The Department's research continues the tradition of the Łódź school of andragogy, founded by Helena Radlińska and further developed by Professor Olga Czerniawska, who emphasized the biographical dimension in research on adult education and introduced Łódź andragogy into international scholarly discourse. The stage of consciously developing a methodologically diverse tradition of qualitative research is associated with Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas's assumption of the position of Head of the Department in 2002. The methodological identity of the Department is defined by the biographical approach, encompassing both rigorous traditions, such as Fritz Schütze's biographical method and Ulrich Oevermann's objective hermeneutics, as well as traditions allowing for greater interpretative openness, including the approaches of Pierre Dominicé and Duccio Demetrio, and eclectic approaches drawing on French, German, Italian and Danish inspirations, as well as the native methodology of social pedagogy.

The Department's scientific activity falls within the fields of andragogy, social gerontology, geragogy, and familology, and includes the following specific research areas:

Research on adulthood as an andragogical category: processes of adult development and learning, including andragogical auxology and biographical learning; lifelong learning; informal adult learning in various life situations, including solitude, friendship, play,y and situations of change, such as transformative learning; intergenerational learning; adulthood and learning among adults with disabilities.

Research on old age as an andragogical category: processes of development and learning in later life, including geragogical auxology and biographical learning; the specific nature of learning among adults and older people; educational needs and activity; preparation for old age as a successful stage of life; the role of Universities of the Third Age; professional and social activation of people aged 50+; support for informal caregivers of people with disabilities, including people with Alzheimer's disease; "accompaniment along the way"; the experiences of long-married spouses; and existential problems of late adulthood, such as death, illness, loneliness, spirituality and the meaning of life, studied from a biographical perspective.

Research on biography as a field of learning: conducted within the interpretative paradigm, using the biographical method/biographical approach, constructivist grounded theory methodology, and the autobiographical narrative interview. The analyses focus on life trajectories, thematic biographies, especially educational biographies, and processes of biographical learning embedded in individual and social experience, with particular attention to learning from the biographies of Others and learning from one's own biography.

Methodology of adult education: coaching in adult education as a method of educational work, "future workshops", training, gamification, the use of IT in adult education, Montessori's geragogy, and art therapy.

Pedagogical monoseology: research on the phenomenon of solitude and loneliness, including their causes and coping strategies, learning processes in situations of solitude and loneliness, and the transformation of loneliness into positive solitude.

Adult disability: research on adulthood and old age among people with disabilities, including intellectual, mental, and sensory disabilities; universal design in education.

Joint projects conducted at the Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology

• Learning from European Lives. The Development of Country- and Context-Specific Learning Methods for the Biographical Exploration of Persons Aged 60+ — Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński - project leader; Professor Elżbieta Dubas; Assistant Professor Anna Gutowska; Assistant Professor Justyna Sztobryn-Bochomulska.

Project description

• The experiences and needs of family caregivers providing care for people with intellectual and physical disabilities — Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński, PhD habil., project leader; Assistant Professor Anna Gutowska, PhD; Assistant Professor Justyna Sztobryn-Bochomulska, PhD; Sabina Kmak, MA; Lidia Młodowiec, MA.

   

Individual projects conducted at the Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology

• Loneliness among adults and older people - Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas:
• Biographical learning across the life course. Educational biographies - Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas
• Adult learning in games — Assistant Professor Wojciech Świtalski, PhD
• The experience of parenthood in the context of transculturality. Narratives of parents from Polish-Ukrainian families — Assistant Professor Justyna Sztobryn-Bochomulska, PhD

• Microworlds of adults with intellectual disabilities — Assistant Professor Anna Gutowska, PhD

   

Selected completed projects:

1. ELMII – Enhancing Labour Market Integration of Elderly Family Carers Through Skills Improving, European project.

Project description

2. Places in urban space and their functions in the light of biographical narratives, a nationwide project.

Project description

3. Scientific excellence as the key to excellence in education, Task 10: Teaching competences of university staff, university-wide ESF project.

