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MARIA CURIE-SKLODOWSKA UNIVERSITY
PL LUBLIN01
 
 
ERASMUS POLICY STATEMENT
2014-2020

The University’s new 2013-2021 organisational modernisation strategy refers to the European international cooperation programmes in reaching its internationalisation development objectives. According to the development strategy the university will focus on providing high quality education for international students in English at each of its faculties and in Polish with its main goal to significantly raise the number of its international students.

The target incoming student groups are mobile students from the participating countries who can take education in English, and in particular those whose native languages are Slavic, which would enable the students to continue their education also in Polish (Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian, Lithuanian and students of Polish descent). Credit mobility at all three tiers will be encouraged. 
 
The Programme agreements will be agreed with partners in the participating and non-participating countries whose study curricula and course offer best fit the academic needs of the University students and staff. Attention will be paid to securing mutual recognition of the study periods abroad. With the broader offer of courses delivered in English the university plans to revive and extend bilateral academic exchanges with partners in Russia, Canada and the USA. The University will develop new promotional and information guiding materials (electronic and paper) for prospective international students with updated information on studying, programmes, procedures and living conditions.
 
In degree programmes the target groups will include: English speaking students from participating and non-participating countries recruited for new degree programmes in English, and students from Ukraine, Belarus, Russian Federation and the Balkans region who can take up education in Polish on a fee basis or who are awarded Polish scholarships.
The language of instruction and cultural closeness account for the University’s major geographical scope i.e. neighbouring countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
The goals set are 2.6 % of international students at the university in 2016 and 6 % in 2021.
 
In view of the need to raise the level of student employability the University plans to enhance its students’ experience in studies and traineeships abroad. Particular effort will be made to offer more relevant traineeships to the University’s graduating students in enterprises in participating countries, especially Germany, France, Spain, the UK.
 
In staff mobility the university’s objective is to upgrade expertise and foreign language competence of its lecturers and administrative staff. Steps will be taken to encourage more junior teaching staff to lecture abroad and refine their foreign language skills relevant to their fields of expertise. Steps will also be taken to invite more lecturers for short teaching assignments including lecturers from industrial environment and business, especially from the participating countries (in the fields of economics, chemistry, tourism, political science) to complement the University’s study offer and make it more practical and market oriented.
The University’s participation in international modernisation and cooperation projects will facilitate cross-boarder educational mobilities of administrative staff, exchange of best practices in policy and organisation building including peer learning and job shadowing activities.
Building upon its internationalisation achievements the university plans to offer its degree
programmes in English to its Programme partners who develop joint degree programmes and attract students from the participating and possible neighbouring Partner countries.
 
The University’s strong position as European HEI is expected to draw more partners in education, training and business environment from the participating and the neighbouring countries, particularly Partner countries, which will result in many new transnational staff mobility and cooperation projects. The university intends to participate in activities supported by the Programme to implement its long term international cooperation plans and in this way build its technical and operational experience and educational credibility.
As an experienced Tempus programme partner the university will continue to offer its organisational and educational expertise for partners in non-participating countries.
In view of its growing international experience the University can take the role of coordinator in many such projects.
 
The University’s research achievements will be used in projects aiming to secure for the relevant departments the status of chair of excellence in research and education.
Long term collaboration with local province (Governor of Lublin Province) and city (Mayor of Lublin) authorities will be continued to seek mutual support in promotional and marketing activities worldwide. The university plans to continue its participation in the twin city various collaborative projects extending the University’s reach to the educational, NGO, youth, business and SMEs sectors in Lublin’s sister cities (in Europe: Alcalá de Benares, Debrecen, Lancaster, Muenster, Nancy, Tilburg, Viseu), Rishon LeZion in Israel, Windsor in Canada and Erie in the USA. It is the University’s priority to develop the “Study in Lublin” project targeting at students and school leavers in Europe, from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia in particular.
 
The University’s participation in the Programme will be its major driving force in accomplishing its institutional modernisation objectives in education for 2014-2020.
 
The broader offer of courses in English and relevant comprehensive information on the university’s website should result in enhanced reputation of the university as HEI.
The planned international student mobility activities is expected to bring about a steady rise in the numbers of international students at the University reaching 2.6% in 2016 and the number of home students completing their higher education studies with significant international experience gained at HEI in Europe and neighbouring countries.
The traineeship mobility abroad will be a relevant addition to the short-termed job placements obligatory at the University’s programmes of study and mainly organised in Poland. The Programme traineeships will also complement the job placements and trainings offered by the University’s career office. The traineeships will be a perfect opportunity for the growing number of graduate students who intend to seek employment abroad or use the international work experience at home-based companies.
The mobilities of all kinds, for study and traineeship purposes, will significantly enhance the graduates’ foreign language competence and skills, which should help them successfully operate on job markets in different countries and enhance their career perspectives.
 
The internationalisation of research activities should result in a bigger number of internationally recognised researchers working for the University and engaging in the University’s cooperation and innovation projects with local and international industry. In this area there will be room for participation of the university’s doctoral students and junior researchers. In addition, feedback and business recommendations will be gained from industrial partners on qualifications and skills currently needed on the Polish job market.
This will help the University to flexibly adapt and adequately reshape its educational offer at the graduate level.
 
The targeted modernisation of the University includes improvement in the organisation’s and financial governance. Various forms of international study visits, peer learning and trainings will be used to help financial officers update their experience and knowledge of international project financial management. The University’s international cooperation will also be employed to help develop competence and practical skills of its human resources and internationalise its talent management activities. The university’s staff will have gained specialist foreign language competence and better awareness of the international career development opportunities. This will result in a better image of the University as an employer and a relevant partner with high profile professional staff for the local social, administrative and business organisations.