As part of the education, BISLA encourages students to actively participate in societal life since we are of the opinion that real-life experience will enrich students in the most valuable manner. We are proud of our students and professors who decided to contribute to the solution of the critical pandemic situation by volunteering at covid departments in hospitals. We believe that we cannot remain indifferent towards those in need, we have a social responsibility to help.  

We are honoured that renowed newspaper Aktuality turned to our students with offer to share their experiences from hospitals. In response our students decided to participated as guests in podcast Ráno nahlas in which they disclosed information about critical situation in hospitals and accute need for action. For more information you can also read an article by Nový Čas.

What our students said about their experiences 

“For the past two years, we have all been living in the situation of a World-Wide pandemic. As a student of Humanities and Liberal Arts, thinking and talking about this situation, and about all the problems and complications that come with it, has become my every-day reality. This is why, when Professor Radičová has approached my class - and later the whole school - with a plea and an offer to go volunteer into the hospitals and to help lift the pressure off our overworked medical staff, I did not hesitate to sign up. Coming to the hospital and seeing the situation there with my own eyes has certainly been shocking - it is one thing to hear and talk about it, and another to actually participate in saving the lives of those suffering from the disease or its indirect consequences. This experience has given me a lot of respect towards the medical staff that is working day and night to save the lives of those all around us - that is not to say they did not have my respect before, but seeing them in action - and getting the chance to become a part of them - most definitely gives a person a completely new point of view “ – Alex Nemec.

“Experience as a volunteer in a hospital has been an experience, in my opinion, every young person should at least once go through. The Covid Crisis has affected each of us in a certain way, but it seems many of our young generation and adult generation are more and more disconnected from the real-life social environment and do not behave as a part of our civic society, rather are isolated in bubbles of the online world of social media. I did not want to fall into the latter category and decided to help with what I could towards the patients and medics. I also thank prof. Radičová for her guidance throughout our studies not to be blind to the social needs of our fellow citizens. Her lectures have inspired me and given me important social skills, inquiring me and my colleagues to be active. 

What I have realized through the experience was that it is essential to be in contact and care about our older generations, as a young adult I have much to learn from them. The work of medics should also not be taken for granted, they work tirelessly when many of us are in comfort. All of us one day will have some sort of experience with the health care system, we should not be ignorant about it. In hospitals are people of all ages and from their stories, we can learn in life what is valuable, and what aging to which we all progress demands. Many of our citizens are lonely and even a small share of caring conservation makes a difference. Work in hospitals is one of the most meaningful occupations, and our society should not put the conditions of our health care system on the outskirts of interests, not just the employees and patients but the whole society is affected by such an approach. The health care system needs reforms, but also the patients our attention. I could experience on my own all of this for a short period of time and it was a valuable experience” – Filip Lupsina.