Erasmus+ Charter and Policy Statement / University of Bielsko-Biala

Erasmus+ Policy Statement 2021–2027

The University of Bielsko-Biala is the only public university with an academic profile in the Podbeskidzie region. Providing education at five faculties, it offers 21 study programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels in technical (engineering), economic, medical, natural, humanities and social studies.

In line with the long-term development strategy of the European area of higher education, the University places emphasis on the high quality of education programs, increasing the scientific and interpersonal competences of staff, as well as the inclusion of students, doctoral students and academic teachers of various nationalities in the teaching process, who enrich the local community with their knowledge, culture and experience. academic.

20 years of experience of the beneficiary of the Erasmus program (Socrates, LLP, Erasmus +) has shown that internationalization is a key activity supporting the development of the University of Bielsko-Biala - both in the field of research quality and diversity of the educational offer, as well as in the field of intercultural competences and openness to the world of its students and employees. Therefore, increasing the level of internationalization of the University occupies the most important place among the activities included in its development strategy. The priority is the continued active participation of the University of Bielsko-Biala in the Erasmus + Program and the use of all project opportunities offered by this program, the beneficiaries of which will be not only the University's academic community (students, doctoral students, research and teaching staff and administrative staff), but also young people (primary school students and middle schools) and seniors (students of the University of the Third Age).

The main tasks resulting from the participation of The University of Bielsko-Biala in the Erasmus + Program in the years 2021-2027 include:

Increasing the number of mobility of students (including doctoral students) coming for studies and internships.
Increasing the number of mobility of students (including doctoral students) departing for studies and internships.
Increasing the number of mobility of both incoming and outgoing academic staff and administrative staff.
Strengthening cooperation and exchange of experiences with existing partners as part of international educational projects.
Extending cooperation with new foreign teaching centers, enterprises and institutions.
Increasing the number of international educational and social projects.
Adapting the functioning of the Erasmus + Program at the University of Bielsko-Biala to the contemporary administrative requirements.
Promotion of the Erasmus + Program at the University of Bielsko-Biala and in the region.

Increasing the number of incoming students (doubling their number compared to the previous financial perspective of the Erasmus Program) is related to:

enriching the didactic offer in foreign languages (English, Spanish),
updating and transforming the existing course catalog into a more friendly one for foreign students,
launching the Welcome Point and Club for foreign students and employees (University of Bielsko-Biala International Club), thanks to which it will be possible to integrate foreigners with the University community,
changing the traditional way of education and adapting it to the requirements of digital education by further improving e-learning and building a digital educational space at the University, so important in the light of the pandemic situation that accelerated the development of virtual resources,
ensuring a transparent grading system at the University of Bielsko-Biala, in line with European requirements,
organizing the orientation week in the winter and summer semesters,
ensuring adequate support during mobility for all Program participants thanks to regular individual consultations, psychological support as well as orientation and integration activities.

Increasing the number of outgoing students will be achieved thanks to:

implementing new mobility modes that offer the chance to include students with fewer opportunities,
organizing on-line meetings and individual advice on choosing a destination and how to participate in the Erasmus + Program,
creating the Erasmus + Alumni Club, which brings together students and employees who have previously completed the mobility and will act as Program ambassadors, encouraging other students to take part in mobility, as well as to look after people coming under the Buddy System by their example,
cooperation of Erasmus + Program coordinators with the doctoral school and encouraging doctoral students to actively participate in the Program,
building a database of foreign enterprises and institutions in which it will be possible to implement internships for students and graduates.

The University intends to increase the number of mobility of incoming academic and administrative staff by organizing an international week held every year, the program of which will focus on the requirements and challenges related to internationalization and the new phase of the Erasmus + Program.