Project description

4. The (Dis)abled Student of the University of Lodz is a university-wide educational project.

Project description

5. Project “Active – Programme for the Development of Teaching and Competences”

Project description

6. Lives in Changing – A Multicultural Approach to Initial Expectations, the Learning Process and Final Outcomes, European project.

Project description

7. Qualification of seniors from restructuring sectors for intergenerational knowledge transfer, European project.

Project description

8. Adults Mentoring, European project.

Project description

Completed individual projects conducted at the Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology

1. Learning to become an old person

Publication

2. A humanistic image of old age. Premises for humanistic gerontology

Publication

3. Thanatos in children’s literature and its pedagogical dimension

Publication

4. Adult learning through play

Publication

5. Self-creation of childless spouses for multidimensional adoptive parenthood

Publication

6. Transformation in coaching. Adult learning experiences

Publication

International cooperation

1. Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany – completed research cooperation.

2. University of Hanover, Germany – completed research cooperation.

3. Lumière University Lyon 2, France – completed research cooperation.

4. European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) – participation in the activities and networks of the association, including the network devoted to biographical research.

5. International Society for Research on Solitude – participation of the Department’s staff in conferences and seminars, including in Szczecin, Lincoln in the United Kingdom, and Savannah, Georgia, USA.

6. Partners in European projects – research cooperation with academic centers from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Slovenia.

National cooperation

1. Polish Gerontological Society, Łódź Branch – co-organization of gerontological conferences and projects, and participation in the governing bodies of the Branch.

2. Academic Andragogical Society – co-organization of Polish Andragogy Congresses and participation in the Society’s governing bodies.

3. Association of Social Gerontologists – co-organization of scientific conferences and participation in the Association’s governing bodies.

4. Helena Kretz Łódź University of the Third Age – teaching and research partnership; a place of student practice placements.

5. University of the Third Age in Tomaszów Mazowiecki – lectures and participation in the Scientific Council.

6. Academic Support Center of the University of Lodz (2019–2024) – Anna Gutowska-Ciołek, PhD, served as Head of the Center; Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński conducted coaching sessions.The 

7. Senior House of the University of Lodz – the Department’s staff participated in the work of the Scientific Council of the University of Lodz Senior House. Active members include Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas, Associate Professor Arkadiusz Wąsiński, Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński, and Anna Gutowska, PhD.

Examples of the outcomes of cooperation include joint scientific publications with partners from Germany, translations of works by Pierre Dominicé and Duccio Demetrio, conferences organized with national and international partners, research projects with European funding, including ELMII and Learning from European Lives, as well as coaching and educational activities carried out within the Academic Support Center of the University of Lodz.

EXLIBRIS SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY JOURNAL

We cordially invite submissions of scholarly articles, including original research articles, review articles, and theoretical papers, for publication in Exlibris Social Gerontology Journal. The journal publishes works concerning broadly understood old age and aging. Papers are published in Polish and English.

Articles submitted for publication are accepted on the basis of reviews carried out in a double-blind peer review process, in which neither authors nor reviewers know each other’s identity. Articles should be submitted via the OJS system.

Exlibris Social Gerontology Journal (ESGJ) is included in the list of scored journals of the Ministry of Education and Science. Authors receive 20 points for publications in ESGJ.

Scientific conferences organized by the Department to date:

Andragogical conferences:

• 1983 – Adult pedagogy and methods of its implementation.
• 1987 – The learning adult in the light of research.
• 1993 – Adult education in a period of transformation from a comparative perspective.
• 2000 – Educational paths and their biographical dimension: a message for adult education.
• 2002 – Universals of human life and adult education.
• 2004 – The adult human being: a known or unknown entity?
• 2005 – Universal problems of andragogy and gerontology.
• 2007 – 1st Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Biographicality in Adult Education. Workshops for Young Andragogues”.
• 2008 – 2nd Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Within the Cognitive Interests and Practical Competences of the Andragogue”.
• 2009 – 3rd Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Learning from One’s Own Biography”.
• 2010 – 4th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Learning from the Biographies of Others”.
• 2011 – 5th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Educational Biographies”.
• 2012 – 6th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Typical and Exceptional Educational Biographies”.
• 2013 – 7th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Peculiarities of Educational Biographies”.
• 2014 – 8th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Educational Biographies in the Context of Lifelong Learning”.
• 2015 – 9th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Time in Biographical Research”.
• 2016 – 10th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Biographical Turning Points and Learning”.
• 2017 – 11th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Stability and Change in Biography. Contexts of Learning”.
• 2019 – 12th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Family Biographies and Learning”.
• 2022 – 4th Polish Andragogy Congress: Adult Education – Towards Sustainable Development.
• 2024 – 13th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Difficult Situations in Biography. Educational Themes”.
• 2026 – 14th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Biography Research: “Biographical Motivations. Tracing Learning”.

