The University of Gdańsk's Academic Civic Budget ('ABO UG') is a competition where UG students, doctoral students and employees can submit their ideas for the university's development. There is PLN 200,000 to spend. Projects for the event's second edition can be submitted from April 3.

The first edition of the competition took place last year. It ended with the community of our university selecting four ideas for implementation - two in the category of employee projects to be located in the outdoor space of the Oliwa campus, including the Pocket Park by the Neophilology building and the Gym & Street Workout - Zone with outdoor exercise equipment, and two projects submitted by students and doctoral students concerning the development of the internal space of the faculties into relaxation and leisure zones - the All-University Zero Stress Zone at the WPiA and the Chillout Zone at the WNS.

The projects selected last year are in the process of being prepared for implementation. In the case of the pocket park next to the Neophilology building, a landscaping project is being developed. The equipment selection and preparation of a request for tender for its purchase is underway for the outdoor exercise equipment zone. In agreement with the project proponent, a decision has also been made to change the spot's location from the space near the UG Library to the area adjacent to the former Rektorat building. As for the relaxation and leisure zones at the WPIA and WNS, arrangements are being made to establish detailed solutions for the space management of both zones.

- 'The first edition of the competition met with favourable reception and great interest among the academic community of our university. A total of 58 projects were submitted in both categories, of which 42 were put to the vote. Nearly 3,500 students and doctoral students and almost half of the staff (1,478 people) participated. Together, the campaign, therefore, attracted nearly five thousand members of the UG academic community and strongly activated our environment. And it showed how much we can change together to make the university space a better place for us all to work, relax and meet together. It is time to announce the next edition!' - informs Vice-Rector dr hab. Arnold Kłonczyński, prof. UG.

The second edition of the ABO UG will be launched on April 3 and is again addressed to students, doctoral students and university employees. Project submissions are made electronically in the employee or student portal, depending on the category or the abo.ug.edu.pl website.

For the implementation of the 2023 edition, PLN 200,000 has been allocated, as was the case last year, with PLN 100,000 each for projects submitted by students and doctoral students and PLN 100,000 for those submitted by employees.

- 'We hope that this year's edition of the competition will generate many new ideas and that the most interesting of them, once selected, will change the university space of our university into an even more friendly place. We also hope that this year's turnout during voting will be even higher than last year,' - adds Piotr Szpajer, coordinator of the Academic Civic Budget.

Authors have until April 30 to submit their ideas. The cost of one project must be at most PLN 50,000. Applicants may submit any number of projects.

Once the project submission stage is over, a team appointed by the Rector will verify the formal aspects of the submitted projects. Compliance with the statutory requirements will be assessed, as well as the valuation of the project.

The final list of projects the competition committee approves for the voting stage will be announced in early October. Electronic voting will occur on the employee and student portal between 23 and 30 October.

Up to three projects will be selected from the list during the voting. The vote results, including the projects selected for implementation with the highest support in both categories, will be known by November 13. They will be included in the UG 2023 physical and financial plan and implemented the following year.

The 'ABO UG' regulations and the most important information about the project are available at abo.ug.edu.pl.