The University of Bielsko-Biala will achieve an increase in the number of outgoing employees' mobility thanks to individual consultations addressed to employees who are just starting mobility under the Program, as well as thanks to the development of a network of international contacts corresponding to the research profiles conducted at the University and correlating with the educational offer.
Closer cooperation and exchange of experiences with existing partner universities as part of international educational projects will consist in intensifying project activities under the KA2 action in the areas of research and education in which the University of Bielsko-Biala is active. The long-term intensification of this activity is aimed at strengthening cooperation for innovation and building capacity in the field of higher education. Extending cooperation with new foreign teaching centers, enterprises and institutions will consist in formalizing and intensifying the existing joint research and initiating joint project activity.

Both the strengthening of the existing cooperation and the expansion of cooperation with new foreign centers are aimed at increasing the number of international educational and social projects. The intensification of the project activity of the University's employees will be supported by the organization of information and training meetings at which the stages of project preparation will be discussed and examples of good design practices will be presented.

Adjusting the functioning of the Erasmus + Program at the University to the current requirements will consist in improving the circulation of documents, which has been adapted to modern tools used by young people in order to complete all procedures faster and easier than before. It is planned to:

implement new tools and procedures for the electronic operation of the program (introduction of the USOS system, as well as the use of tools such as Erasmus Dashboard, Online Learning Agreement.),
promotion of the European Student Charter initiative.

The above-mentioned activities aimed at achieving the goals directly resulting from the participation of The University of Bielsko-Biala in the Erasmus + Program will support the promotion of the Erasmus + Program at the University and in the region. This implementation will also be fostered by future projects under strategic partnerships and other activities (such as the Open Day), aimed at school students (who in the future may start education at the University, also becoming a participant of the Erasmus + Program) and targeting adult education (seniors). These projects will increase the attractiveness and recognition of the University and will become a valuable tool for its promotion both in the international and local environment. The development of this area is in line with the university's strategy, as well as one of the important aspects of the government's strategy represented by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).

The other activities leading to the development of the European Educational Area include education based on knowledge, sustainable development and respect for the natural environment, which the University will implement and carry out through environmentally friendly practices:

environmentally friendly practices, which are an important element of both the plan for internationalization of institutions and the local sustainable development strategy;
inclusion in the program of the week of an indicative panel devoted to the implementation and promotion of environmentally friendly practices, dealing with the issues of water protection, energy saving, gas emissions, land pollution and led by experts in the field;
explaining how the University and the city conduct environmental protection policy
practical activities - waste segregation, saving water and energy, paper, emission of gases generated in the recycling process;
promoting social campaigns organized by the academic community in which incoming students are involved (one of the forms of integration campaigns);
organizing workshops for students (Polish and foreign), during which incoming students share their experiences and good practices in building environmentally friendly space in their countries, at universities;
trainings that show how to use the city bike rental system - as part of the BBbike project (https://bbbike.eu/?lang=2)
promoting the use of filter bottles, reusable - as an alternative to drinks in plastic bottles.

By implementing and promoting the Erasmus + Program, the University promotes the democratic and civic values of the European Union in the academic environment and among the local community. Moreover, the University cooperates with city authorities, state institutions, non-governmental organizations and enterprises in order to build a strong, tolerant local society open to European values, which contributes to building the European educational dimension.

All the above activities are in line with the mission and internationalization strategy of the University of Bielsko-Biala, which are implemented thanks to the involvement of both the University's students and its employees, and with the support of institutions cooperating with the University (Municipal Office, non-governmental organizations).

Erasmus+ Policy Statement 2014–2020

The specific actions planned to give visibility to Erasmus activities

In response to the Lisbon strategy of creating a common, European educational space, the University of Bielsko-Biała aims to improve the quality of courses offered, to increase the number of courses in foreign languages and in eLearning system, and to encourage students, academic staff and researchers to intensify international cooperation. We also find it important to continue the process of adapting to the local environment, consulting our common needs on the daily basis. In consequence, science the year 2000, two new educational lines have been established and the existing ones are undergoing the process of modernization. International cooperation is considered to be a crucial factor for the development of the University. Therefore, the network of international partners has been developed, the portfolio of agreements has been enlarged, and new structures and procedures have been introduced. The university plans to increase the staff and students exchange. Special attention will be given to the activities attracting incoming students and staff, as our exchange has so far been unbalanced. Consequently, we plan to increase the number of Curricula Development and Thematic Network projects, and to develop more courses fit for international environment. We also aim to increase the number of international industrial placement offered to our students, as they provide the students with an important experience in the process of Lifelong Learning. We hope that the actions listed above will help to create a multicultural environmental at the university, and will also positively influence the local milieu.

