On March 19-21, 2025, the University of Gdansk hosted participants in a study visit from Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa. The purpose of the event, attended by UJD research and teaching staff, was to expand knowledge and competence in three key areas: modern academic didactics, digital education and green transformation in higher education.
The coordinator of the visit on behalf of the University of Gdansk was Ilona Kaminska,PhD, from the Center for Didactic Improvement and Tutoring at UG.
The first day of the visit, March 19, was held at the Center for Sustainable Development at the UG Faculty of Social Sciences. The participants were welcomed by Barbara Kijewska, PhD, Prof. UG, coordinator of the CZRUG internship program. The meeting included three blocks of activities. The first concerned the activities of the Center for Sustainable Development – Barbara Kijewska, PhD, Prof. UG and Kuba Gudzinowicz presented the principles of the unit’s operation, discussed methods of communication with stakeholders, and presented implemented programs and examples of good practice. During the next two workshop blocks, participants were introduced to selected examples of CZRUG program implementation. The first of these, the Migration Observatory, was discussed by Rafal Raczynski, PhD, coordinator of the Migration Observatory program, and Elzbieta Czapka, PhD, coordinator of the International Cooperation program. The next and final workshop block concerned the implementation of the More-than-Human Studies Lab program, which was discussed by its coordinator, Irena Chawrilska, PhD.
On the next two days, March 20-21, the participants visited the Center for Didactic Improvement and Tutoring of UG located in the building of the Economic Library in Sopot. The guests were welcomed by the Director of the Center, Beata Karpinska-Musiał, PhD, Prof. UG. The first block of classes, devoted to modern teaching methods, such as the problem-based learning (PBL) method and didactic supervision, was led by Grzegorz Grzegorczyk, PhD, Prof. UG (CDDiT). The second day of the visit, also in Sopot, was marked by a workshop on digital competence. Wojciech Glac, PhD, Prof. UG, conducted classes on the use of applications for creating interactive educational materials, audio and video materials, self-checking tests and other types of tasks. During the visit, the University of Gdansk’s unique solutions for academic career paths were also presented. Ewa Szymczak, PhD, Prof. UG, Vice-Rector for Education, presented the development directions, challenges and good practices in the education process at the University of Gdansk, and discussed the new criteria for promotion to teaching professor.
“We are pleased that we were able to host the study visit participants and share our experiences in modern academic didactics, solutions related to digital education or green transformation in higher education. It’s always a great opportunity to share knowledge and good practices, as we learn from each other. We talked about the challenges facing higher education, the direction of didactics and how to support academics in their work. We hope that these meetings will inspire further cooperation and joint improvement of the quality of education,” stressed Ewa Szymczak, PhD, UG Professor, Vice-Rector for Education, who met with the participants of the visit on the last day at the UG Center for Didactic Improvement and Tutoring.
The study visit allowed not only to get acquainted with the solutions applied at the University of Gdansk, but also to actively participate in lectures and workshops, contributing to the improvement of the teaching competence of the participants. It was also an excellent opportunity for an inspiring exchange of experiences and the search for innovative educational methods in higher education.