INAUGURATION OF THE CONGRESS

8.30-9.30

Conference registration

9.30-10.00

Congress Opening

• Prof. Marcin Gruchała – Rektor of Medical University of Gdansk
• Dr. Dawid Kostecki – Director General of Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)
• Ewa Kiszka – Chair of IROs Forum
• Urszula Romańska – Deputy Director of the Division for Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion European Commission

Introductory speech:

• Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki – Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science and Higher Education

10.00-10.30

Inaugural lecture

• Laura E. Rumbley, PhD – Director of Knowledge Development and Research, European Association for International Education (EAIE)

10:30-11:30

Plenary session

Internationalisation strategies – do they work? From theory to practice – how to implement them?

Moderator:

• Dr. Dawid Kostecki – Director General of Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)

Panellists:

• Mr Jakob Calice, PhD – Managing Director, Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD)
• Mr Michal Fedák, MA – Executive Director, Slovak Academic Information Agency (SAIA)
• Ms Minna Kelhä, PhD – Director General, Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
• Mr Roman Klepetko, MA – Deputy Director, Head of Higher Education and Lifelong Learning Division, Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS)

During the opening panel, we would like to talk to representatives of institutions - NAWA's counterparts - who have experience in creating and implementing national strategies for the internationalisation of higher education. We are working at a time when the creation of long-term strategic documents is becoming increasingly difficult, fraught with greater risk and the possibility of error. In addition, the sphere of international cooperation is becoming particularly difficult due to increasing geopolitical tensions. In those countries with NAWA sister institutions, how do they manage to transform strategic plans into practice in the day-to-day operation of their science and higher education institutions? What should we pay attention to in Poland when creating such a planning document? At what level of detail should we describe the goals to be achieved?

11.30 - 12.00

Coffee break

PARALLEL SESSIONS

12.00 - 13.30

International education programs

Moderator:

• Prof. Dorota Piotrowska – Director of the Centre for International Cooperation at the Lodz University of Technology, Coordinator of ECIU

Panellists:

• Andrea Brose – ECIU University Educational lead
• Peter van der Hijden – Former Head of Sector Higher Education Policy, European Commission
• Prof. Andrzej Kraśniewski – Rector’s Proxy for International Cooperation in Education, Warsaw University of Technology, Consortium ENHANCE
• Prof. Paweł Śniatała – Vice-Rector for International Relations, Poznan University of Technology, Consortium EUNICE
• Aleksandar Šušnjar – Expert Associate in Centre for Quality Assurance and Enhancement , former Executive Committee Member, European Students' Union (ESU), Consortium YUFE

One of the key topics of discussion will be joint/double programmes/diplomas, which have become a powerful means of fostering cooperation between educational institutions around the world.

In addition, the session will focus on new trends arising from the European University Alliances initiative.

A particular point of discussion, will be the findings of the European Degree pilot programme, in which experts, implementing these projects, will share the conclusions of their analyses, and further prospects for the development of this initiative.

In addition, the session will focus on the concept of flexibility arising from micro-credentialing, which is an increasingly popular trend in higher education.

Foreign students in Poland

Moderator:

• Hanna Reczulska – Head of Department of Academic Recognition NAWA

Panelists:

• Ceren Genc – Head of International Student Admissions at Utrecht University, Leadership of EAIE as the Chair of Admissions and Recognition Expert Committee
• Magdalena Kachnowicz – Head od Department of Programmes for Students - NAWA
• Luca Lantero – General Director of CIMEA , President of the Lisbon Convention Committee (IT)
• Joanna Nyga – Head of Recognition of a Foreign Diploma Unit, Department of Academic Recognition - NAWA
• Szymon Sala – Deputy Director, Department of University Organisation, Education and Student Affairs, Ministry of Science and Higher Education

The panel will focus on the challenges of admitting foreign document holders to university. The rules on admission and acquisition of student status (including language course participants, refugees) will be discussed. The discussion will include challenges related to these issues from the perspective of Polish universities and NAWA as a grant-granting institution. The recognition of diplomas and other educational documents will also be discussed, as well as good practice in this area, based on the example of NAWA's Academic Recognition Office and solutions applied in the Netherlands and Italy.

13.30 - 14.30

Lunch

14.30 - 16.00

Global mobility trends and international collaboration - presentations and discussion

Presenters:

• Nina Arnhold, PhD – Global Lead, Tertiary Education and Lead Education Specialist in The World Bank
• Dr. Suzanna Tomassi – Department for Business and Trade
• Dr. Kai Sicks – Secretary General of German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Sebastian Stride – Founding Partner at SIRIS Academic

15.35 – 16.00 Discussion

Discussion moderator:

• Dr. Zofia Sawicka – Deputy Director of Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)

The aim of this part of the programme is to show what contemporary trends are shaping academic cooperation and mobility in the world. The global perspective of the World Bank, the policies pursued by the UK, the German perspective and the perspective of an advisory body working in the field of higher education in Europe will allow us to grasp the most important phenomena that are shaping internationalisation today. Then, in a joint discussion, we will try to identify those trends that are most relevant to Poland's internationalisation strategy.

