International experience that shapes a vision of the future: what was the “Picture the Future” youth exchange in Poland like?
On February 2–6, another academic exchange under the Erasmus+ program – “Picture the Future” – took place in the Polish city of Rzeszow. It was attended by 7 students from different faculties and specialties of Uzhhorod University.
The international exchange program Erasmus is implemented with the support of the INPRO project association, in cooperation with the Erasmus UzhNU International Relations Department. Weekly youth meetings are held several times a year, almost every month, and each time have a different topic.
In the first exchange in 2026, young people from Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary met, and the key issues that the students explored were sustainable development, visual storytelling and the role of youth leaders in shaping a responsible future Erasmus.
Review of students
The participants of the program from UzhNU were Sofia Hanychenko and Angelina Shtunder (specialty “Applied Linguistics”), Maria Yevdokimova (specialty “Information Systems and Technologies”), Anastasia Opits (specialty “Philology. Germanic Languages and Literatures”), as well as media students Daniil Solomin, Alina Turok and Serhiy Chernyshov (specialty “International Journalism”).
During the week, the young people worked in an intensive and at the same time comfortable educational environment. The program was built on the principle of gradual immersion: from integration activities and acquaintance – to a deep analysis of the global challenges of modernity and the creation of their own visual projects. Already on the first day, the teams got to know each other, common rules were formed and a comfortable space for open communication was created. It was this atmosphere of trust that became the basis for productive cooperation throughout the exchange.
A feature of the program was its practical focus. Participants explored the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, discussed issues of ecology, social equality, quality of education, peace and active citizenship. An important aspect of the program was not only the opportunity to theoretically understand these topics, but also the search for effective ways to visually present them through photography and storytelling. Students learned to work with composition, light and content, mastered image editing, and also discussed the ethical aspects of creating visual content.
Mobility participant Daniil Solomin said that for him the trip was a valuable experience and the best way to spend his vacation. Language practice was especially important, as the program was conducted in English, which allowed him to significantly improve his communication skills. The most memorable were the creative workshops on creating photographs, and one of the student’s works was recognized during the internal voting of the participants, which became an additional motivation for further development.
WOW
An important part of the exchange was the constant change of working groups. This approach promoted intercultural communication, helped overcome language barriers and taught how to effectively cooperate with representatives of different cultures and educational environments. The participants performed joint tasks, exchanged experiences, talked about the peculiarities of their countries and studying at the university.
In addition to the academic program, the exchange also included a cultural component. Young people had the opportunity to get acquainted with the history of Rzeszów and visit local culture. This combination created a holistic and deep experience of international mobility and became an impetus for many not to be afraid to participate in such.
At the end of the student mobility, young people presented their teamwork and summed up the project. The participants received Youthpass certificates Erasmus. Again convinced that international mobility is an important tool for professional and personal development.
Alina Turok,
student of the OP “International Journalism”