NAWA and Polish universities visit Australia
A delegation of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), representatives of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) and three Polish universities (Bialystok University of Technology, Jagiellonian University, and the Poznań University of Economics and Business) recently concluded a visit to Australia focused on strengthening academic cooperation and promoting study opportunities in Poland.
The programme included a series of meetings in Brisbane and Sydney addressed both to the academic community and to members of the Polish diaspora interested in education and research collaboration with Poland.
Meetings with the Polish community
One of the key elements of the visit were meetings with the Polish community in Australia. In Brisbane, an information session held at the Polish Club Milton brought together young people, parents, teachers and members of the local Polish community interested in studying in Poland.
Participants had the opportunity to learn more about NAWA scholarship and mobility programmes, study opportunities at Polish universities in both Polish and English, as well as Polish language programmes.
Another important meeting took place in Sydney on 5 March at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland. The event gathered young people with parents, academics and representatives of the Polish diaspora interested in strengthening educational and research cooperation between Poland and Australia.
The discussions generated strong engagement and numerous questions about studying in Poland, academic mobility programmes and opportunities for research collaboration. Particularly inspiring was the strong interest among younger members of the Polish community in building academic and professional connections with Poland.
Academic cooperation
During the visit, the delegation of NAWA and Polish universities also met with representatives of Australian higher education institutions, including the Torrens University Australia w Brisbane, University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), University of Sydney Business School, Western Sydney University and the University of Technology Sydney.
The discussions focused on opportunities to develop partnerships between universities, research cooperation including collaboration with industry, academic mobility programmes, joint doctoral supervision, and the organisation of summer schools and short-term educational programmes. The meetings created a space for exchanging experiences and identifying potential areas for joint scientific and educational projects.
Institutional cooperation
The events were organised with the support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Sydney and the Polish Australian Chamber of Commerce (PACC), which helped create a space for dialogue between academic communities, the Polish diaspora and institutions interested in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Participation in the SBS Polish broadcast in Sydney
An important element of the visit was also the participation of representatives of the NAWA delegation in the SBS Polish radio programme in Sydney entitled “Studying in Poland – educational and research opportunities for the Polish diaspora.” The programme presented Poland’s educational and research offer as well as opportunities to study in Poland for young people of Polish origin and international students. Representatives of the delegation took part in the broadcast and discussed, among others:
- ·availablescholarship and mobility programmes
· study opportunities in Polish and English
· possibilities for research cooperation with Polish universities.
The broadcast constituted an important element of promoting Polish higher education among the Polish community in Australia.
SBS Polish is a Polish-language editorial service operating within the Australian public broadcasting organisation Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) – Australia’s multicultural public broadcaster whose mission is to provide information and media content for communities using a wide range of languages.
The visit demonstrated strong interest in the educational offer of Polish universities and NAWA programmes among the Polish diaspora and the academic community in Australia. The meetings also laid the groundwork for further development of scientific and educational cooperation between Polish and Australian universities.
The author of the photos from the Consulate in Sydney is Paulina Sobczak.
