Thanks to its economic, scientific, cultural, and tourism potential, Uzbekistan attracts the attention of scientists, business people, and tourists worldwide. Professor of the University of Silesia in Poland, and the founder of several international projects, Ms. Cecylia Tatoj, who visited Uzbekistan last year as part of an educational exchange program, gave a special interview to UzA about her activities and impressions of her visit to the country.

– Ms. Cecylia Tatoj, would you tell us briefly about your activities and research areas at the University of Silesia?

– Our university has more than fifty years of history. At first, it had only two faculties, but then their number increased to eight. The faculty where I work is specialized in the humanities and consists of two departments. We conduct research in linguistics and literary criticism. Linguistics itself is divided into translation studies and methodology. I research the topics of teaching Spanish and intercultural communication. In a word, our faculty trains a lot of translators and interpreters.

– What foreign languages do Polish youth prefer to study?

– Until the 90s of the last century, the Russian language was in the lead as a compulsory language at all stages of education. Then the students had the opportunity to choose other languages. Since then, interest in English has skyrocketed as it is, albeit unofficially, the language of the European Union. Naturally, Polish youth need to learn other languages as well. For example, there has been a sharp increase in interest in the Spanish language in recent years. It attracts with its simplicity and the fact that it is the official language of many countries. Unfortunately, the lack of teachers is a serious problem. Our young people also choose French and Italian.

– Is it more difficult for international students to enter or study at universities in Poland?

– It’s not that hard to do. The main problem is that the classes are conducted in Polish. Some classes are held only in English. I teach translation from Spanish to Polish. From the next academic year, we want to organize a new course and prepare specialist translators from English into Spanish and Spanish into English. This is an excellent opportunity for foreign youth. After all, learning the Polish language is a complicated process.

Studying at universities in Poland is not easy.

– How is the work on international cooperation organized at the University of Silesia?

– There is extensive cooperation with the EU member states within the framework of the Erasmus program. Of course, we are interested in establishing partnerships with other countries. In the matter of international cooperation, I am personally more interested in specialists from a particular country. For example, twelve years ago, I met colleagues from your country at an international conference. We talked about Uzbekistan and Poland, and then we did research together. As a result, we got to know our countries and each other better. At first, Uzbekistan was utterly unfamiliar, but when I saw it with my own eyes, I realized that wonderful people live and work here. Now, with admiration, I tell others, my colleagues, about Uzbeks and your sunny country. Many of my compatriots are interested in Uzbekistan.

– Ms. Cecylia Tatoj, last year you visited Uzbekistan. What do you feel now when you hear or think about our country?

– I can confidently say that the trip to Uzbekistan has become the most memorable event in my life, trip number one. I usually travel to Spain twice a year. I traveled to the UK and Serbia. In Uzbekistan, it seemed to me that I had landed on another planet – in the land of legends. I was especially surprised by the people... Many, when they saw us, wanted to come up and get to know each other. The youth talked in English, and middle-aged people – in Russian.

I visited Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara – beautiful places. Until recently, my favorite monument was the Alhambra complex in Granada, Spain. Due to the “fault” of Uzbekistan, the Alhambra is now in second place. After all, the colors of Samarkand and Bukhara are fascinating. And when I entered the Shakhi Zinda complex, my heart was seized by the feeling that I had fallen into the past. The blue color around pacified and soothed. My memories are endless beyond words. It would be unfair not to mention the culture and hospitality of the Uzbek people. We were invited to dinner. We danced with friends from Uzbekistan. I felt at home.

– Thank you for a beautiful and sincere conversation! We are waiting for you again in Uzbekistan...

Interviewed by Makhfuza Artykova, UzA