The beginning of studies does not have to involve giving up social activities or business ideas. At the University of Warsaw students receive support in setting up a business, looking for a job and engaging in volunteering activities.
Business idea
The UW is a research university aiming to use the results of scientific work in a practical way, which is achieved through, for example, cooperation with the business environment. The UW’s Centre for Technology and Knowledge Transfer (PL: Centrum Transferu Technologii i Wiedzy; CTTW) functions as an intermediary between companies, governmental and non-governmental organisations and members of the UW academic community, including students.
At the UW, there operates also the Center for Dialogue and Cooperation, which helps scientists, including the youngest ones, to popularise knowledge and supports their business ideas. The center also houses the UW Incubator, where it is possible to consult on a business idea or apply for funding to implement it.
Selected opportunities for business projects and the commercialisation of research by UW students:
- The UW Incubator offers workshops and classes, e.g. on drafting a business plan; it enables pre-incubation, i.e. setting up one’s own business under the auspices of a UW’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The incubator also supports social economy projects;
- spin-off companies, whose shareholder is the SPV UW established by the CTTW – UW’s employees, doctoral candidates and students have the opportunity to create a company that would use the results of scientific work to develop practical solutions;
- the University of Warsaw Entrepreneur of the Year competition is aimed at students, doctoral candidates and employees graduated from the UW who are entrepreneurs or are responsible for the creation and development of innovative, entrepreneurial solutions. The competition is held annually, with the seventh edition in 2024;
- student internships at CTTW, which allow for creating a network of their own business contacts and become familiar with the start-up environment.
Selected initiatives of the UW Incubator
- Brave Camp – an inter-semester entrepreneurship school where you can present your own business idea or social action. For almost a week, the participants take part in workshops and consultations led by experts and experienced practitioners. On the last day, the authors of the best ideas have a chance to win a total of up to several thousand zlotys to develop their project.
- Nice Talks – talks about business over coffee. The talks are attended by management and market experts, business practitioners, current Incubator charges and students interested in developing their entrepreneurship;
- STARTER – a course conducted in an in-person and online format for people with a new business idea in the early stages of conception. The initiative shows how to analyse the market, build a competitive advantage and present your project in front of investors;
- Makerspace@UW – a co-working space for students co-created with the Faculty of Physics, consisting of six studios intended for 3D printing, electronics, tailoring, woodworking, chemical and computer labs, as well as a coworking area.
A good start to your career
The UW Careers Office helps to find attractive internship, apprenticeship or first job offers. The offers include positions in, for example, large private companies or public administration bodies.
The Careers Office provides career counselling. You can make an appointment for a career development meeting at the office or online. In addition, meetings with employers are organised, where you can find out, for example, what is positively perceived at job interviews or how to read job offers.
Budding entrepreneurs will also find something for themselves at the Careers Office. The unit provides information about business competitions, thesis competitions with implementation potential or so-called hackathons.
Students for society
The University of Warsaw is a place for creative, active and socially committed people. Participation in voluntary activities at the UW allows you to combine helping with self-development: e.g. gaining organisational skills and intercultural competences, improving foreign languages, developing interests, and establishing relationships with other people. It also enables you to engage in new experiences that may become the seeds of a passion or give direction to your career choices.
The Volunteer Centre of the University of Warsaw
The Volunteer Centre of the University of Warsaw (VCUW) brings together people from the UW community who not only provide help directly, but also learn how to do it in the best way. The Cultural Hot Spot, the club for neurodiverse people, the action for pets “Filling in Pets’ Bellies”, “Mission: Christmas Tree” – these are just some of the VCUW’s regular initiatives in which one can get involved.
The VCUW shares information about calls for volunteering activities on an ongoing basis. They relate to activities for the benefit of people within and outside the UW community, such as multicultural volunteering, teaching the Polish language to people from abroad, language classes with children, helping with school subjects, actively spending time with the elderly, participating in the organisation of events, supporting Christmas aid campaigns or caring for homeless animals.
The Volunteer Centre of the UW not only organises aid campaigns and maintains a database of activities in which you can get involved, but also supports grassroots activities of students, e.g. by helping them obtain funding to organise volunteering events.
More information can be found on the VCUW’s website.
A part of yourself for people in need
Every year, the university hosts “Wampiriada” – an action of honour blood donation organised by the Independent Students’ Association. Students and employees of the UW can donate blood in special buses that stop at the University’s largest campuses: at Krakowskie Przedmieście and Ochota.
At the UW, some students are involved in the DKMS foundation’s initiative called “Helpers’ Generation”. At the UW, they organise information campaigns about bone marrow donation, during which it is possible to sign up to the donor database. Volunteer stands can be found in many university buildings, and their number depends on the turnout in a given year.
In addition, social and aid actions are organised by individual UW units. Among the popular activities are the Christmas or Easter relief actions. They take the form of collections of goods or money, and the funds collected are earmarked, for example, for gifts for children from orphanages. The UW community has also significantly contributed to helping those affected by the war in Ukraine. You can read more about the “University of Warsaw for Ukraine” campaign in the latest issue of the “UW” magazine.