NAWA representatives, dr Zofia Sawicka, Deputy Director, and Katarzyna Aleksy, Head of the Department of Programmes for Institutions, participated last month in the autumn meeting of members of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA). ACA is a dynamic think tank in the area of international cooperation in higher education. ACA’s activities include i.a. research and analyses, evaluations, consultancy, publications, and much more. It is also a networking platform associating twenty two institutions being NAWA’s counterparts. Apart from European organisations, ACA’a members also include the Institute of International Education (IIE) form USA and Mexican Association for International Education (AMPEI).

The meeting in Vienna was particularly important for NAWA, as this is when the Agency was officially accepted as the ACA member.  Dr Zofia Sawicka gave a presentation for the other members about the NAWA’s activity and about the main points of the reform in the field of science and higher education.

ACA membership constitutes a very important step for NAWA – it gives an opportunity to exchange experience and to learn from experienced institutions acting in the field of exchange and international cooperation for many years. During regular meetings, the members exchange information on changes in the field of science and higher education taking place in their countries, present new programmes implemented by their organisations and present main directions of promoting higher education abroad.

The leading topics of the meeting in Vienna were creating the base of research on internationalisation of science and higher education carried out in the world and preparing of seminar on inclusive policy in internationalisation. The adoption of the ACA work plan for 2019 was also a crucial element of the meeting.