YUFE UMK / Offer / I study

Joint Bachelor's Degree in YUFE Urban Sustainability Studies

The Bachelor’s degree in Urban Sustainability offers innovative, interdisciplinary education that enables you to tackle real-world challenges. Customize your program, explore diverse landscapes and cultures, and become a leader in urban sustainability across Europe with YUFE!

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OpenYUFE

In OpenYUFE, you can create your own study program by choosing from academic courses, language classes, and other activities offered at the 10 partner universities. With the dean’s approval, the courses you complete during the program can be credited towards your degree.

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YUFE Minor - semestr abroad

These are course modules offered by universities within the YUFE network, aimed at bachelor’s students who want to broaden their education and earn an additional 30 ECTS credits by spending a semester in England, Finland, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, or Cyprus. There is also a module available at Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU).

You can choose a Minor related to your main field of study to deepen your knowledge in your discipline or opt for courses aligned with your additional interests.

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LANGUAGES IN YUFE

At YUFE, you can unlock and develop your language potential. Explore our diverse range of courses and learning formats tailored to your preferences. Whether you want to refresh your language skills or start learning from scratch, we have a course for you.

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YUFE STARS

YUFE recognizes your progress through the YUFE Stars system. These “stars” are badges awarded for participating in various enriching activities offered by the alliance. You can earn them for achievements in language skills, social engagement, entrepreneurship, or mobility (including virtual mobility).

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YUFE Academy

A series of free open lectures and workshops organized both online and on-site by universities within the YUFE network. These events are aimed at local communities, including young learners as well as students and staff at universities. Most lectures are conducted in English, but some are also available in other languages, including Polish, German, Spanish, French, Greek, Croatian, Finnish, and Dutch.

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Discover opportunities for civic engagement

Choose the activity that suits you best and start making a difference!

Want to refresh and enrich your studies through social engagement? The YUFE Civic Engagement offer is for you! This path allows you to develop skills, expand your knowledge, meet new people, gain a sense of belonging, and find joy in helping others.

Chcę działać

NCU YUFE Help Desks

Want to help people by solving problems related to your field of study? Join one of the NCU YUFE Help Desks! Under the academic supervision of university staff, you’ll have the opportunity to share your knowledge and experience, answer questions from local residents, organize educational events, lead workshops, and more.

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YUFE Community Volunteering Programmes

Would you like to try something different, beyond your field of study? Get involved in one of YUFE’s community volunteering programmes – it’s a great opportunity for those who want to contribute to the local community while getting to know Toruń and its residents better. Choose the organization you want to collaborate with.

Business Support Center
The Business Support Center supports economic activity in Toruń and provides comprehensive assistance to entrepreneurs. A volunteer at this institution may help with tasks such as organizing conferences and business meetings.
Regional Centre for Cultural Animation

As a volunteer at the Regional Centre for Cultural Animation, you’ll take part in co-creating and co-producing multicultural artistic events in Toruń and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region.

Amicus Foundation and Copernican Integration Centre

The programme offers three types of activities to choose from:

  1. Leading intercultural workshops for preschool and school-aged children (available only to students with international exchange experience)
  2. Organizing events for the local community and residents of Toruń
  3. Working in the Edible Garden at the Copernican Integration Centre
  •  
Artus Court Cultural Centre

As a volunteer at Artus Court in Toruń, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills in organizing cultural and educational events.

Court Watch Poland Foundation

As a volunteer at Court Watch Poland, your tasks will include observing court hearings in selected district courts and evaluating court infrastructure and trial proceedings using structured questionnaires.

If you prefer online volunteering, you can teach your native language—or another language you speak fluently—to YUFE students. Become a tutor in the Online Language Cafés. Explore your possibilities: 

Online Language Cafés

Explore the offer.

Check out other volunteering opportunities
at other YUFE universities

How can you follow the path of community engagement with YUFE?

To help you follow the path of community engagement with YUFE, we offer you:
Civic Engagement Activities Intro Training for Students
where you will learn, among other things, why universities and YUFE are interested in social engagement and how you can apply the skills and competencies gained through community involvement. The training, conducted in English, lasts about 90 minutes and is organized several times throughout the academic year. Information about upcoming sessions can be found on the YUFE Virtual Campus.
 
to track your progress in developing your skills, meeting your expectations, and achieving your goals. Both forms will appear on your account in the YUFE Virtual Campus once you sign up for a Help Desk, a YUFE volunteering programme, or the Civic Engagement Activities Intro Training.

