Pilot program for the first time in the country at the Polytechnic University: cultural vouchers for students

The Politehnica University of Timișoara remains well anchored in the cultural segment even after the year of the Cultural Capital 2023. A new project, this time, aims to open the city and the cultural events held in Timișoara for Polytechnic students in the opposite direction.

“Students of the Politehnica University of Timișoara open to complete their academic and research training with unique cultural experiences, passionate about theater, film, music, visual art, contemporary dance or literature were invited to join the Cultural Vouchers pilot program, unique in Romania , initiated by the Politehnica University of Timișoara, financed by the Institutional Development Fund and part of the UPT Campus Creativ initiatives to widen students’ access and participation in the cultural and civic life of the city”, UPT said.

“We were and remain concerned with the easiest possible access to education for our young people, by this we mean not only low costs of accommodation and meals, but also participation in cultural events. If in the last year they benefited from a series of events organized within the Polytechnic campus, here we are now proposing an opening to the city as well. We wish that at the end of the study years, we will not only have simple graduates, but at the same time we will also have responsible citizens”, said associate professor of the Dr. Eng. Florin Drăgan, rector of the Timișoara Polytechnic University.

In a first step, 25 students from Architecture, Automation and Computers, Construction, Electronics, Management, Mechanics, Communication Sciences and Telecommunications responded with interest to the invitation immediately after the launch, so a first meeting of the newly created community was organized , to get to know each other and configure together the program of events and meetings until the summer vacation, animated by Maria Dombrov, who will coordinate this program.

“As they noted when they enrolled in the program, the students said that what they want by participating in this program is to add culture to the other tools of knowledge they are already familiar with, to go through as many unique experiences as possible on to be able to share them with the group, to be able to enter into dialogue with artists, creatives and people from cultural institutions and organizations in dialogue behind the scenes so that they remain in a continuous state of exploration and acquire diverse perspectives about themselves, others and the world”, the press release of the higher education institution also states.

“Cultural vouchers are intended for UPT students, recipients of social grants.

In this way, the university wants to contribute not only to their professional training, but also to their personal and cultural development, offering them valuable opportunities outside the strictly academic field, by facilitating access to culture and education, respectively by integrating into cultural life and social center of the city”, specified prof. univ. dr. ing. Alina Dumitrel, vice-rector of UPT responsible, among other things, for students’ problems.

Asked what they expected from the group and Cultural Vouchers as a program, students noted their needs, interests, pursuits and aspirations: to enrich their knowledge base by consuming culture in as many ways as possible; to develop their creative side; to meet people who inspire them; to discover new aspects and dimensions of culture; to explore various forms of artistic expression; to develop their perspective on the world; to share ideas and impressions etc.

“As shown by educational models from other European countries, young people are exposed to cultural events during their studies to ensure a complete education. At the Politehnica University of Timișoara, we are aware that with the advance of technology, the new generations of engineers must be more creative and able to use various resources to perform complex tasks, repetitive work remaining for computers. Through this pilot program we want to develop both the creativity and the critical spirit of the students. We give them the resources to access cultural events, guide them to invest time in worthwhile events and facilitate debates about the performances they watch. Only by supporting interdisciplinary education can we train professionals who can keep up with the evolution of the labor market”, emphasized Alexandru Luca, director of the Department of Educational Marketing at UPT.

The vouchers have a value of 150 lei and can be used to buy tickets to shows, cinemas, museums or to buy books.