In her role as FHNW’s ChallengeEU Student Ambassador, student Marion Angsthelm attended the university alliance’s annual conference in Olsztyn, Poland. In her report, she describes her experiences and shares her impressions.
Image: University of Warmia and Mazury
I’m studying International Business Management at FHNW and, as a Student Ambassador, I’m part of the ChallengeEU university alliance. The Student Ambassadors’ job is to raise the alliance’s profile among students, we mainly support communication. Each university has two to four ambassadors. In May 2026, my colleague Marija and I attended the first annual conference of ChallengeEU in Olsztyn, Poland. The event went beyond a purely academic conference and was a wonderful international experience.
Bild: University of Warmia and Mazury
Large campus between forests and lakes
The campus of the University of Warmia and Mazury is very large and includes numerous buildings, dormitories, sports facilities, conference rooms, a media center, libraries, and green spaces. The layout resembles an American-style campus; I felt very at home and was impressed by the lively atmosphere.
I thought I was in for a rather traditional conference, stiff and formal. The opening ceremony then pleasantly surprised me. A live orchestra with singers performed modern songs, a choir sang, the atmosphere was open and inclusive, and the participants interacted directly with one another.
Staff from the 9 partner universities met in working sessions. The alliance normally works very closely together across 9 European countries, and everyone emphasized how important in-person exchange is. I, too, was delighted to see my Student Ambassador colleagues from the other countries again. During the conference, you could hear so many European languages alongside English, which really highlighted the diversity of the participants to me. It’s all the more impressive that we manage to work together to better connect the universities and provide students with international experiences.
Image: University of Warmia and Mazury
Polish hospitality and culture
The conference program included workshops and plenary sessions on regional impact, innovation, inclusion, sustainability, and European cooperation. A presentation by Veland Ramadani (“From Fragmentation to Impact: Reimagining Regional Innovation Ecosystems”) highlighted the role of universities in social and regional development, which I found very exciting.
A highlight for me was experiencing Polish hospitality and culture. This was particularly evident during a dinner by one of the lakes on campus. The university’s traditional Polish dance group performed in regional costumes. At the end of the performance, the group invited all of us – students, staff, and other participants – to join in. We learned classic Polish dances, which was a lot of fun and fostered a strong sense of community.
Focus on the student perspective
I was also able to contribute to the conference: I was part of the panel during the plenary session “People at the Heart of ChallengeEU.” I spoke about how my experience in the alliance has highlighted the importance of interpersonal exchange, emotional intelligence, and intercultural understanding. Different backgrounds lead to different perspectives, which can be broadened through exchange.
In summary, I can say that the conference showed me that international cooperation is driven above all by interpersonal encounters. The days in Olsztyn were a great personal and professional enrichment for me.
Contact
Anja Huovinen
- Phone
- +41 56 202 71 67
- anja.huovinen@fhnw.ch
ChallengeEU
FHNW is part of the European University Alliance ChallengeEU: A European university alliance that is breaking new ground in teaching, research and mobility.