From 8 to 9 February, Poznań has hosted the participants of the 17th “Foreign Students in Poland” conference. During the two-day meeting, representatives of the scientific community debated the internationalisation of higher education. The event was attended by Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Maria Mrówczyńska.

‘This year’s conference is very symbolic, because we are finishing the quantitative stage of internationalisation, our task now is to build quality both in the context of internationalisation of education and in the context of supporting the internationalisation of research’, said Waldemar Siwiński, founder of the Perspektywy Educational Foundation.

Professor Michał Zasada, Vice-Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, stressed that the conference participants’ interests include not only the internationalisation of student education, but also the internationalisation of research.

Deputy Minister Maria Mrówczyńska drew attention to the need to strengthen the potential of Polish science and higher education through international exchange and cooperation. This kind of activity is carried out, among others, by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). The institution carries out programmes aimed at Polish and foreign scientists, students and universities and scientific institutions, and promotes Polish science, the university’s offer, innovations, as well as the Polish language and culture abroad.

Internationalisation cannot be an end in itself. It should serve to improve the quality of education and the quality of research. One agency that is actively working towards the internalisation of science is NAWA. Thanks to NAWA’s broad programme offer, foreign students, doctoral students and scientists come to Poland, as well as Polish scientists who have been working abroad for years come back to Poland,’ said Deputy Minister Mrówczyńska during the conference.

Adrian Andrzejewski