'How to conduct internationalisation under conditions of uncertainty' - was supposed to be the leading theme of the 15th-anniversary conference 'Foreign Students in Poland 2022'. However, due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing war, participants focused on discussing the Polish academic community's assistance to Ukrainians in supporting students, PhD students and academics in Poland and Ukraine.
The event is organized as part of the "Study in Poland" program run by the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the Perspektywy Educational Foundation. The host university is Wrocław University of Life Sciences.
The conference and panel meetings were attended by the Rector prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski and the Vice-Rectors of UG: dr hab. Anna Jurkowska - Zeidler, prof. UG and dr hab. Arnold Kłonczyński, prof. UG.
As the UG Vice-Chancellors emphasised - the leading topic turned out to be the assistance of the Polish academic community to Ukrainians in supporting students, PhD students and academic staff in Poland and Ukraine. The University of Gdansk has developed many paths of possible cooperation, learning and education for refugees from Ukraine. (More on this topic: для України/for Ukraine)
The discussion held during the conference concerned the prospects for digitalisation of universities in Poland in the context of challenges for modern education, increasing international competitiveness and issues related to university management. Questions addressed during the plenary session, in which the Rector prof. Piotr Stepnowski spoke, concerned above all the proportion of online modules in the education process and the chances of increasing internationalisation through the use of digital tools.
- 'We are facing a chance to significantly improve the position of Polish universities in the international arena thanks to the use of educational modules available online, including those coming from different universities, e.g. as part of European university partnerships,' - said prof. Piotr Stepnowski. - 'Such a network approach to the delivery of studies requires us to adopt a completely new approach to the shaping of the curriculum, greater individuality in planning and great management efficiency. However, this is an unavoidable process, given the fact that the digital methods of knowledge reception and use by young academics are becoming so quickly stratified in relation to the hitherto applied methods of conventional education.'
During the conference, there was also a ceremonial signing of an agreement establishing a Coalition for the development of the WorldSkills initiative and the organisation of the Euroskills 2023 Competition in Poland. Gdansk is one of the very likely locations of this world event, and the University of Gdańsk, in addition to the substantive patronage, will take an active part in its organization.
As the Perspektywy Educational Foundation informs on its website: 'Conferences in the series "Foreign Students in Poland" have always been a place of debate on the strategy of internationalisation of Polish higher education and science, but due to the circumstances, this year's meeting is of exceptional importance. The leading theme of all sessions is 'INTERNATIONALISATION IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY.'
The second day of the conference will oscillate around the topic 'European universities - the role of microcredentials in developing short-term mobility and networking internationalisation'.
Developing a system of microcredentials is one of the challenges facing European universities. Particular attention will be paid to the possibility of combining microcredentials with the offer of short-term mobility offered in the new Erasmus+ perspective - inform the organisers.
