Ten years ago, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy (WFiA) of University of Zielona Góra started cooperation with foreign universities under Erasmus/Erasmus+ program. The exchange covers both universities from EU countries (project KA103) and from countries outside EU (project KA107).

The first students came to us (in October 2010) from Extremadura University (ExU) in Spain. Since then, our faculty annually hosts several students from ExU who undertake one year studies at UZ.

Next year, WFiA signed a prestigious agreement with the University of Malta, activating bilateral mobility for students as well as staff of both universities. The result of these trips is the very active scientific cooperation of the programme's beneficiaries, which continues to this day.

In the following years, WFiA started cooperation with universities in Greece: University of the Aegean and National Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the University of Milano in Italy and recently the University of Cordoba. Students from these universities joined the group of our students. The most active collaboration has been developed with NKAU. For several years, the Faculty has been hosted two or three students from this university who pursue semester study programs with us.

The breakthrough year turned out to be 2016, when WFiA expanded cooperation under the Erasmus+ program to countries outside the EU: Vietnam (Hong Duc University, Vinh University), Georgia (Free University of Tbilisi) and Ukraine (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv). In 2016/17, the Faculty hosted 20 Erasmus students, about 80% of whom were students from the above-mentioned universities. Since then, cooperation with these universities has been very active, and their students come to study here every year. In 2019, Belarus (Yanko Kupala University) was also included in the KA107 project.

It is worth adding that our students also go on internships and studies. So far, they have visited the following universities: Extremadura University, Milano University, Palacky University Olomouc, University of Athens, University of Feiburg (Medical Center) and Uroborus SL (Travel Tenerife and Astronomy and Science Center).

We are especially pleased when international students who studied at our Faculty return and continue their cooperation - for example as part of doctoral studies (e.g. Alexandros Filithodoros from Greece or Vinh Le Duc from Vietnam) or come to share their research results at our seminars (Irene Tovar from Spain).

WFiA employees are also eager to participate in the program. We had guests and were guests at the following universities: Extremadura University, Palacky University Olomouc, University of Athens, Vinh University, Hong Duc University, Free University of Tbilisi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and University of Cyprus.

Year 2020 was a special challenge for everyone. Despite the pandemic, five students decided to come to us for studies and internships. We are glad that they are with us.

Our first Erasmus students. Sara and Sara (from Extremadura University) organized experimental shows for children.

Our foreign students (together with the coordinator Sylwia Kondej) before Christmas time.

Krzysztof Dudek during his studies in Malta. Dr. K. Dudek actively collaborates with scientists from the University of Malta until today.