Gerontological conferences:

• 1984 – Women at retirement age.
• 1986 – Long life as a value. 5th Congress of the Polish Gerontological Society.
• 1992 – Reflections on old age: social, educational and ethical aspects.
• 1993 – Day of Older People and Intergenerational Solidarity in Łódź: “Knowing How to Differ Beautifully”.
• 1994 – The older person in the family.
• 1996 – Education for old age.
• 1999 – The living and social space of older people in individual and social dimensions.
• 2012 – Intergenerational learning: in theory, research and practice.
• 2014 – 1st Gerontology Conference in the series Reflections on Old Age: “The Objective and Subjective Dimension of Old Age”.
• 2016 – Polish Scientific Seminar: Institutional and Non-Institutional Support for Older People Requiring Care.
• 2016 – 2nd Gerontology Conference in the series Reflections on Old Age: “Old Age in the Course of Life”.
• 2018 – 3rd Gerontology Conference in the series Reflections on Old Age: “Being and Becoming in Old Age”.
• 2023 – 1st Congress of Social Gerontologists.
• 2025 – 4th Gerontology Conference in the series Reflections on Old Age: “Changing Old Age: Faces of Old Age Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.

Meetings of the Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology, University of Lodz
In the academic year 2026/2027,
46/48 Pomorska Street, Building B, room 113, 4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
online from 5:00 p.m.

17 September 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Working meeting before the new academic year

• current information on work related to academic publications: Volume 10 of BB, Exlibris BGS, and participation in academic conferences
• cooperation project with Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria – continuation of work
• employee evaluation 2023–2026 – completing data in the relevant systems
• current information on ongoing and planned research projects
• preparation of electronic course syllabi; submission of PDF syllabi for the academic year 2026/2027 to the office by 30 September
• update of teaching loads
• other current teaching-related matters

30 September 2026
Faculty inauguration of the academic year, 10:00 a.m., Szubert Auditorium

15 October 2026
Research presentation – dr Anna Gutowska-Ciołek

• individual research work programs for the current academic year – discussion of the plan for 2027 and its implementation in 2026
• report on the quality of education: materials and discussion
• applications for medals, state decorations, and other distinctions
• progress of editorial work on Volume 10 of the BB series
• plan of cooperation with employers (WŚ)
• cooperation project with Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria – continuation of work
• notifications of outgoing and incoming international visits

22 October 2026
Celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Szubert Auditorium

19 November 2026
Research presentation – dr hab. Marcin Muszyński

• report on cooperation with employers for 2025 (WŚ)
• cooperation project with Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria – continuation of work and final preparations for the planned events

17 December 2026
Christmas meeting

• Christmas wishes
• summary of the year 2026
•Thee meeting will most probably be held with the participation of a guest from Nigeria – Prof. Bola Simeon-Fayomi
• reminder of important year-end tasks: individual and collective reports for 2026, data for employee evaluation, updating individual pages in pp, updating the website of the Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology, and other matters

21 January 2027
Research presentation – dr Wojciech Świtalski

• current project, publication, and other activities
• summary of teaching activities in the winter semester

18 February 2027
Working meeting, if needed

• holiday leave plans

18 March 2027
Research presentation – dr Justyna Sztobryn-Bochomulska

• information on the results of student surveys

15 April 2027
Research presentation – dr hab. Arkadiusz Wąsiński

• planning the organization of the academic conference – the 15th Łódź Biographical Conference in the series Biography and Researching Biography

