What makes young people study at the Jagiellonian University Faculty of International and Political Studies? According to the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Bogdan Szlachta, the first reason is the wide variety of the offered study programmes, which can be divided into three major groups: comprehensive studies in such fields as International Relations, International Security and Political studies, Cultural Studies with many different specialities, and, thirdly, Area Studies, devoted to particular regions of the world, which are especially popular with the prospective students.

The second reason is related to the rich offer of study programmes taught in foreign languages, including one BA programme (International Relations and Area Studies) and about a dozen MA programmes in English. An International Relations programme in Russian is planned to be launched soom. What also makes the Faculty attractive for prospective students is its active collaboration with a number of foreign higher education institutions, which includes running Double Degree and Joint Degree programmes together with academic centres from western Europe. The Faculty is also a member of a consortium involving three other universities from the Visegrad Group states and runs joint MA programmes with higher education institutions from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The Faculty is also open to cooperation with eastern partners, including Chinese, Korean and Russian universities. A Joint Degree or Double Degree programme run together with Ukrainian higher education institutions will be probably established in near future.

To meet the candidates' needs and the requirements of the job market, the JU Faculty of International and Political Studies is planning to open three brand new programmes of study in the academic year 2014/2015: International Relations at the Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora, Intercultural Relations at the Institute of Intercultural Studies, and Political Consultancy as a practical specialization within the programme Political Science.

Thanks to several dozen agreements signed with foreign higher education institutions, the JU Faculty of International and Political Studies offers its students and staff participation in various international exchange programmes. The special study visits to different parts of the world by student groups under the Faculty academics' supervision are one of the most interesting options. Before the conflict in Syria began, one of such groups had visited this country. In 2014 the Faculty students went to Malaysia, where they could attend university lectures and have direct contact with a very interesting culture. The Faculty staff is also engaged in cooperation with international organizations, foreign academic journals, and leading academic centres from Europe and beyond.

Contrary to the popular opinions often spread by the media, the graduates of various programmes run by the JU Faculty of International Studies usually have little problem in finding a job. This is both thanks to the specialist skills they have acquired during their studies (such as proficiency in foreign languages and knowledge of foreign cultures) and the high quality of their general knowledge, which is valued by many prospective employers. As the Faculty's research has indicated, more than 80% of its graduates find employment in less than six months after their graduation – and it should be noted that some of the remaining 20% continue their education as doctoral students.

Based on an interview with Prof. Bogdan Szlachta carried out by Estera Podobińska