For a few years now, the information about the program, as well as the reports of the returning Erasmus+ students and staff members have been published on the web page; interviews on the subject of student and staff exchange are published on a regular basis in the university magazine. The meetings for the new candidates for the program are organized periodically and short presentation are given to the students before lectures. Our brochure and posters are prepared and printed on the regular basis. We plan to continue and develop this kind of activities. Additionally, we plan to give information about the European Policy and international programs and exchange to the local media. The Erasmus+ University Charter and European University Statement will be published on the University web page. In order to ensure the non-discrimination policy, the University will focus on the issue which is particularly important to us-on the enhancement of social and economics cohesion. There are commissions responsible for apportionment to the funds for the financial help for our students. There are also plans to open a new academic building, adapted to the needs of disabled students and staff members. As the University is located in a multicultural environment, no special measures have to be taken to ensure gender equality or to combat xenophobia or racism.

Quality of academic mobility activities

The specific measures implemented in the institution to ensure high quality in academic mobility activities. The outgoing students go through a multi-step selection process, according to the fixed algorithm. The Departmental Coordinators are responsible for Learning Agreements and any further changes in them. Academic recognition is given to all the students who fulfill the obligations from the LA, and present the documentation required. We plan to introduce an improved formula for LA, to make the evaluation and recognition process easier. Our university has adopted the system in which 60 credits are planned for an academic year. Different courses valued differently, depending on how demanding they are. Different value is also ascribed to lectures, seminars, laboratories, or exercises. Students are given credits provided they complete the given subject as well as pass/fail marks. The official University web page offers the basic information on our curricula. Outgoing students get information and counseling from the staff and International Office (responsible for formal and administrative work) and Departmental Coordinators (responsible for academic issues).

Our University provides accommodation for incoming students in dormitories, which is the first step in the process of their integration into the local environment. We have also introduced the "buddy-system", where Polish students help and assist their colleagues, especially during the first period of their stay. Departmental Coordinators facilitate cooperation among academic teachers and they monitor the progress of incoming students. We also organize welcome and integration trips and the Polish language course. We are planning to increase the number and quality of such activities. The outgoing students and teachers are offered the opportunity to refresh and improve their language skills as the multimedia courses for different languages are available. The staff members who are candidates for mobility exchange must be accepted by the faculty and prove their language skills and the quality of materials prepared.

Quality of student placement activities

The specific measures implemented in the institution to ensure high quality in student placements. In order to ensure the high quality of student placement, the university implements different measures. The management of the project consists of two sections: a didactic and an administrative one. The former deals with recruitment, selection and certification; the letter with periodic reports (both on internal and external level), as well as administrative and financial tasks. University partners are responsible for external communication, selection of the proper partner institutions for consortium, and fitting the placement to the specific needs of both students and the company chosen. The key issue is to disseminate innovative methods of education and henceforth to enlarge the competences of the beneficiaries as well as their competitiveness on the labour market. Industrial partners are responsible for the preparations of work placements (with consideration to new technologies). They also monitor the progress of the placement and contact the University when necessary.

Each outgoing student has the work-program designed, with special attention given to the student's area of interests, professional plans and individual skills. Students periodically report the progress of placement to supervising representatives of both the university and company, who regularly evaluate the quality of work and help the students whenever didactic support is required. The dean recognizes the stay in a partner institution as the practical placement period required in the study program. The practical placement is followed by the report presented for evaluation to both the faculty and the industrial partner. Depending on the value and quality of report, certain study subjects can be recognized on its basis; in case of more advanced students, the report can be recognized as a part of their diploma dissertations. The students receive a certificate issued by both the enterprise and the University.