The final conference of ECIU4Ukraine project was held at Lodz University of Technology
The Conference: European Universities for Ukraine - was held on 8 December 2023 in the Centre for International Cooperation in Lodz.
The Conference aimed to share the experience of Lodz University of Technology and the ECIU in supporting partner universities in Ukraine during the ongoing war. This kind of support is of particular value to the Ukrainian academic community, as it helps Ukrainian higher education to maintain an operational and educational level and to accelerate its integration into the EU.
This experience has emerged from a year-long project called ECIU4Ukraine, coordinated by Lodz University of Technology on behalf of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities.
The ECIU4Ukraine project implemented by TUL aimed to involve Ukrainian partners in the activities of ECIU by supporting cooperation and academic exchange between Lodz University of Technology, ECIU and 10 Ukrainian universities such as:
- the organisation of exchanges of students, doctoral candidates and staff from the partner institutions,
- participation in study visits and summer schools,
- active participation in conferences (including - ECIU Research Conference),
- development or preparation of new and innovative educational tools and methods (e.g. challenge-based learning, micro-credentials),
- networking and establishing cooperation between Ukrainian universities and members of alliances,
- providing Ukrainian universities with the necessary equipment to enable them free access to remote courses and other activities, as described in the project.
The conference started with an address by the Rector of TUL, Krzysztof Jóźwik, followed by an online presentation by ECIU Secretary Katrin Dircksen. Presentation of the project results was led by Dorota Piotrowska, Director of the Centre for International Cooperation, and Daria Bobovkina, leader of the ECIU Office at TUL. The Director of the Division of Programmes for Institutions at the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) Katarzyna Aleksy, who represented the funding institution for the entire project, spoke to the guests as well.
The conference was also attended by representatives of 10 Ukrainian universities, who came to Lodz to share their impressions of the project.
At the end of the conference, the continuation of activities in the next edition of the project, which received a positive opinion from NAWA, was announced. The new ECIU4Ukriane vol 2 project was finally signed at the end of 2023 and will run throughout 2024.
