On Sunday, 19 March, the Silesian Melting Pot - Metropolitan Days of Cultural Diversity - was held at the Zagłębie Culture Palace in Dąbrowa Górnicza. The event was a celebration of diversity, multiculturalism and tolerance.
The Silesian Melting Pot was inaugurated by the Rector of the WSB University, Prof. Zdzisława Dacko-Pikiewicz, PhD.
The event began with the awarding of the Golden Badge of Honour for Services to the Silesian Voivodeship to Dr Rafał Rębilas, Vice-Rector for International Relations at WSB University. The badge was presented on behalf of Prof. Marek Gzik, President of the Silesian Regional Assembly by Ms Katarzyna Stachowicz, Councillor of the Silesian Regional Assembly, Chair of the Environment and Water Management Committee and member of the ad hoc committee "Chapter of the badge of honour for services to the Silesian Voivodeship".
The large number of foreign students has a positive impact not only on the WSB University, but also leads to a change in the socio-cultural landscape of the entire Metropolis. More and more young people are choosing to study in Poland and their adventure with our country does not end there. During the event, we had the opportunity to listen to the stories of expats who have found their place on earth in Silesia and Zagłębie.The Silesian Melting Pot event was honoured by performances by Polish and foreign students of the WSB University, including Justyna Haberka and Ariunjargal Boldbaatar.
The event also included a debate on the direction of the Metropolis in the context of the increasing number of foreigners. Participants in the debate were:
Mohammed Omar Faruque (Honorary Consul of Bangladesh),
Prof. Marek Szczepański (WSB University),
Ewa Fudali-Bondel (City Hall of Dąbrowa Górnicza).
In the corridors of the Zagłębie Palace of Culture, an exhibition of photographs taken by talented foreign students of the WSB University - Abdelrahman Afifa and Ephrem Melkamu Bulto - was available for the guests of the Silesian Melting Pot.
The event culminated with an energetic concert by the band Kunle Solomon & The Livingthoughts.
The event was funded by the project: "More than Uni - Strengthening the international profile of WSB University". The programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development, a non-competitive project entitled. 'Raising the competences of academic staff and the potential of institutions in welcoming people from abroad - Welcome to Poland'.