The mission of the European #EURAXESS network is to attract and retain scientific talent in Europe. By breaking down barriers and connecting researchers across borders, the #EURAXESS network contributes to the competitiveness and innovation of member countries - these are the conclusions of the first Internationalisation Day, which took place at Jagiellonian University on 17 December 2024. The conference was attended by more than a hundred representatives of universities from all over Poland and, in a hybrid formula, also guests from abroad.
The event was a seminar contributing to the discussion on creating a strategy for the internationalisation of Polish science and higher education. Developing the potential of institutions to host researchers and doctoral students from abroad will be one of the overarching goals of internationalisation in our country. The importance of the EURAXESS network in supporting research mobility and the integration of foreign researchers and doctoral students is crucial.
Opening the event, Prof. Jarosław Górniak, Jagiellonian University Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation, stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between universities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that the activities of academics are conducted in accordance with the Polish raison d'état and Poland's strategy for international cooperation. - If I were to summarise what the role of universities in shaping international relations is - it is undoubtedly that universities become part of the country's international policy," said Prof. Górniak.
In turn, Dr Łukasz Gołota, Deputy Director General of NAWA, emphasised the crucial importance of integrating foreign scientists and doctoral students residing in Poland, which is also supported by the Agency's programmes such as Welcome to Poland.
During the introductory lecture, a representative of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Science, Slaven Misljencevic, explained that the EURAXESS initiative has been successfully fulfilling its mission for 20 years, despite many challenges. - Crossing borders and breaking down barriers to bring scientists together, as well as supporting international and regional mobility, attracting talent and enhancing the flow of talent are the main objectives of the initiative, the Commission representative explained.
Slaven Misljencevic also highlighted the challenges faced by researchers in recent times and how EURAXESS is responding and adapting to their needs on an ongoing basis (here, among others, the example of Era for Ukraine). These challenges include the high competition in the market, and the needs are related to both stability and visibility, which requires tools to quickly find potential cooperation partners. Analysing the situation in our country, he cited statistics showing that the number of researchers in Poland has doubled over the last 10 years, which looks impressive. - We suggest our Member States, which invest less than 3% of their GDP in science, to increase this investment. Although it should be remembered that investment in science is not just a question of funding - the question of resources is also relevant here. Most technologies are developed on the basis of interdisciplinary, interdisciplinary research, so the interaction between scientists from different countries needs to be strengthened. - explained the European Commission representative.
The conference programme also included a presentation by the EURAXESS coordinator in Sweden, who talked about the good practices of the local focal point, whereby many people and institutions are involved in the process of creating an attractive environment to welcome foreign researchers and their families. The key to success turns out to be good cooperation between individuals at the institutional level and between different organisations working for foreigners in the region and the country.
Another presentation during the Internationalisation Day was given by Prof. Magdalena Barwiołek, PhD - Vice-Chancellor for International Relations at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, who explained how we should create conditions for the development of international scientific careers in Poland. Prof. Barwiołek drew attention to the key role of cooperation between universities and the city and region, which also assist in providing the infrastructure necessary for the adaptation of researchers coming from abroad. - We should strive to ensure that the internationalisation process is present in the city. We are not lonely islands - we are always surrounded by the urban fabric. A great example of good cooperation between universities and the city can be the city of Lublin. - emphasised Prof. UMK.
During the Internationalisation Day, there was no shortage of voices from foreign academics working at the Jagiellonian University. Prof. Richard Robinson, Dr. Maria Florencia Heber and Dr. Rebekah Aruldhas shared their experiences with the conference participants.
The role of NAWA as a national EURAXESS contact point was discussed by the coordinators of the Polish EURAXESS network: Anna Wiśniewska and Monika Zaremba. Encouraging Polish institutions to join the network, they talked about the benefits of membership in this European community. NAWA representatives also spoke about the new “NAWA-EURAXESS Network” programme, which will enable the development of cooperation at the provincial level between various institutions of science and higher education and other organisations working on behalf of foreigners.
The conference concluded with a panel discussion, moderated by dr. Maciej Jażdżewski, Director of the International Hub at the University of Łódź, with the participation of representatives from five scientific institutions who shared good practices in the use of tools and resources offered by EURAXESS.
The need for community inclusion and integration with local researchers is crucial.
Katarzyna Włodkowska-Łoziak from the International Visitors' Office at the Jagiellonian University talked about the need for visibility at the university and effective outreach to foreign researchers working at the university. A good practice could be to develop a guide for foreign visitors - such an International Visitors Welcome Guide worked very well at Jagiellonian University as a source of knowledge and know-how introducing a foreign scientist to the realities of the university. The following were also mentioned: a website dedicated to foreigners working at the university, a regular newsletter addressed to them or a Central Register of Foreign Visitors and Employees.
The panellists also spoke about NAWA's crucial support as an institution that can support internationalisation processes at universities by acting from the outside. Dr Grzegorz Kłapyta, Head of the Department of International Relations at the Silesian University of Technology, highlighted the role of the Welcome to Poland programme, which made it possible to introduce bilingual communication across the university. PŚ can also boast a modern electronic project management system for university staff going abroad, which facilitates the continuation of projects during placements outside Poland.
Magdalena Jędrkiewicz - Head of the HR Department at the National Centre for Nuclear Research - mentioned, in turn, training for international and intercultural teams.
The panellists also emphasised the role of national authorities to ensure that the internationalisation strategy gives clear guidelines for attracting foreign scientists. They also discussed the need to strengthen the promotion of Polish universities as attractive work and research destinations, the need for cooperation between scientists and promotion and HR professionals, and the European Charter for Researchers.
The event was summarised by Dr Izabela Zawiska, Head of the International Cooperation Department, Jagiellonian University and the new Chair of the Iros Forum.
EURAXESS is a tool that gives researchers concrete guidance on which direction they should take their research careers. Every scientist can find basic information there, such as where, in which centre a research group in a similar area is thriving, and with whom it is worth establishing contact. - explained Dr Zawiska. - Thanks to involvement in initiatives such as EURAXESS, Polish science is becoming more and more visible - we participate in events, cooperation networks. But we must not forget that a foreign scientist also expects support in his or her far-reaching activities. We should take care to create pathways for further development. - concludes the new president of the Iros Forum.
Take a look at the photo report from the conference below.
The ‘Internationalisation Day’ series is realised as part of the project entitled ‘Strategy for internationalisation of Polish higher education and science’ from the funds of the European Funds for Social Development: Action FERS.01.05 Skills in Higher Education.