Description
Analyses of educational needs and the labor market shows an increasing demand for degree programmes combining research and didactics and offering a cooperation between science and business. In response to these needs, this project seeks to improve the educational potential of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow through the creation of a graduate research track: Research and Expertise in Society. The specific objectives of the project are to prepare the new track and two summer schools as well as a publication of texts ancillary to the implementation of the track. The project will lead to cooperation with the private sector, a strengthening of research potential of students and their skills needed in the labor market, transfer of knowledge between the universities, issue of a scientific publication in English, and organization of two summer schools. The main role of the Norwegian partner ARENA will be to provide their support and expertise at all stages of the project. ARENA will serve as an expert in the preparatory stage of the new research track, as well as the preparation of publications.ARENA staff involved in the project will lead the seminars for students. ARENA will organize staff trainings.
Summary of project results
Analyses of educational needs and the labour market show an increasing demand for degree programmes combining research and didactics, and offering cooperation between science and business. In response to these needs, this project was aimed at improving the educational potential of the Institute of European Studies through providing better educational training to students and enhancing cooperation between academia and the public and private sectors. It brought together the experiences of excellent researchers from Jagiellonian University and University of Oslo as well as experts from public and private sectors. They offered seminars strengthening the research potential of students and their skills needed in the labour market. Hence, the project provided the possibilities for transfer latest, cutting-edge knowledge, which can be used to explain the most challenging issues Europe faces today. The cooperation with researchers from the partner university as well as experts from private and public sector showed participants opportunities to network in academic and non-academic settings. To achieve the planned results, the research track within the MA Programme in European Studies was created (with seminars taught by academics and experts from the public and private sectors), cooperation with public and private institutions in a form of internship programme was established, winter and summer schools were organized, book chapters for a publication, Internship Guide and Career Guide were prepared. The main achievements are: an innovative master’s program that takes into account the research track as an alternative to the academic route, an internship programme (20 agreements with Internship Partners), winter and summer schools (34 participants, 464 applications), 17 courses funded from the project (350 participants), intensive promotional campaign (through traditional and online media, leaflets, participation in educational fairs), 2 promotional movies, 2 study visits at the University of Oslo. The specialization, Internship Programme and Open Lecture will be continued within the framework of the tuition-based MA program in European Studies. The Institute of European Studies organizes Competency Building Workshops in June 2016 to further promote the cooperation with private and public sector and provide participants with practical knowledge on how to develop academic and professional career.
Summary of bilateral results
The project strengthened the cooperation between the Institute of European Studies and ARENA in the following ways: 1. The exchange of good practices between both institutions; 2. The exchange of knowledge and didactical experience; 3. The exchange of good practices related to the management of projects and public-private cooperation; 4. Enriching the English-taught offer at the Institute of European Studies by adding a new area of knowledge and expertise and improving the quality of courses; 5. A publication of book on expertisation and democracy in Europe. The bilateral funds contributed to strengthening the relations through formal partnership. While the Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University was responsible organizationally and qualitatively for preparing the new specialization, seminars and winter/summer schools, ARENA – Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo provided their support and expertise at all stages of the project. ARENA served as an expert in the preparatory stage of the new research track, as well as the preparation of publication. Thanks to the project, students broadened their knowledge about the issues which could not have been discussed without the support from highly-qualified researchers from ARENA. They enhanced the academic dimension of the MA programme in European Studies by presenting the results from ARENA’s projects such as EPISTO and EuroDiv. ARENA contributed also to the promotion of the project.