20 May 2027
Research presentation – Prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas

• applications for the Rector of the University of Lodz awards for publications and other achievements
• notifications of conferences organized by the Department
• schedule of diploma examinations

24 June 2027
Working meeting

• applications for Medals for Excellent Studies, by 31 October
• teaching load plan for the next academic year
• teaching meeting after the summer semester – discussion on the completed study programs and preparations for the examination session
• teaching practice placements (AG)
• diploma examinations – division of tasks and dates

The Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology originates from the Adult Education Department, established at the University of Lodz on 1 October 1980. The Department, separate from the Department of Social Pedagogy, became one of the first academic centers in Poland for research and education in adult education. Its intellectual roots go back to the Łódź school of andragogy, initiated by Helena Radlińska (1879–1954), who headed the Department of Social Pedagogy at the University of Łódź in 1946–1952, and continued by Aleksander Kamiński (1903–1978) and his collaborators within the Department of Social Pedagogy from 1961. The first head of the Department was Professor Olga Czerniawska.

In the 1980s, the Department became one of the key centers of Polish andragogy. Its staff participated, among other activities, in nationwide research conducted as part of the Central Program of Basic Research, coordinated by Professor Mieczysław Marczuk. They also initiated cooperation with foreign centers in Germany, Italy, France, Canada, the United States, and Switzerland.

The Department was successively affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy and History within the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, then with the Department of History and Theory of Education and the Department of Theory of Education, and, from 1991, with the Faculty of Educational Sciences. By decision of the Rector of the University of Lodz of 1 October 2005, the Department gained organizational independence as the Department of Andragogy and Social Gerontology. 

Major achievements

The Department plays a significant role in the national and international andragogical and gerontological communities. The Department’s staff are involved in the activities of the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA), in particular in the network devoted to the biographical approach in adult education, The Biographical Approach in European Adult Education, as well as in the activities of the International Society for Research on Solitude (ISRS).

The Department’s staff hold important positions on editorial boards and scientific councils of national and international academic journals. Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the interdisciplinary journal Nauki o Wychowaniu. Studia Interdyscyplinarne addresses issues in pedagogy, education, and educational sciences. Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński holds the position of Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Narrative Works, published by the University of New Brunswick in Canada, an international journal devoted to narrative research, life stories, and biographical research. In addition, Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and Professor Elżbieta Dubas is the Chair of the Scientific Council of the Exlibris Social Gerontology Journal.

A distinctive academic and publishing initiative of the Department is the book series Biography and Biography Research, currently comprising nine volumes, published by the University of Lodz Press since 2011. The series serves as a platform for academic exchange among researchers from various academic centers in Poland. The Department organizes the cyclical Łódź Biographical Conferences, held since 2007, with the 14th edition planned for 2026, as well as the Gerontology Conferences in the Reflections on Old Age series, held since 2014.

In 2022, the Department organized the 4th Polish Andragogy Congress in Łódź on 27–28 June 2022, and in 2023, the 1st Congress of Social Gerontologists in Ustroń on 18–19 May 2023. In 1985, it organized the 5th Gerontological Congress of the Polish Gerontological Society. To date, the Department has organized 36 scientific conferences.

Former heads of the Unit/Department:

• 1980–2000 – Professor Olga Czerniawska
• 2000–2002 – Acting Head: Barbara Juraś-Krawczyk, PhD.
• 2002–present – Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas

The Department maintains an active presence in national and international scientific bodies. Its staff holds positions on the editorial boards and scientific councils of three journals: Exlibris Social Gerontology Journal, Narrative Works, published by the University of New Brunswick in Canada, and Nauki o Wychowaniu. Studia Interdyscyplinarne.

The Department has participated in the work of the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA), particularly in the network devoted to biographical research. The contacts established through this cooperation resulted, among other outcomes, in Polish-language editions of works by Pierre Dominicé in 1994 and Duccio Demetrio: Play Against the Background of Life in 1999 and Autobiography: The Therapeutic Dimension of Writing About Oneself in 2000.

