University of Gdańsk hosts the conference “Foreign Students in Poland”.

By Marek Grzybowski

The University of Gdańsk is hosting the conference “Foreign Students in Poland”. The meeting is attended by over 350 people, including Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki – Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, rectors and vice-rectors of universities from all over Poland. 20 years is a success story of Polish higher education. From 8,000 foreign students in 2005 to over 100,000 foreign students currently studying in Poland.

The conference was officially opened by: Prof. Piotr Stepnowski – Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities and Chairman of the Daniel Fahrenheit Association of Universities in Gdańsk; Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki – Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education; Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska – Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and Chairwoman of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Academic Schools (KRASP); Bianka Siwińska – President and CEO of the Perspektywy Educational Foundation; Ludwik Szakiel – Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Development of the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

– The past year and the challenges that lie ahead make this time extremely important in the process of internationalization of higher education in Poland. The development of a new academic strategy for foreign cooperation of the Polish State, the visa law being processed, the implementation of new assumptions of the migration policy, challenges for the accreditation of courses in European partnerships, unstable international security and probably a dozen other factors tell us that, like never before, the discussion about these new challenges in internationalization is both important and urgently necessary. – said Prof. Piotr Stepnowski – Rector of the University of Gdańsk.

The conference slogan is “Internationalization in the Face of New Challenges”. And there are many of them – they come from both outside and inside, as evidenced by the visa problems that affected universities during the recruitment for the academic year 2024/25.

This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “Study in Poland” program – a program from the very beginning run jointly by the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the Educational Foundation “Perspektywy”. Around 60 academic universities participate in it every year. The effect of joint efforts is a better perception of Polish higher education abroad and an increase in the number of foreigners studying in Poland. There are already over 100,000 of them; this is a success of all people and institutions involved in the internationalization processes.

Photos: Kazimierz Netka, Mor info: Pulsartowy.pl