Welcome Centre

Our Welcome Centre is here to help international students, PhD students and academic staff with all their issues. We offer them professional assistance with their life at the University and in Białystok. 

Welcome Centre staff:

Our Welcome Centre employees are friendly, young people, full of energy and competent, willing to assist you with any problems you may encounter with your work or study at the University or with your everyday life issues, such as renting an apartment or dealing with authorities. 

The Welcome Centre personnel are fluent English speakers, trained in assisting international students, who have attended international cooperation workshops, intercultural communication workshops, and specialized English language workshops.

You can receive the following from the Welcome Centre:

• University guidebooks, download pdf version here
• Leaflets,
• Student calendars, 
• English-language document forms (e.g. for international travel),
• university documents, e.g. sample forms, most important university resolutions and orders,
• promotional materials
• Welcome Packs for newly admitted students

The Welcome Centre will help you with:

• Moving around the university
• Dealing with official matters where no English language service is offered
• Handling University business such as where to go, who to ask, translation/interpretation for non-English speaking staff
• Buying a bus ticket
• Choosing the city district to live in
• In case of lack of vacancies in the student dormitory, provide contact details to a verified real estate office, which will help to arrange the formalities related to renting a flat or room
• how to get a PESEL number - https://www.gov.pl/web/gov/uzyskaj-numer-pesel--usluga-dla-cudzoziemcow-en
• Making a doctor’s appointment, third party assistance if an interpreter is needed
• assistance in completing the application for a temporary residence permit - instructions available here
• The English-language UMB guide can be found here.

Location:

The Welcome Centre is located in the right wing of the Branicki Palace, room 207.

Opening hours : Mon-Fri, 07:30 a. m. - 3:30 p. m.

Suggestion Box:

myMUB application

In May 2022, the International Cooperation Department completed work on the expansion of the English-language myMUB mobile application dedicated to students, guests and scientists from abroad, as well as the entire academic community of UMB.

The application is completely free and is available in two versions: Android and IOS. It can be downloaded from the home page, which has gained a new graphic design after the expansion, as well as directly from the Google Play and App Store (links to stores below).

Download from the App Store

Download from Google Play

It includes, among others: the following modules:

• About MUB - descriptions of universities, faculties, hospitals, virtual tour of the Branicki Palace, student admission rules
• Campus - interactive map facilitating movement around the University campus and the city
• Calendar - a type of organizer-calendar that can be completed according to your own plan
• Guide - basic information for new students, candidates, parents of candidates or foreign guests, including a basic dictionary of the Polish language, information on safety and health protection, public transport
• Welcome Centre - basic information about the Welcome Centre and the types of problems/matters that can be reported there. In this module, you will be able to ask a question, ask for help or arrange a meeting using a simple application form.
• Education - syllabuses, schedules, contact details for the English Division Dean's Office, contact form
• Emergency Numbers - list of the most important emergency numbers in Poland
• International Cooperation Department - scope of tasks of the International Cooperation Department and indication of which employee to contact with a given matter, as well as a description of the procedure for foreign trips
• Białystok - information and address details of public institutions, cultural and sports institutions, interesting places, as well as bars and restaurants near the campus
• Exchange rate - current exchange rate of PLN to other currencies (including EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, NOK, SEK, INR) and vice versa.
• Contact Search Engine - redirection to the university staff contact search engine
• About the App - information about financing and the mymub application itself, application instructions, privacy policy and more.
• Since its publication, the application has been downloaded over 2,000 times.

International Events

Welcome Centre employees organize events that integrate the entire international academic community of MUB. Reports from previous events (2 editions of International Sport Day, 2 editions of International Cooking Day, 3 editions of International Karaoke Night, 3 editions of International Sightseeing Day etc.) can be viewed on the English Division website in the "Student Life" tab.

The activities of the Welcome Centre are systematically expanding. From December 2022, our activities have been joined by the "Invite a student for Christmas" campaign.

Student Counselling

Counselling available for English Division students.
Please e-mail your request for an appointment to: student.counselling@umb.edu.pl

Counselling is particularly recommended if you need help:
- Coping with stress and other pressures
- Confronting your fears or concerns
- Resolving family issues and taking difficult decisions
- Overcoming depressive mood and sadness,
- Dealing with relationship crises or understanding cultural differences.
Counselling is provided by the university at no charge to the student.

Our school counsellor: Dr. Barbara Polityńska–Lewko is a fully trained clinical psychologist and a native speaker of English. You can contact her by phone at 85 748 5497 on Tuesdays 12.30-13.30 and Wednesdays 10.30-11.30 during the school semester at the Department of Philosophy and Human Psychology, address: ul. Szpitalna 37, room 427.
 

Please note that this is not an emergency service and you may have to wait 3-4 days for a reply to your e-mail. Only the counsellor has access to the e-mail service.

IF THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION OR ONE THAT COULD RESULT IN HARM TO YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE CALL 112 or 999

The program is co-financed from the European Social Fund under the Operational Program Knowledge Education Development, non-competitive project entitled Improving the competences of the academic staff and the institution's potential in accepting people from abroad - Welcome to Poland implemented as part of the Action specified in the application for co-financing of project No. POWR.03.03.00-00-PN14/18.