The main objective of the visit was active participation in two academic conferences, during which the students presented preliminary results of research conducted within the Science Hub UniLodz (UNIC) project:
- 16th Postgraduate Research Symposium in Environmental Law (22 April 2026) – presentation entitled “Do Consultative Bodies Matter? Comparative Analysis of Local Government Obligatory Consultative Bodies: A Case Study of Cork and Łódź” delivered during the Key Issues in Environmental Governance session. The presentation included a comparative analysis of consultative bodies in Łódź (the Łódź Council for Public Benefit Activities, Municipal Civic Dialogue Committees, and the Revitalisation Committee) and the Irish Public Participation Network.
- 22nd annual UCC Law and the Environment Conference (23 April 2026) – presentation entitled “Public Participation in Urban Climate Change Adaptation: The EcoBudget as a Tool for Bottom-Up Climate Risk Communication” delivered during the Risk Communication and Early Warning Systems panel. The students focused on preliminary results of the EcoBudget evaluation and its application as a tool for communicating needs related to urban greenery. They also addressed the research context, including the implementation of the project within Science Hub UniLodz, the needs identified by the City of Lodz Office, and the international dimension of the study.
The presentations by Maria Olbert and Jakub Majewski, prepared jointly with Dr Ewa Boryczka-Kubiak, were well received by researchers participating in both the conference and the symposium. It should be noted that they were the youngest speakers at both events.
During their visit, despite limited time for additional activities, the students also had the opportunity to explore the campus of the partner institution, University College Cork, and experience the atmosphere of Ireland’s second-largest city.
The visit was co-funded by the UNIC Expert Voices Fund.
Project team:
- Jakub Majewski – third-year student of “EcoCity” (Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection and Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz), President of the SPATIUM Student Science Club operating at the Department of Regional Economics and Environment. Enthusiast of Łódź, social history and participatory design of shared urban space.
- Maria Olbert – third-year student of “EcoCity” (Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection and Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz), Vice-President of the SPATIUM Student Science Club operating at the Department of Regional Economics and Environment; environmental and social activist and climate educator. Interested in the third sector, sustainable development, the arts and natural sciences.
- Niamh Guiry – doctoral student at the School of Law, University College Cork; graduate of microbiology and law; specialises in environmental and natural resources law; author of publications on sustainable development and wildlife crime. Environmental activist with a particular interest in biodiversity conservation, climate justice and environmental education.
- Dr Ewa Boryczka-Kubiak – the project supervisor, Assistant Professor at the Department of Regional Economics and Environment, University of Lodz, and specialist at the University of Lodz Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Studies; her research focuses on social participation, local government management and urban regeneration. Author of numerous academic publications, expert reports and applied studies.
- Dr Dug Cubie – sSenior Lecturer at the School of Law, University College Cork; his research interests include disaster law, humanitarian action and climate justice. His work focuses on law, climate change adaptation and climate policy, and he has over ten years of experience in the humanitarian sector.
- Agata Burlińska – the project partner, Deputy Director of the Office of Urban Activity at the City of Lodz Office; doctoral student at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences, University of Lodz.
Science Hub UniLodz (SH) is a cooperation platform of the University of Lodz, which connects students, university experts and external entities, supporting them in the implementation of innovative scientific and implementation projects. Teams operating within SH cooperate to address real‑world scientific challenges submitted by partner organisations.
The Science Hub UniLodz competition – UNIC edition is a part of the “We are UNIC!” project. The “We are UNIC!” project is funded by the European Union under the “Support for European University Alliances” programme, project NAWA FERS.01.05-IP.08-0219/23, amount: PLN 62,705,297.60.
Source: the project team
Photos: Maria Olbert, Siqi Li
