From September 17th to 20th, 2024, the 34th EAIE (European Association for International Education) conference took place in Toulouse. The event gathered over 7,300 participants from 110 countries worldwide, who attended more than 240 plenary sessions and panel discussions. Dr. Ewelina Panas from the Laboratory of Internationalization of Higher Education (Institute of International Relations) represented the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS).
The conference focused on key challenges and strategies in the field of higher education internationalization. The opening was chaired by EAIE President Piet Van Hove. The keynote speech at the opening session was delivered by former French minister Élisabeth Moreno, who emphasized the importance of inclusivity in higher education, highlighting the need for equal access to education and research for all social groups, regardless of gender, origin, or economic status. The Polish poster session, led by Małgorzata Feusette-Czyżewska and Justyna Stanisławska from NAWA, presented the key elements of Poland’s higher education internationalization strategy. The discussion focused on the methodology behind this strategy and the benefits of internationalization for Polish universities. The importance of academic community engagement was emphasized, along with a comparison of Poland's approach to internationalization with that of other countries.
A ministerial panel session addressed internationalization policies in higher education. Representatives from Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the European Union discussed various strategies for advancing internationalization. The final session also touched on challenges related to internationalization, particularly security and funding issues. Geopolitical and digital threats were identified as significant barriers to developing international cooperation.
Participation in the conference was linked to the implementation of the project „The Power of Relations” as part of the Welcome to Poland 2023 program (agreement number: BNP/WTP/2023/1/00023/U/00001), funded by the NAWA Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. The project is coordinated by the Center for Education and Student Services.
