Academic year ends as UWB says goodbye to hundreds of international students

Sharing memories, meeting one last time before heading home, and saying thank you. UWB’s traditional Farewell Dinner once again marked the symbolic end of the international exchange students’ study stay in Pilsen.

Nearly one hundred guests attended this year’s Farewell Dinner at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Most of them were international students who had spent one or two semesters at UWB. For many, it was one of their final opportunities to meet the people who had become an important part of their everyday lives during their stay in Czechia.

“It went by incredibly fast, which makes me really sad. I truly enjoyed my time in Pilsen, including the ESN-organized events, the accommodation, the classes, and the city's cultural life. I would honestly love to stay here and complete my studies at UWB,” said Katarína Heltová from the Slovak Medical University in Bratislava. She studied at UWB’s Faculty of Health Care Studies as part of an exchange program.

The farewell gathering was organized by representatives of the International Office in cooperation with the student organization ESN UWB Pilsen on Wednesday, 13 May, directly on university premises. According to the organizers, the evening was held in a friendly, informal atmosphere. Students shared, for example, what their stay in Pilsen had meant to them. The program also included food, short speeches, and a group photo.

In the 2025/26 academic year, a total of 245 international exchange students came to UWB, most of them from Spain, France, Turkey, and Italy. They most often studied at the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Economics, and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Nearly 170 students spent the winter semester in Pilsen, and just under a third of them continued into the summer semester. In February, they were joined by roughly another seventy newly arrived students.

Throughout the year, the International Office and members of ESN UWB Pilsen regularly help international students settle into life at the university, from their first welcome during Welcome Week to the final farewell at the Farewell Dinner. Students who would like to get involved in UWB’s international community can join ESN UWB through its Buddy Program. More information is available on the student association’s website.