Important note: Due to the global COVID-19 health alert,
the OW activities will take place in a BLENDED format
(it is, with activities both online and in person, on campus).

Introduction

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) organises different online sessions as a kind of "Orientation Week" (OW). The OW is basically addressed to international students who have to start their studies at the UPC in the 2022-2023 spring semester. (The semester that starts in February 2023.)

The OW includes an institutional welcome, information on compulsory legal procedures, and information about the main UPC services that can be of interest of the students during their stay, and an introductory workshop on Catalan language and culture.

Orientation Week dates

• Beginning ofJanuary: students will receive progressively e-mails with links to online information to prepare their trip, arrival and stay. In addition, there is a set of online sessions about different topics. (See calendar below in this web page.)
• End of January until mid-February: presential (face-to-face, on campus) activities. (See calendar below in this web page.)

 It is highly recommended to attend to as many activities as possible; both the online sessions AND one of the presential ones.

Cost

Language

The activities will be organised and held in English and Spanish.

"Welcome folder"- carpeta de bienvenida

In this link you will find the web page with the "welcome folder". This web page contains different reference materials that will be of use and of your interest for your stay. Please, explore it and read the documents linked in that web page.

Programme

Provisional and orientative information.

*** PHASE 1 : E-mails and online sessions

When? In January.
International students will receive different e-mails and links to attend different online sessions, with the following main thematics:

- Accommodation, insurance and transports.

- Compulsory legal procedures (according to the student's profile). We organise different sessions, so that you attend the session that is more convenient for you. Please attend to the session that corresponds to your profile; it is important for your stay.

- UPC portals that you have to know for your academic stay.

Note: Additional sessions could be added in January, depending on availability. In that case, students would receive an additional e-mail iwth the information.

*** PHASE 2: Presential activities in September; face to face.

When? In some specific dates between the end of January and February
Dates: to be confirmed in January. The calendar will be published in this web page, below.

What?
Each presential welcoming session will have:
- Institutional welcome and general information
- Sessions about legal procedures
- brief presentation of the UPC Libraries service and Campus Nord library visit
- Catalan language and culture workshop
- Coffee breack for networking

Where?
In the facilities at Campus Nord UPC.
Nearest metro stations: "Palau Reial" or "Zona Universitaria"; L-3 green line.

Further details
International students will receive, in January, an email with the planning and a link to register in the session that is more convenient for them.
You can attend the date that you want, but please register online, as we have to check the attendance due to limited spots in the meeting rooms. Thank you.

Registration procedure. How do I register for the Orientation Week?

*** PHASE 1: E-mails and online sessions.
All international students admitted in 2022/2023 at UPC (either for exchange or for a full programme) will receive from the end of December:

- A first e-mail with a link to the online "welcome folder", where you will find different information of interest for your stay.

- And the information about the Orientation Week online sessions, with the invitation with links to attend, through Google Meet.

There will be different online welcoming activities. You can attend the ones you prefer, according to your needs of information. Please try to get as many information as you can in advance, before your trip; to prepare it. So, please try to attend as many of the online sessions as possible.

And what can I do if I have not received this first e-mail at the end of December?
Do not worry and please fill in this online form. We will contact you in the next days*.

Note: These online sessions of the "Orientation Weeks" are in addition to the specific welcoming session that many UPC schools/faculties do for their exchange international students. (For further information about this, if your are an exchange student please contact with your host UPC school/faculty.)

*** PHASE2: Presential, face to face activities.

International students will receive by e-mail, in January, the planning of activities and a link to register for the date that is more convenient for them. (Register for one specific OW date, according to the arrival date and avoiding overlapping with the enrolment date or any potential meeting in your host UPC school/faculty).

Note: These online sessions of the "Orientation Weeks" are in addition to the specific welcoming session that many UPC schools/faculties do for their exchange international students. (For further information about this, if your are an exchange student please contact with your host UPC school/faculty.)

Important warning

If you have to cancel your participation and/or exchange stay, please let us know by e-mailing oficina.mobilitat.internacional@upc.edu. Thank you.

What can I do if I I am arriving in later dates?

If you are arriving in later dates*, please inform your host UPC school/faculty and follow their indications.
(*: I.e. due to visa delays, some exam in your home university, etc.)

Concerning the welcoming activities:
- As this year the first phase of activities of the "Orientation Week" are online and progressive, from the end of December, please try to attend to all those that you can.

In case that for some reason you could not attend the OW online sessions, no problem!... Please contact our International Students Office (OMI), indicating your name and nationality. We will give you the general information and information about legal procedures that we give in the framework of the Orientation Week.
International Students Office (OMI):
https://www.upc.edu/sri/en/mobility_office/students-mobility-office/incomings/contact-us

- Concerning the presential (face-to-face) activities, these will take place only between the end of January and mid-February. Should you have any general question at your arrival, please do not hesitate to contact our International Students Office (OMI).

Important note

Please note that OMI office and UPC are closed from December 24th until January 8th (both included, due to UPC Christmas holiday and energy saving.

Online sessions of the Orientation Week

Please find here below, in this section, the first online sessions in the "UPC Orientation Weeks" activities. Later on, you will receive the links to the online sessions in your email. If you have any difficulty, please contact us.

We hope that they are of use to you. Please attend as many as you can.

Face-to-face (presential) sessions of the Orientation Week

Please find here below, the list of face-to-face sessions of the Orientation Week. These sessions will take place at the Campus Nord UPC.
Due to the rooms capacity, in order to attend any of these sessions it is mandatory to register in advance through the corresponding online form to attend one of these sessions. (You will receive the link by e-mail.)

• 26th January
• 1st February
• 3rd February
• 9Th February
• 14th February
• 21st February

Plan your trip and arrival, according to your planned enrollment dates at your UPC school/faculty, and then register in the OW presential session that is more convenient you.

 We wish you an intesting and happy stay! Happy 2023!