Safety and wellbeing
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE DURING YOUR STAY
- 112 – general emergency number, the operator will switch you to the appropriate services
- 997 – Police
- 998 – Fire Department
- 999 – the Ambulance
It is also a good idea to put in your phone the number of the person that should be contacted in case of emergency – save it as ICE (as for „In Case of Emergency”), so it would be easily reachable. It would also be wise to have noted the address of your country’s embassy or consulate and/or their phone number.
Ombudsman is an academic representative for students and staff related matters. He offers mediation and help in solving conflicts especially on the teacher-student line, but not only. If you noticed a problem in your academic community or you feel you have been treated unfairly, you can turn to Ombudsman for an assistance.
There is a range of counselling services at UW. The most important for you might be:
- Akademicka Poradnia Prawna (University of Warsaw Law Clinic) is a student-run legal help centre that provides advice in the field of civil law, family and custody law, labour law, administrative law, university regulations and scholarships. It’s free of charge for all students, you just have to have an ELS (Electronic Student Card). You can also contact them on their Facebook Page, surely they will answer in English.
- The Psychological Counselling Centre of the University of Warsaw provides confidential short-term counselling, crisis intervention services and evaluation of needs for academic support (eg. exam accommodations, additional leave of absence to achieve your academic opportunities) for all English-speaking students of the University of Warsaw. The help is also provided online.
- We are all equal University of Warsaw cares very much about equal treatment and stands strongly against any form of discrimination. Decisive steps have been taken to counteract, prioritising education and providing various forms of help.
There is a network of medical clinics available for UW students called CenterMed. One of the clinics is situated at UW Central Campus, Krakowskie Przedmiescie street. The doctors speak English. You must have a valid European Health Insurance Card and Electronic Student Card – the proofs that you are student and you are insured.
A brief guide on Medical Issues.
You can find more information on health related issues on the Welcome Point UW website.
In case you lose your documents you should:
– call/visit the nearest Police station, so they can provide you with the document confirming that you have lost your legal documents;
– call your bank, so they can block your credit card;
– call/visit the embassy or consulate of your country, to obtain temporary documents or to apply for new ones;
-inform your contact person at the IRO UW about your situation.
It is a good practice to have copies of your documents kept somewhere else – for example, the photocopies at your accommodation venue and scans on your e-mail account or in the cloud.
When you encounter a robbery or an assault the first thing to do is to call 112 and inform the Police about your situation. When calling, remember to provide the operator with your localisation (as precise as you can) so that he or she can send help to you quickly and most efficiently, especially when there is a need of medical help. Informing your bank and the mobile operator is a good idea, if your credit card or phone were stolen, so they can block them. Again, having the copies of your documents (including the medical insurance and/or the European Health Insurance Card) and the numbers to your embassy/medical insurance provider/contact person in your home country is always a good practice, not only during the exchange program, but anytime you are travelling abroad.
