This inspiring meeting brought together representatives of the academic community, industry experts and the younger generation, creating an ideal space for discussion about the directions of biotechnology development and the best ways to educate future specialists.
The event programme began with Dr Adriana Kiędzierska-Mencfeld, CEO of Polpharma Biologics, welcoming the participants. Next, Dr Anna Buchner, a sociologist and an anthropologist from the University of Warsaw presented an analysis of the lifestyles, needs and challenges facing young people.
Intensive workshop work in three moderated groups was a key element. Participants, taking into account the perspectives of students, employers and university representatives, discussed how to strengthen the educational process in the field of medical biotechnology.
The meeting concluded with a debriefing session and a virtual tour of the Polpharma Biologics Development and Production Centre. It was an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences, view the industry from different perspectives and build strong relationships between science and industry.
The participation of representatives of our faculty in the "Horizons of Biotechnology" event raises hopes that the Biotechnology study programme offered at our university will be even more aligned with the needs of the labour market. We believe this will translate into the development of new teaching and research initiatives that will support students in acquiring practical competencies crucial for the modern medical biotechnology sector.
Source and photos: Dr Karolina Rudnicka, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz (Department of Immunology and Infection Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz)
Edit: Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz)
