Kasia Janiak

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Kasia has been working as a study abroad officer since February 2020. Before taking on this role she lived and worked in Georgia, China and India, which is why she is passionate about encouraging others to go abroad and immersing oneself in different cultures.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I went to Georgia as a new graduate. Pretty much everything about my stay there is a favourite memory. But if I had to choose one it would be having baby cows keep me company while I was waiting for a bus in my local village. As milk and cheese is staple food, especially in rural areas, every family has a cow, but they're free to roam around and are generally very friendly.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have not been in this role for very long but I have already learned so much! As a Study Abroad Officer you have to work with such a diverse group of people so communication skills are crucial, as well as adaptability. I think these are 2 key areas in which I have grown. But I know that I can still learn so much more over the coming months!

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I’ve heard many stories this past semester that showed me how resilient and proactive study abroad students become. We had so many students arrive to London in January only to be forced to go back not even two months later. But not one of them quit. They quickly adapted to the new learning style and changed circumstances. Many of them got in touch with us to let us know that even though their stay was cut short they are glad they did it and they enjoyed their stay with us. It was challenging but a good experience to learn from for all of us!

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I think that would be our summer programme. Summers in London are great! You can have picnics in the park, enjoy roof top bars and when it is warm enough swim in the Hampstead Ponds! You can take advantage of all of that while getting credits for work experience at the same time. It’s a perfect balance between a fun and productive summer!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I think it's our student support. We do not have a huge study abroad programme like some other universities. This means that we can give attention to individual student's needs and support them through this very exciting but also challenging experience. I was especially proud of our team when we had to deal with the outcome of the pandemic outbreak putting the needs of our students first.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Transparency and adaptability. I believe that the recent events taught us all that we cannot expect things to stay the same. We need to adapt to the needs of our students and not the other way around. Equally, we need to be transparent about what is achievable and what steps are being taken to improve students experience in current circumstances. I think LSBU did well on both accounts and we will continue to listen to the feedback from our students and improve in any way we can.