"You are welcome" - conference on internationalization

25.03.2021

Over 300 people from nearly 100 institutions of higher education in Poland participated in an online conference summarizing the Welcome Center – Academic Quadrant project implemented at the Department for University Internationalization (DUI) of the Medical University of Gdańsk. The moderators were: Ewa Kiszka, Head of Department and Dawid Spychała, Project Coordinator, V-ce Head of Department.

The aim of the conference was to share good practices in the field of “internationalization at home”, including raising cultural, linguistic and personal competences and the creation and scope of the so-called Welcome Points, based on the examples of several Polish and foreign universities.

The keynote speech was delivered by Grażyna Żebrowska Ph.D., Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, and Prof. Dr. Habil. Jacek Bigda, Vice-Rector for Development and Education at the Medical University of Gdańsk.

The meeting was attended not only by representatives of the best Polish universities, but also by Polish and foreign trainers. Prof. Ken Cushner from Kent State University as well as Dr. Habil. Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka and Magdalena Żadkowska, Ph.D., from the University of Gdańsk told the participants about the importance of raising cultural sensitivity competences. Magdalena Warzocha from the Department of Foreign Languages of the Medical University of Gdansk spoke about multilevel language competences.

Among the representatives of universities, who shared their good practices in the creation and operation of Welcome Points were: Katarzyna Basisty from Warsaw University, Izabela Zawiska Ph.D. Eng., Marta Ćwir-Biborska and Maria Stós from Jagiellonian University, Tomasz Maliszewki Ph.D., and Urszula Roszkowska from the Medical University of Białystok, Marcin Witkowski from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Anna Rogalska from Wrocław University of Technology and Marzena Kołtoniak and Karolina Derda from Medical University of Gdańsk.

The problem faced by many Polish universities is the lack of strategy and preparation/adaptation to the needs of the foreign part of the academic community and quick response to emerging issues. In order to identify these problems, a study on the problems and needs of foreign students studying in Pomerania was conducted in 2017 at Pomeranian universities in cooperation with the Marshal’s Office of Pomorskie Voivodeship as part of the Study in Pomorskie project. Their result was the report Potential of the Pomeranian Voivodeship to attract students from outside the region. The final result was the identification of a number of recommendations aimed at strengthening the competences of Pomeranian universities to create satisfactory conditions for studying and living in the region. The report has identified several underlying problems. Students pointed out the lack of opportunities and space to spend time between classes at the university, the difficulties in mastering the formal and bureaucratic issues, e.g. in connection with obtaining a residence permit in Poland. They also emphasized the low level of friendliness on the part of the university administration and the insufficient effectiveness of activities. They emphasized that they felt like “second-class citizens”, encountered language barriers and communication problems.