Internationalisation in doctoral schools

• Dr. Piotr Kępski – Head of Departament of Programmes for Scientists and Institutions NAWA

Panellists:

• Margot Biesemans – Foreign doctoral student in the third year of the Doctoral School, Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Medical University of Gdańsk
• Marta Gurczyńska – Head of the Doctoral School at Gdansk University of Technology
• Prof. Andrzej Antoni Horzela – Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków (TBC)
• Aleksandra Lewandowska – doctoral student at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences, University of Bialystok, Member of the Board of the European Council of Doctoral Students and Young Researchers
• Prof. Tomasz Olejniczak – Director of Doctoral School, Leon Koźmiński University

The panel will cover the following topics: foreign doctoral students in Polish doctoral schools, barriers and problems in attracting doctoral students from abroad. In addition, the issue of how internationalisation affects the quality of education in doctoral schools and how it is assessed by doctoral students.  During the panel, the topic of cooperation with promoters from abroad will be discussed.

16.00 - 16.30

Coffee break

16.30 - 18.00

State strategy in attracting international students

Moderator:

• Prof. Adam Gendźwiłł – Deputy Chairman of the NAWA Council

Presenters:

• Dr. Paweł Dąbrowski - Director of the Department for International Affairs and Migration at the Ministry of the Interior and Administration
• Dr. Henryka Mościcka-Dendys – Deputy Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki – Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science and Higher Education

In every conversation about the internationalisation of higher education, the topic of visas and residence permits comes up. The perspective of universities is quite well known in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, but the flow of information between academia and other ministries is more difficult. In this debate, representatives of universities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior and Administration will be able to get to know each other's positions and considerations. At a time when security is coming to the fore and at the same time many global problems can only be solved through worldwide academic cooperation, finding a common solution that could become part of an internationalisation strategy is essential.

NETWORKING

18.00 - 19.00

Dinner

09.30-11.00

Strategic partnerships: what partnerships do we need?

• Prof. Stanisław Kistryn – Jagiellonian University Rector Proxy Cooperation within the Framework of Una Europa, Jagiellonian University

Panelists:

• Dr. Dominik Antonowicz, prof. UMK

• Prof. Marcin Gruchała – Rector of Medical University of Gdańsk, Chairman of KRAUM

• Prof. Ewa Gruszczyńska – Vice-Rector for International Affairs, SWPS University

• Prof. Teofil Jesionowski – Rector of the Poznań University of Technology

• Prof. Sławomir Smyczek – Vice-Rector for Education and International Cooperation, University of Economics in Katowice

The panel will discuss the benefits of internationalising research and education programs through cooperation between Polish educational institutions and foreign universities. Issues of internationalisation of higher education and research will be discussed, taking into account differences such as cultural, linguistic and administrative aspects. Best practices in cooperation with foreign partners will be presented, as well as perspectives for the development of international research and international education programmes in Poland in the context of globalisation of education and changing needs of the labour market.

11.00-11.30

Review of the internationalisation strategy of Polish universities

11.30-12.00

Coffee break

12.00-13.00

Support for the international part of the university community – how to make them easier for everyone?

• Ewa Kiszka – Head of the University's Internationalisation Office, Chair of IROs Forum

Panelists:

• Dr. Adam Płoszaj – Head of the Science Studies Laboratory, University of Warsaw
• Dr. Jacek Kaczmarek – International Alumni Relations Officer, Medical University of Gdańsk
• Marzena Kołtoniak – Welcome Point Coordinator, Medical University of Gdańsk
• International students of the Medical University of Gdańsk:  Shraddha Singh, Mayra Alejandra Vivas i Abhishek Singla

The session will present a procedure for supporting the foreign part of the university community developed by a team of staff from the international cooperation offices of the three Fahrenheit Union Universities: the University of Gdansk, Gdansk University of Technology and Gdansk Medical University.  The main conclusions and recommendations of the "Report on the study of the potential of higher education institutions and research institutions to welcome people from abroad", commissioned by NAWA, will be discussed, covering three groups of recipients: the network of international cooperation offices IROs Forum; persons and institutions involved in the implementation of NAWA's "Welcome to Poland" programme; persons and institutions involved in the development of the Polish EURAXESS network, in particular the "HR Excellence in Research" award.

The session will also provide an opportunity to share experiences in building relations in an intercultural and international environment, influencing effective adaptation, increasing the number of students, doctoral students, lecturers and researchers from abroad, being part of quality policy, building the university brand and strengthening visibility.

How have we done this? How do we act? What are the recommendations for Polish higher education and science institutions to raise the level of internationalisation and increase their capacity to host people from abroad?  What are the results? Listen to the voice of our students: is it easier for them, do they feel part of it and what do they bring to the university community.

CONGRESS SUMMARY

13.00-13.30

Summary of the Congress – Dr. Bartłomiej Nowak, Chairman of the NAWA Council

13.30-14.30

Lunch