From Krosno to Tallinn: How One Erasmus+ Exchange Turned into a Growing Partnership

Prologue

Our contact started, as many of these contacts do, via another colleague. Back in Spring 2025 (or thereabouts) our Lecturer of Hispanic Studies, Guillem, contacted me about a BIP project organized by some people in Krosno, going to take place in Spring 2026. After many (to be modest) e-mails and a Zoom meeting with Krosno, it gradually got to the point where we were able to announce this BIP Quest for Identity in the Globalised World – Focus on Intercultural Communication and Media Literacy in a Global Context to our students. Altogether five students from the School of Humanities joined the physical component of the BiP in Krosno from 9 to 13 March (read the comment by Helen Birgit Post below). Parallel to this incredibly hectic time in Krosno we started to plan the visit of Anna to Tallinn. 

And, then in April, Anna arrived.

Tallinn is the perfect destination for a short getaway. I feel lucky to have chosen Tallinn University as my Erasmus+ mobility destination. There’s something uniquely calming about this city. Its character reflects a sense of simplicity and minimalism that can be noticed in many small details of everyday life.

What stays with you the most is the quiet charm of its narrow streets and the unhurried pace of exploring — this is a place where you never feel rushed. The atmosphere at the university is equally welcoming, making it easy to feel at home. What should be mentioned is the fact that getting around in English is effortless.

I had a chance to attend some of the classes and all of the teachers were welcoming and their style of teaching was inspirational. I hope to use some aspects of what I noticed in my own teaching. Merje Kuusk's class as well as Miriam Anne McIlfatrick-Ksenofontov’s (just to mention few) were a good starting point for interaction with students.

The people who made me realize how special Tallinn was were, above all, Guillem, Maris (Coordinator of Internationalisation) and one of our BIP students, Helen. They all helped me feel at ease and turned my stay into an unforgettable experience that I am happy to share with both the teaching staff and students of the State University of Applied Sciences in Krosno as well as our partner university in Tallinn. I am looking forward to our collaborative projects in the coming future. 

Epilogue

The invitation to visit Krosno is now on my bucket list. I also hope to welcome Anna and her colleagues again in Tallinn. BIPs might be time and energy consuming and incredibly stressful while you are in the middle of them but this one most definitely produced something that could be labelled ‘added value’ – another contact to cherish and a partnership to develop in the coming years. Intercultural communication? Yeah…

 

This is what Helen Birgit Post says about the Krosno BIP:

“Our time in Krosno was wonderful. We felt very welcomed by our Polish partners and everyone involved. Through lectures and joint activities we got to get to know each other more and explore our cultural similarities and differences. Even though the 5 days we had together felt way too short, we still managed to build lasting friendships and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. Short exchanges are such a great way to get a glimpse of how other universities operate and also a fantastic opportunity to meet other active and inspiring people!”