Without international cooperation, including academic and student exchange and joint research, it is impossible to talk about the development of any university today - emphasised the participants in the inaugural meeting of the University Commission for Internationalisation, which met on Friday at the University of Gdańsk.

The University Internationalisation Commission was established by the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities in November this year on the initiative of the Rector prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski. The Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG, was elected chair of the commission for 2023-24. Thus, the seat of the UKU for this term became our university.

- 'It is extremely important that the seat of the University Internationalisation Committee is Gdańsk, which in its 1000-year tradition has been a place of intercultural, international meetings,' - said Vice-Rector prof. UG Anna Jurkowska - Zeidler. - 'There is a painting titled 'The Apotheosis of Gdańsk' by Isaac van Den Block, which hangs in the Red Room of the Main Town Hall, depicting Gdańsk as an ideal community where all nationalities meet and seek a common language - trade, the development of the city, self-development and education, which has always been important for this city. And it is excellent that now, too, the University of Gdańsk has a part to play in this and is a place that brings together not only universities but also institutions supporting higher education in Poland: Erasmus, Nawa, Perspektywy Educational Foundation. We are here together to talk about the challenges, to find systemic paths for the development of our universities to pass safely through times of crises,' - added the UKU President.

However, Friday's session initiating the UKU's activities took place this time, not in Gdańsk, but at the UG Sopot Campus, Faculty of Management.

- 'We also wanted to show you the Sopot Campus, which is the most internationalised in terms of the number of foreign students at the University of Gdańsk,' said Rector prof. Piotr Stepnowski welcoming the guests. - 'From the very beginning, we believed that the commission would be a very important body for exchanging experience in the internationalisation of the university's activities - both in the field of academic exchange and in the implementation of joint projects such as European universities and many other similar initiatives,' - added the Rector.

The University Internationalisation Commission is composed of representatives of all universities gathered at the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities. The meeting was attended by their representatives - Vice-Rectors in charge of internationalisation issues at universities. The committee's guests were also experts who deal with various areas of international cooperation daily: Deputy Director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange dr Zofia Sawicka, Managing Director of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) and Director of the National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps dr hab. Paweł Poszytek and founder of the Perspektywy Educational Foundation, President of the IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence Waldemar Siwiński.

In the first part of the session, the floor was given to the experts. This panel was opened by Director dr hab. Paweł Poszytek, who emphasised the contribution of the Erasmus+ programme to cooperation already developing in many areas of education and outlined the opportunities for beneficiaries of European funds of the Erasmus+ programme.

- 'In the times of current challenges - immediate, but also long-term and new trends, internationalisation is really becoming a very important element in the functioning of universities and higher education in almost all countries,' - said Director dr hab. Paweł Poszytek. - 'The Erasmus+ programme provides opportunities to internationalise in a structured, very qualitative way, and above all, this programme finances these opportunities. Erasmus+ is not only about the traditional mobility of students and university staff, but also money for projects that modernise the teaching offer and introduce elements of digitisation, which, as the pandemic has shown, is now a necessity.'

The Director of the Programme also spoke about the rapid reaction of the European Commission, which allocated funds to the programme after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

- 'This action made it possible for many Ukrainian students to stay and study with Erasmus+ funds,' - emphasised Director dr hab. Paweł Poszytek. - 'We are facing the challenges of Industry 4.0, the new reality that we will be confronted with. A technologised world will require new competencies. The Erasmus+ programme also facilitates and allows students, as part of their mobility, to acquire more quickly all these competencies, especially soft ones, which are needed in the labour market. In addition, we need to gain experience in communication, not just language skills, but, for example, in an interdisciplinary, research or project group, in which an IT specialist must communicate with a doctor or a student from another field because they will be creating innovative solutions for their industry. The ability to communicate with machines will soon be important. For all these challenges, of course, we can apply various solutions, and Erasmus + is not only one such tool, but most importantly, it provides funding for their use,' - he stressed.

Details of the Erasmus+ Programme and the rich offer concerning the implementation of various projects aimed at many social groups were presented by Bartosz Stawiarz, Director of the Erasmus+ InnHUB, who spoke, among other things, about Innovation Centres being established on university premises. (for keynote see here) One of them is located at the University of Gdańsk's Main Library (read here).

An equally important partner providing support in the area of international activities for Polish universities is the National Agency for Academic Exchange. NAWA 'works towards the internationalisation of Polish science by supporting and stimulating international research cooperation and academic exchange. The Agency strives to strengthen scientific excellence, internationalisation of Polish universities and scientific institutions, as well as to promote Poland - its language and culture to build the image of a country offering interesting educational and research opportunities' (source https://nawa.gov.pl). The University Commission for Internationalisation is therefore an ideal partner for the exchange of experiences, including those concerning programmes addressed to universities by NAWA. UKU's guest was the Deputy Director of the National Academic Exchange Agency, dr Zofia Sawicka, who said, among other things: - 'Nawa's mission is to strengthen the potential of Polish science and higher education through international exchange and cooperation. We firmly believe that we are unable to act, both scientifically and in terms of education, without cooperation both between universities in Poland and internationally.'

Another expert, the President of the IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence Waldemar Siwiński, who is also the founder and President of the Perspektywy Educational Foundation, which is known for its efforts to internationalise Polish education, including universities, spoke in a similar tone.

- 'Internationalisation is at the heart of all universities' activities. You cannot be a university without being an international entity. It is not just about students or foreign employees, of whom there are still very few in Poland,' - said President Waldemar Siwiński, 'but about integrating this international dimension in all activities. The aim of learning is to acquire the competence to move in the world, and research cannot be exclusively Polish. We must always relate it to international research. Otherwise, it would be a sham. There are also no world events that do not affect us, of which the situation in Ukraine today is a perfect example. Therefore, our students must be educated in such a way that they can navigate the world, are prepared for it and have the competence to learn about it. Internationalisation is a challenge and a task for all of us,' - stressed the President.

The expert panel pointed out to UKU members further areas and tasks that will be possible thanks to the cooperation of the university community and can improve the activities already undertaken concerning international cooperation. According to the rectors - joining forces on many of the issues discussed may result in positive effects, whether in the evaluation of universities or rankings - national and international.

The second part of the meeting, due to the initiation nature of the UKU meeting, dealt with organisational matters and those draft resolutions that the committee is to work on shortly.