The lunchtime programme included a tasting of international dishes prepared by international students together with their buddy mentors from the ESN organisation. Participants sampled specialities from seven countries: Azerbaijan, Poland, Greece, India, Turkey, Spain and Ukraine.

The event concluded with a cultural programme by students and pedagogues from the Centre for Language, Culture and Ethnic Minorities, who recited their own literary works and presented the Rusyn Summer School. The Institute of Ukrainian Studies presented a literary and musical performance by students featuring their own texts.

We would like to thank all the researchers, students, panellists and audience members who helped us create an international and intercultural atmosphere. We believe that International Day will become a regular feature of the academic year.

The event was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic.