Participation of the Director of WUT’s Centre For International Cooperation in the conference “Cooperation Without Borders – Building the NAWA-EURAXESS Regional Network”

Photo by Ewa Kiszka.

Grzegorz Robak, Director of the Centre for International Cooperation at WUT, took an active part in the conference as the moderator of the discussion panel “European Universities as Ecosystems of Academic Cooperation.”

Photo by Ewa Kiszka.

The panel focused on the experiences of Polish universities participating in European Universities alliances and their role as complex ecosystems of academic cooperation. The “European Universities” programme brings together the organizational cultures of multiple institutions, integrating students, doctoral candidates, and staff. Its long-term goal is to create a shared international campus, which partner universities strive toward while simultaneously developing joint educational offerings and cooperation in areas such as research, entrepreneurship, innovation, multilingualism, staff professional development, and many others. A total of 32 Polish universities are represented in 30 alliances. Overall, there are 65 alliances funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme.

The discussion panel featured representatives of Polish universities affiliated with the “European Universities” alliances, with extensive practical experience and comprehensive knowledge of programme implementation:

• Katarzyna Bruder, Head of the ACE2-EU Alliance Office, Medical University of Gdańsk
• Małgorzata Chromy, Director of the Centre for International Cooperation at SGH Warsaw School of Economics, CIVICA Senior Manager
• Edyta Lachowicz-Santos, Director of the Internationalisation Office, Institutional Coordinator of BAUHAUS4EU, University of Economics in Katowice
• Justyna Lubośna, Member of the ENHANCE Steering Committee, ENHANCE+ Project Manager, Gdańsk University of Technology
• Marlena Rutkowska-Myzyk, SEA-EU Project Manager, University of Gdańsk

The discussion focused on key issues related to the functioning of alliances, such as building dedicated teams, engaging students and administrative staff, developing joint study programmes, and securing additional funding for alliance activities, mainly through NAWA and IDUB programmes. Attention was also given to the challenges of multi-partner cooperation.

The discussion highlighted the need to create sustainable cooperation structures that go beyond the formal framework of projects. Emphasis was placed on the transfer of good practices that can be applied in building regional cooperation networks such as the NAWA-EURAXESS programme.

The Director of the Centre for International Cooperation’s participation in the conference as a panel moderator constituted an important contribution to the debate on the transformative role of the “European Universities” initiative and its impact on internationalisation strategies. He emphasized the role of WUT as an institution actively co-creating international programmes and cooperation networks at both European and national levels.

It is also worth noting that Grzegorz Robak leads the nationwide expert group “European Universities,” operating within the IROs Forum – a network of international cooperation offices. To date, he has organized 20 monthly online meetings, during which participants discuss key issues related to programme implementation, planning and execution of joint activities, as well as coordination, communication, and cooperation mechanisms.

Photo by Edyta Lachowicz-Santos.