From October 8 to 14, 2023, IRO Anastasiia Zarzhytska and Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor at the Department of Technology and Design of Sewing Products, Head of the Research Division, Oksana Zakharkevych took part in the 28th International Summer School at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland, entitled "Cultural and Scientific Promotion of the University", which brought together representatives of 25 Ukrainian higher education institutions.
The purpose of the visit was to exchange experiences between Polish and Ukrainian higher education institutions in the field of scientific and cultural communication, in particular, to present the implemented projects of Adam Mickiewicz University in science, career guidance, media promotion, community cooperation, etc.
Vice-Rector for Research, prof. dr hab. Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, in the introductory lecture, stressed the importance of research and international rankings as markers of the development and competitiveness of an institution in the global educational space. Project Manager Anna Schmidt-Fiedler shared the concept of an engaged university.
Dr Kostiantyn Mazur introduced us to the EPICUR consortium and individual trajectory in science. Natalia Labiak spoke about the activities of the University Welcome Centre, opportunities for adaptating international students and measures for interethnic integration. Head of the Poznan Science and Arts Festival, Anna Młynarczyk, presented the organisation of the traditional festival (the 27th edition is planned for 2023), and measures to promote science.
During the workshop, all participants worked in six teams and proposed fascinating projects for the Welcome Centre, including those involving Ukrainians.
On October 11, thought-provoking classes full of helpful information were held by Marta Gruszczyńska-Ludwiczak, Marta Grunwald, Agnieszka Stefańska, and dr Kostiantyn Mazur. The participants of the Summer School prepared an evening of Ukrainian cuisine, which was attended by the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, prof. UAM dr hab. Rafał Witkowski. The training day was ended with a campfire.
The fourth day of the International Summer School was enthralling and informative. Each participant presented their higher education institution and shared the experience of their departments.
As a result of the academic mobility programme, the university managed to expand its academic network and establish inter-institutional networking, as well as to generate initial data for the university's ranking strategy and introduce descriptions of research promotion projects into the lecture courses of the disciplines Methodology and Organisation of Scientific Research (II level - Master's degree) and Fundamentals of Scientific Research and Technical Creativity (I level - Bachelor's degree).
We thank Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, especially dr Kostiantyn Mazur, Khmelnytskyi National University and Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University for the experience and new knowledge!