The 1st Internationalisation Congress, which NAWA organised with the Medical University of Gdańsk and the International Relations Offices Forum on 13–14 May 2024 in Gdańsk.

Historic, important, and necessary – these were the terms that were most often uttered during and after the 1st Internationalisation Congress, which NAWA organised together with the Medical University of Gdańsk and IROs Forum on 13–14 May 2024 in Gdańsk.

Two days, 48 panellists from 14 countries, almost 500 stationary and online participants. The 1st Internationalisation Congress enabled the meeting of representatives of all decision-makers and stakeholders from Poland’s higher education institutions.

After months of preparation, the first such event in more than a decade enabled dialogue, exchange of experiences, and – most importantly – drafting a joint vision for the future internationalisation of higher education in Poland. The conclusions and goals we gathered during the Congress will be included in the National Internationalisation Strategy for science and higher education, helping to define its most important directions. After all, it was this key document that was the reason for organising the 1st Internationalisation Congress, and we are delighted to have gathered such a wide and diverse audience whose voice is essential in the creation of the Strategy.

“We need a cross-sectoral debate, so we are very pleased that representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were with us. Because it is precisely such a broad debate that we need for the Strategy to truly respond to the needs of all stakeholders. The Strategy should become a true tool for influencing internationalisation,” Dr Dawid Kostecki told the daily Rzeczpospolita.

During the Congress, we talked mainly about the smart and horizontal internationalisation of higher education as well as the challenges, including those related to the recruitment of foreigners to study and the micro-certification of foreign diplomas. Numerous questions and demands regarding internationalisation appeared from participants onsite and online. The discussion between the community and representatives of various ministries proved to be particularly heated and intense. Together, we agreed that the key to the internationalisation strategy will be the synergy between different areas of state policy: innovation, development, research, migration policy, education policy, etc. Here, we want to share with you our conclusions.

Let us start with the important observation that despite the pandemic and war crises, the internationalisation process has not stopped. The tools and optics for implementing this process have changed, nevertheless it continues. The world is changing very fast, and we must be ready for various changes and difficulties: a crisis management strategy must be an important part of the emerging document.

Key conclusions and objectives:

• We should partake in the global education market while preserving the quality of education.
• We must reconcile the dynamic process of higher education internationalisation with Poland’s migration policy and the security of the academic community.
• Internationalisation stages: simple forms of education (e.g. language courses) --> study programmes in English --> dual diploma (chosen diploma) --> joint study programmes leading to a European Degree, as the next stage of the Bologna Process (highest level – requires time and human and financial resources).
• In order to create an effective strategy for the internationalisation of Polish science and higher education, we must refer to Poland’s development strategy, as at the executive level we require legal provisions and proper communication between internationalisation stakeholders (policymakers and policy implementers).
• We should always keep the purpose of internationalisation in mind, thus focusing on better offer, better students, and better quality of education and research.

To summarize the 1st Internationalisation Congress, Dr Bartłomiej Nowak, Chairman of the NAWA Council said: “Every path, even the most difficult one, starts with the first step. During this congress, we touched on many themes, had a lot of meetings, and learned how difficult it is to get our demands across to policymakers. But we all know that realising the boldest dreams requires strength, courage and consistency. Dreams don't come true on their own, we are the ones who make them happen.”

We thank all the participants for taking this first step together with us. More challenges, conversations, and achievements await ahead, but we are ready to work together to create a common, national internationalisation strategy. We believe that together we can develop a vision for the future of internationalisation of higher education and science in Poland.

The first preparations for the 2nd Internationalisation Congress – this time focusing on matters of research – are already underway. We will keep you informed about the details. Stay in touch!

Take a look at the photos from the 1st Congress in the gallery below.

Dr Kai Sicks about internationalisation and key factors of the process.

Dr Minna Kelhä about internationalisation and key factors of the process.

Dr Laura E. Rumbley about internationalisation and key factors of the process.