Intensive blended program in Poland

Twenty second- and third-year environmental engineering students from the Sándor Rejtő Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Engineering at Óbuda University participated in an intensive blended program (BIP) organized by the Erasmus program at the University of Bielsko-Biała (Poland). The program aimed to present modern methods of biomass utilization and biofuel production, as well as highlight the important role played by circular economy practices. During the first week of the two-week program, students attended online lectures, while in the second week, they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the practical aspects of the subject in the laboratories of the University of Bielsko-Biała and in industrial facilities in Poland. During the program, students visited a biofuel plant, where they learned about the practical aspects of biodiesel production, its raw materials, and by-products. At a regional wastewater treatment plant, experts from the university and the facility demonstrated the practice of municipal wastewater treatment and the possibilities of using municipal wastewater sludge in biogas production. The program also included a visit to a deep coal mine transformed into a museum, where students could observe the landscape-shaping effects of extracting fossil energy carriers. In the practical week of the program, students had the opportunity to interact with both the host institution’s students and students from other participating universities in the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Spain. This allowed our students to practice not only the practical application of technical English but also everyday communication skills.