On 12th December, the FotoErasmus+ 2025 gala took place in the Column Hall – an annual event that showcases how University of Warsaw students experience the world during their international mobility stays. This year’s edition revealed 12 winning photographs, which will feature in next year’s calendar published by the UW International Relations Office, as well as the cover photo selected through an online vote.
Finland, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Portugal, Spain and South Korea are just some of the countries students travelled to and captured through their lenses. The photographs present the many faces of mobility: from intimate scenes of everyday life, through spontaneous and emotional moments, to landscapes that linger in one’s memory long after returning home.
The gala marked the finale of the third edition of the FotoErasmus+ competition, organised by the UW International Relations Office (IRO). This year, as many as 87 students submitted entries documenting the places they visited as part of the Erasmus+ programme.
The event was hosted by Dr Marek Smulczyk, Chair of the Competition Jury, and Monika Satała, Deputy Head of IRO. The idea behind the competition was presented by Dr Anna Modzelewska, spokesperson of the University of Warsaw, who also conveyed congratulations on behalf of the Rector of the University of Warsaw.
“International mobility is one of the most valuable experiences we can offer our students. I am delighted that the FotoErasmus+ competition so clearly demonstrates how inspiring and transformative Erasmus+ stays can be. Each photograph tells a distinct story of courage, curiosity and openness – qualities that lie at the heart of our academic community. I congratulate the laureates and thank all participants for sharing their unique perspectives,” emphasises Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw.
The idea behind FotoErasmus+ is rooted in the belief that studying abroad is among the most formative experiences in a student’s academic journey. Mobility fosters independence and openness, supports the building of intercultural relationships, and enables students to discover themselves in new contexts. The submitted photographs together form a collective narrative about how Erasmus+ broadens horizons and inspires deeper, more courageous ways of seeing the world.
The jury assessed the entries based on the authors’ sensitivity, originality of perspective, composition, and the authenticity of the stories captured in each frame. The selected photographs will appear in the calendar published by BWZ and will be used in promotional activities supporting the university’s internationalisation efforts.
During the gala, an award was also presented to the unit with the highest number of winners in the competition. This distinction went to the Centre for American Studies. The award was accepted on behalf of the unit by mobility coordinator Dr Ludmiła Janion.
The University of Warsaw is one of the European universities sending the largest number of students abroad, and also implements programmes with some of the highest funding. UW’s active involvement in the programme has been recognised multiple times by the European Commission. The university received the Golden Erasmus Award for the highest number of mobilities and for the programme’s institutional impact (2012), a distinction for exemplary implementation of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (2016), and a special award for its achievements in Mobility Projects and Strategic Partnerships in 2014–2020 (2020). In 2023, the Polish National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme (FRSE) honoured the University of Warsaw with a special award for its overall contribution to education.
