Elsie, Tomer, what motivated you to apply for the Una Europa Joint Bachelor in Sustainability?
Elsie: Since graduating from high school a few years ago, I have had some time to figure out what I want to do. One of the volunteer jobs I did between high school and university was at an off-the-grid yoga retreat, which was very into sustainability practices and teaching people about them. I already had an interest in the environment through scouting and being Canadian; the environment is linked to the culture, so from there I have developed a growing interest in the environment and looking after it.
I was looking at programmes both at home and abroad. With the BASUS, having so many different track options [opportunities to specialise] was very interesting to me, and I think to a lot of our classmates as well.
So I applied, and here we are!
Tomer: What spiked my interest in sustainability was also a background in travelling and nature. I also went to a high school for environmental studies. Thinking about where I wanted to go next, and what I wanted to do in my life, I felt that I wanted to do something meaningful, to feel that I was contributing to the world somehow. This made me want to study sustainability.
When starting to look at programmes, I liked the idea of being part of an international community and an international world. The BASUS seemed to fit perfectly for me – enabling mobility and moving between different universities and countries but also the interdisciplinary approach, allowing me to see different worlds before deciding which subject I wanted to focus on more.
In autumn 2025 you started your BASUS adventure in Kraków. How did it feel to meet your cohort for the first time?
Tomer: The first day already seems like so long ago! I really remember the excitement of coming to Kraków, imagining that I was going to spend my next year here. It’s very exciting to come to a new city, a new country, and especially to imagine yourself living there.
Every time you start a new thing it’s exciting, meeting all the new people, but also because we were the first cohort [of the BASUS programme] we didn’t know what to expect, from the study side but also from the other students. I couldn’t imagine what type of people would join this programme, the international outlook each person would come with their different cultures and their own background. This made the beginning really exciting for me.
Elsie: I was also excited to start the programme, I was curious as to how many people would be part of the cohort. It was really cool to meet everybody. There are quite a few people from [Poland] but also from quite a few different places. I was excited for that, to be part of an international community and also to get to know Kraków and everybody on the programme.
Because we are such a small group, we became pretty tightly knit. Especially at the start, we did a lot of things with everybody together, and I think that really helps now because we are all quite comfortable with each other.
" I remember the excitement of coming to Kraków, imagining that I was going to spend my next year here. I couldn’t imagine what type of people would join this programme, the international outlook each person would come with their different cultures and their own background. "
Tomer reflecting on the first day of the BASUS programme.
Both of you moved to Poland to study the BASUS. How do you find life in Kraków?
Tomer: I was surprised by how much I liked it! Kraków is very pretty, there is a big castle which is beautiful and right next to the river, and there is nature close by which is really nice. There are parks that are beautiful but also very interesting, and lots of hiking routes around.
Elsie: Inside the city, there are a lot of things happening so it feels quite alive. There are lots of students, international students as well, so there are many events and places to go. It feels very much like a student city in that when you look for it, there are a lot of events and things catered for students. I feel like the city has definitely got a lot of community around, which is nice.
How has studying the BASUS already changed the way you think of sustainability?
Elsie: The professors have done a good job of showing how broad sustainability really is. I feel like a lot of us on the programme had an idea that it was broad beforehand, since we have an interest in it, but a lot of people tend to only think of the environmental perspective, and less about the economy as a whole. They have done a good job of showing the impact and effects on all aspects of life, making links that you wouldn’t otherwise make and collecting all of it together to really understand the depth of the problem, the full complexity of it.
" The professors have done a good job of showing the impact and effects of sustainability on all aspects of life, helping us to really understand the full complexity of the problem. "
Elsie reflecting on how studying the BASUS has changed her view of sustainability.
What are you most looking forward to from the next stage in your BASUS journey?
Tomer: I’m currently enjoying the introduction to the different tracks [BASUS students can choose from six different sustainability topics, or tracks, to specialise in from their second year]. I especially like what we are learning about right now, which is the sustainable physics and chemistry track led by Helsinki [Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet]. The team has done a really good job of presenting not only the information we need for our upcoming test, but also what we can expect if we go to Helsinki next year, and even what we could do after that, for example potential master’s courses. It makes it feel less like an idea and more like an actual possible future, a path your life could take.
Elsie: For me, it’s quite exciting to think about moving to a new place again next year, not just getting to know somewhere new but actually getting to live in that place. Also, the fact that we [the cohort] will split up and go to different universities – it’s sad that we will lose this community we have now in Kraków but it also gives us potential to create a new community, while still having this one.
I am also quite excited by the idea of getting to focus more on one subject and to really dive into it. It will be good to move from the broader context and really get to know something well, so that we can hopefully make a positive impact in that area in the future.
Can you share a favourite moment from your time on the BASUS so far?
Tomer: For me, a few weather-related things come to mind. Having the snow really excited me, walking the streets and going to school in the snow. It was quite amazing. And then when the sun came out, that was another moment. I remember walking the streets with a friend from the programme and suddenly feeling this excitement of summer coming, of sitting in the sun together in a café.
Elsie: We often do dinners together on Friday nights with a group of our classmates. That’s a lot of fun. It’s helped us to really connect with one another and get to know each other better. It feels homey, which is nice when you’re so far away from your family. It’s helped to create a bit of a family here, which is nice. We know that we have each other’s backs as we go through the programme together, which is really nice.
The Una Europa Joint Bachelor in Sustainability is currently accepting applications for the 2026/27 intake. Visit the dedicated website to find out more and begin your BASUS journey.