Need a guide to the Virtual Campus?

Take a look here

What do you gain
by getting socially involved with YUFE?

You acquire or develop competencies that help you become a more aware and responsible citizen, as well as a person better prepared for future professional challenges.
You receive the YUFE Civic Star, a certificate that recognizes your social engagement and the acquisition or development of the competencies mentioned above. You can present this certificate to potential employers or include it in applications for scholarships or awards.

How to obtain the international
YUFE Civic Star certificate?

Students interested in obtaining the YUFE Civic Star are asked to:
STEP 1
Complete the Civic Engagement Activities Intro Training for Students.
STEP 2
Complete a minimum of 50 hours of social work in one of the Help Desks or as a volunteer and submit a timesheet (YUFE Timesheet).
STEP 3

Fill out two parts of the Civic Star Reflection Report online – the initial part before starting the activity and the final part as a summary of the activity.

Need more information?

Download YUFE Civic Star Factsheet

Read what the YUFE Civic Star
awardees have to say about their social engagement

The most valuable lesson I learned during the Civic Star program was the significance of working closely with migrant families seeking swift integration into society. By providing them with the necessary information, I experienced a deep sense of reward and satisfaction. It made me feel like a valued member of my community capable of effecting positive change. Engaging in the civic-engagement activity was an eye-opening experience. I had the opportunity to interact directly with immigrants and witness their challenges and aspirations firsthand. This experience enhanced my understanding of their needs and the importance of providing accurate and accessible information to empower them in their journey. However, I also encountered moments of discouragement. Some individuals faced bureaucratic hurdles and complex processes that seemed overwhelming. It was disheartening to witness their frustration and the limitations imposed by the system. Nevertheless, these challenges motivated me to find alternative approaches and resources to help them navigate the system more effectively.
Academically, civic engagement is an opportunity to apply and reinforce what was learned in the law degree, providing meaningful experiences that complement the education. When my future work begins, I plan to continue participating in civic engagement activities. I think, since my experience, which is essential for professional development and personal, allowing connections to be established with the community, understanding your needs and providing my knowledge and help as much as possible. Additionally, it can be beneficial in a workplace for both the company and the employees, to promote social commitment. My experience has been very positive and I would like to actively participate in similar activities in the future.
I am realizing this project has helped me develop skills and get new ones. Despite living in an intercultural family, I have perceived that my intercultural communication is greatly increased. I have developed skills like active listening, and especially empathy and self-reflection. Seeing people risk everything to emigrate to a new country without knowing the language, people, etc. has made me acquire many new perspectives of life. This has also allowed me to improve my values as a person. I have learned to have respect for the whole world, empathy, to see how different cultures can be integrated into a country, and I have learned to give purpose to our actions.
I would say that the most valuable lesson outcome that I have from this program is how just a few minutes of your time can change other people´s lives. The tasks were not particularly demanding or difficult to accomplish, but you had to spend time on them. And I believe that, because of this little inconvenience, we are usually discouraged from doing it. However, that little inconvenience could make a difference for other people. This program has given me the opportunity to understand the impact that it has.

Additional Activities

Short on time but still want to get involved? Check out our additional activities:

YUFE International Cafés

These are regular meetings where international students meet local residents of YUFE cities to share their cultural experiences.

At NCU, the International Cultural Cafés are organized under the name Cups of Talks. In Cups of Talks, we focus primarily on intercultural integration, as well as fostering openness and understanding through conversation.

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YUFE Friend Programme

This programme connects local residents of YUFE cities and regions with international students and staff, helping them settle in. At NCU, the YUFE Friend Programme is carried out under the name Mystery Friend.

Mystery Friend is a series of monthly integration meetings full of surprises. Each meeting presents a new challenge and an opportunity for growth in an atmosphere of intercultural exchange and social education. It promises great fun and unforgettable experiences, while teaching cooperation and integration in a multicultural environment. There’s something for everyone!

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