“The huge offering of all mobile devices pressed us to use not only traditional ‘paper’ information and internet but an iPhone app also,” the programme coordinator for the industry promoting group Study in Poland (SIP) Wojciech Marchwica told The PIE News. “We hope it will facilitate the way to inform young people.”

The app augments Poland’s recent efforts to increase its appeal as an international student destination. Since 2005, universities have implemented internationalisation strategies and created an extensive range of courses conducted in English. There are now more than 350 full English-medium programmes at bachelor, masters and PhD levels.

Thanks to these projects, international student numbers in Poland have grown over the past six years  from 10,000 in 2006 to over 24,000 today.

Currently, the app features 40 of Poland’s most internationally active universities including The Warsaw School of Economics and Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

Participating universities make up around 60% of all foreign students studying in Poland

According to SIP, the participating universities represent around 60% of all foreign students studying in Poland who are keen to attract high-quality students from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

So far the app hasn’t stirred up many followers but SIP is optimistic and has plans for future development. “It’s just the beginning,” said Marchwica. “We plan on launching the Android version soon.”

This year the project will work to provide information on Polish universities but in the future they hope to expand it to other institutions.