Another Chapter in the Story of a Strong Alliance
The University of Lodz joined UNIC, the alliance of European universities from post-industrial cities, in 2022. Since then, the partnership has created an increasing number of opportunities for our academic community, including researchers, administrative staff, doctoral students and students alike. It is therefore important to us that the alliance continues to grow and develop.
The visit to Istanbul was not focused solely on academic activities. The authorities of UniLodz, Rector of the University of Lodz, Prof. Rafał Matera and Vice-Rector Prof. Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, discussed the future prospects of the alliance. These discussions were supported, among other things, by meetings with our consuls, Mirosław Stawski and Filip Wtorkowski. We had an opportunity to talk about visa procedures, which remain an important issue, as Türkiye has long been a highly attractive destination for academic exchange.
Presentation of the Monograph on Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development
During the conference, Prof. Mariusz E. Sokołowicz and Prof. Agnieszka Kurczewska from the Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz, presented the monograph Case Studies on Urban Entrepreneurship. Empowering the Sustainable Development Goals, which they co-edited with Dr Gustav Hägg and Prof. Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson from Malmö University, one of UNIC’s partner institutions.
The publication, currently being prepared for publication by Edward Elgar Publishing, presents practical examples of how cities and their residents can act entrepreneurially to support the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The monograph draws on international case studies, highlighting, among other issues, the importance of social innovation, cooperation, housing initiatives, urban planning and local community action. A significant proportion of the chapter authors are researchers from universities belonging to the UNIC Alliance.
Prestigious UNIC Award for the UiLodz Speech and Language Therapist
During the conference, Dr Monika Kaźmierczak (Faculty of Philology, University of Lodz) received an award granted as part of the UNIC Thematic Lines Best Paper Awards 2026 competition.
Each year, the competition recognises innovative academic papers that help us better understand how institutions can adapt to changing realities, contributing, among other things, to the wellbeing of communities living in post-industrial cities.
Dr Kaźmierczak was honoured for her paper “A Proposal for a Non-Antagonistic Approach to Disorder and Order in Cluttering”. We previously covered this achievement in a separate news article.
What Did We Talk About at the Conference?
The conference programme featured numerous presentations delivered by University of Lodz researchers. A selection of them is provided below:
- “The Challenges of Countering Human Trafficking in the Digital Era” – Dr Anna Głogowska-Balcerzak
- "Rights-Based Digital Governance for Post-Industrial Cities: Ensuring Fairness in Global Transitions” – Dr Joanna Kulesza
- "From Vulnerability to Social Resilience: Education as a Prevention of Human Trafficking” – Dr Katarzyna Gajek
- "Co-produced Informational Support and Access to Rights: Strengthening Parental Agency in a Post-Industrial Context” – Dr Izabela Kamińska-Jatczak
- "Urban resilience to the challenges of the modern economy: operationalisation and measurement” – Prof. dr hab. Mariusz Sokołowicz, mgr Oliwia Wierucka
- "Institutions and local identity in a post-industrial city. The case of Łódź” – dr hab. Kamil Śmiechowski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- "Security Through Cooperation: CBRNE Readiness in Open Higher Education Environments” – dr hab. Michał Bijak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz, Karolina Tomczyk
- "Keeping Cities Moving: Innovative CBRNe Security for Railway Stations” – mgr Marcin Podogrocki, mgr inż. Maksymilian Stela
- "International Law and the Protection of Public Safety in the Cyber Domain” – Dr Joanna Kulesza
- "Urban and Human Security in the Digital Era: Increasing Resilience Against Terrorist and Hybrid Warfare Threats” – dr hab. Ryszard M. Machnikowski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
