Delegation from Erasmus University Rotterdam to the University of Lodz
A delegation, including Prof. Semiha Denktaş (the Alliance manager) and the UNIC management team, visited our university at the end of October of the current year. The purpose of the visit was to familiarise ourselves with the challenges that arise during cooperation within the alliance. Although the universities associated with the Alliance are located in post-industrial cities, their specificities vary. For example, the University of Deusto in Bilbao (Basque Country/Spain) and Koç University (Istanbul) are private institutions.
Meetings with the University of Lodz authorities and the UNIC team
For nearly three days, the delegation learned about our university, its resources and, above all, the people involved in implementing project tasks and coordinating the Alliance. As part of the planned activities, the delegation met with the University of Lodz authorities and the UNIC team from our university.
Successes as part of the UNIC Alliance
During the meetings, the achievement of UNIC's goals was discussed and major successes were presented. At the same time, challenges and expectations for the University of Lodz's future role within the Alliance were an important element of the discussions. One of our university's achievements is the relatively high number of researchers who have taken advantage of UNIC's travel opportunities. This is encouraging, as it supports one of our main goals: building a transnational scientific community. It is also significant that joint, grassroots-inspired international research and teaching initiatives are being implemented more frequently.
Visit to the Campus – meetings with students
A visit to campus was the delegation's next stop. The guests visited the University of Lodz Library, where they met with students involved in community-related events, including the UNICality project and one of the student activities within the Science Hub, titled "Partycypacja społeczna w procesach adaptacji miast do zmiany klimatu. Studium porównawcze miast postindustrialnych: Łodzi i Cork" [Social Participation in Urban Adaptation to Climate Change. A Comparative Study of Post-Industrial Cities: Lodz and Cork], which was discussed by student Jakub Majewski. What is the Science Hub? More on this later.
Visiting faculties and presenting activities
The UNIC representatives also visited the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, where the latest research equipment was presented. The guests also had an opportunity to observe classes with students.
The Faculty of Law and Administration, where the delegation was received by Dr Izabela Florczak, who coordinates activities within UNIC in the area of Justice, Security and Institutions, was next. Among other things, she organises cooperation between law clinics (What are law clinics? Go to the news).
The last stop on the second day of the visit was the Support and Accessibility Centre, which presented the scope of its activities and the needs reported to the Centre, which aroused great interest among the guests, as the issues of building a diverse community are one of the priorities at UNIC.
Cooperation with the city and the Science Hub UniLodz – key elements of UNIC
Meetings with representatives of municipal institutions were also held. On the last day of the visit, the delegation visited the City Activity Office (Lodz City Hall). Agata Burlińska, Deputy Director of the Office, and Dr Małgorzata Dzimińska (responsible for university-city cooperation, i.e., the UNIC Centre for City Futures) presented the coordination mechanism between the University of Lodz and the City of Lodz, as well as jointly implemented projects such as EcoBudget and “Friendly City”. Collaboration with the city is another priority of the UNIC Alliance.
The delegation was also presented with the aforementioned Science Hub UniLodz platform for cooperation with the community. It implements multilateral projects spanning the humanities, social sciences, exact sciences and natural sciences. These activities involve researchers and students from the University of Lodz, partners from UNIC and representatives of external institutions such as the City of Lodz Office, the Topografie Association, the Orientarium ZOO Lodz, and the Ktoń Foundation.
The implemented activities include initiatives to strengthen the rights and safety of residents, such as the creation of a guide for women experiencing violence, as well as projects that deepen understanding of multiculturalism and post-industrial memory, such as the development of an unofficial map of Lodz and research on the city's sonic heritage. Innovations related to greenery and climate resilience in UNIC cities are also important areas. These are complemented by research projects in the natural sciences and microbiology, including assessments of the urban microbiome, analysis of sandbox cleanliness and microbial studies at the zoo. All Science Hub UniLodz initiatives can be found on the project website (go to the project website).
Summary of the visit
During the visit, not only were all the most important aspects of the cooperation between the University of Lodz and the other universities in the alliance presented, but also the uniqueness of Lodz and its potential, which can be used to further develop UNIC initiatives.
Lodz is the historic centre of the textile industry, whose development was based on factories and textile production. The city has benefited from the revitalisation of factories and the simultaneous development of the creative and service sectors. Bilbao is a strong centre of steelmaking, heavy industry and shipbuilding related to iron ore mining. The metropolis is an example of a spectacular transformation, which owes much to urban planning projects (including the Guggenheim Museum) and the development of tourism and culture. Rotterdam is a port city with a developed shipbuilding, petrochemical and logistics industry. We have the modernisation of the port, investments in architecture, innovation and logistics here. And these are just a few examples of the university-cities that comprise UNIC. More unites us than divides us.
UNIC Conference in Bilbao
What was the UNIC conference in Bilbao like? (go to the news).