For 40 years, the Department has cooperated with Justus Liebig University Giessen and the University of Hanover, as reflected in numerous scientific publications.

The Department’s staff are involved in the activities of the International Society for Research on Solitude, participating in regular seminars and conferences devoted to solitude and loneliness. Active in this area are, among others, Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas, Associate Professor Arkadiusz Wąsiński, and Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński. They have participated in conferences organized, among other places, in Szczecin, Lincoln, United Kingdom, and Savannah, Georgia, USA.

The Department is institutionally connected with the Association of Social Gerontologists and the Łódź Branch of the Polish Gerontological Society, with which it has co-organized the first gerontological conferences and projects since the 1980s, including the 5th Gerontological Congress in 1985. The Department also cooperates with the Academic Andragogical Society.

The Department’s staff are active in the Gerontology Section of the Committee on Pedagogical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Section is chaired by Professor Elżbieta Kowalska-Dubas, and its secretary is Associate Professor Marcin Muszyński.

LIST OF SCORED ACADEMIC JOURNALS – AS OF 5 JANUARY 2024

Announcement of the Minister of Science of 5 January 2024 on the list of scientific journals and peer-reviewed materials from international conferences

• Content of the announcement
• Appendix to the announcement of the Minister of Science of 5 January 2024
• Search engine
• Publication slot calculator

All links are available on the Polish version of the website.

The Department provided academic supervision over education in the field of Pedagogy in areas substantively related to andragogy and social gerontology:

In the field of adult education, offered as part-time studies from the academic year 1997/1998 and as full-time studies from 2001/2002; after the name change, in the field of adult education from 2004/2005.

In the field of social gerontology, second-cycle part-time studies have been offered from 2005/2006 for two years.

In the field of adult education with gerontology, first- and second-cycle studies have been offered since 2007/2008.

In the field of adult education, first- and second-cycle studies have been offered since 2012/2013.

In the field of adult education with coaching, first- and second-cycle full-time and part-time studies, offered from 2014/2015.

Starting in the 2026/2027 academic year, in cooperation with the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Rehabilitation, a joint specialization for first- and second-cycle students will be offered titled “Social Pedagogy in the Life Course: Care and Education”.

Regulation No. 121 of the Rector of the University of Lodz of 27 April 2026

The 1st semester, winter/fall semester, lasts from 1 October 2026 to 21 February 2027.

• The official inauguration of the academic year will take place on 1 October 2026.
• Faculty inaugurations of the academic year should take place by 1 October 2026.
• Didactic classes start on 2 October 2026 and last until 24 January 2027.
• The following days off from didactic classes are designated:
• 31 October 2026 – Rector’s Day, part-time studies;
• 2 November 2026 – Rector’s Day, full-time studies;
• from 23 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 – winter holiday break;
• from 8 to 14 February 2027 – break between semesters.

The following dates are designated for the winter semester examination sessions:

• from 25 January to 7 February 2027 – winter examination session;
• from 15 to 21 February 2027 – winter make-up examination session.

Deans may decide that the summer semester for part-time extramural studies will begin up to one week earlier. This shift may not affect the settlement of absences in KIOD.

The 2nd semester, summer/spring semester, lasts from 22 February to 30 September 2027.

• Didactic classes start on 22 February and last until 13 June 2027.
• The following days off from didactic classes are designated:
• from 24 to 30 March 2027 – spring holiday break;
• 2 May 2027 – Rector’s Day, part-time studies;
• one Friday in May – Rector’s Day due to Juwenalia, the student festival, full-time and part-time studies;
• 16 May 2027 – day off due to Pentecost, part-time studies;
• 24 May 2027 – Rector’s Day due to the Celebration Day of the University of Lodz, full-time and part-time studies;

• 28 May 2027 – Rector’s Day, full-time and part-time studies.

  The following dates are designated for the summer semester examination sessions:

• from 14 June to 4 July 2027 – summer examination session;
• from 5 July to 30 September 2027 – break for summer holidays, study camps, internships, field classes, etc.;

The dates for final course credits and examinations in the autumn examination session taking place in September are set by the Dean.