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Abstract
The aim of the article is to present the scope of participation, official guidelines and rules of operation for the EU educational scheme Socrates/Erasmus at the University of Łódź (UL, Uniwersytet Łódzki), one of the top ‘Socrates Leaders’ in Poland. The author presents opinions expressed by students of UL who undertook studies at overseas universities in 1998-2000 under the Programme. Opinions collected from former Socrates students during a study conducted from March till June 2005 were divided into three groups corresponding to three stages of participation: (a) opinions on the initial exposure to the Programme, (b) opinions on the stay at the partner university in another country, (c) opinions about the outcomes of the student exchange under the Programme. Research shows that the University of Lodz does not only gain more placements from year to year but also signs exchange contracts with an increasing number of participating countries and universities. UL students are increasingly interested in the Programme and those who won a Socrates scholarship positively view their participation and the performance of the Programme at UL. In conclusion the author presents postulates which should be met to further increase interest in the Programme, facilitate students’ participation and improve its performance not only at the University of Lodz but also in all participating HE institutions in Poland.