Wrocław Medical University Receives a Grant for the NAWA Welcome to Poland Programme! “Find Your Way at WMU – International Campus Accessibility and Orientation Project”
Wrocław Medical University has received a grant to implement the “Find Your Way at WMU” project, which aims to improve campus accessibility, develop modern information tools and enhance the quality of support provided to the university’s international community.
The project responds to the university’s real needs. We hope that its implementation will bring tangible improvements to the everyday experience of students, doctoral students, researchers, staff and patients using the university’s facilities.
Making It Easier to Find Your Way Around the University
Wrocław Medical University is expanding its international cooperation, participating in European projects and welcoming an increasing number of people from abroad. At the same time, the specific nature of our institution as a medical university, with a geographically dispersed infrastructure combining academic and clinical facilities, presents us with particular challenges.
Inconsistent building signage, limited availability of information in English and difficulties navigating the campuses can make everyday activities more challenging not only for people arriving from abroad, but also for Polish students, staff and patients.
The “Find Your Way at WMU” project aims to help address these challenges by creating a coherent system of information, communication and support that meets the needs of different user groups.
What Will Change?
The project will focus on five main areas:
- Clear Information Across the Campus – standardising signage and introducing directional signs in English, maps, pictograms and accessibility signage.
- Modern Digital Tools – developing an interactive campus map, a 360° virtual tour, a mobile information system and directions to key university locations, including guidance on how to get there and find your way on foot.
- Developing the Welcome Centre – improving services for international members of the university community and preparing clearer welcome and information procedures.
- Developing Staff Skills – providing training in intercultural communication, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), plain language, accessibility and cooperation in multicultural teams, particularly in the context of project work.
- Greater Accessibility and Inclusion – introducing solutions that take into account the needs of people with specific accessibility requirements, including people with reduced mobility, communication difficulties and neurodivergent individuals.
An important part of the project will also involve learning about users’ own experiences and perspectives. An audit of the needs of the international community and the accessibility of the campuses will help identify existing barriers and plan solutions that address real-life challenges.
Changes That Make a Difference Every Day
“Find Your Way at WMU” is about more than signage and digital tools. It is also an investment in the quality of communication, everyday comfort and the university’s organisational culture.
We want people arriving in Wrocław to find it easier to settle into their new environment, while ensuring that our staff have the skills and tools they need to effectively support the international community. The project will also benefit people who are not directly involved in internationalisation, including patients and everyone who uses the university’s facilities.
The project supports Wrocław Medical University’s strategic objectives in improving the quality of education, developing staff competencies and fostering an organisational culture based on openness and respect.
The EURAXESS recommendations and European standards promoting a supportive research environment will also serve as important points of reference.
We believe that internationalisation also begins with everyday experiences: being able to find the right building without difficulty, access clear and understandable information and feel part of the academic community. We hope that “Find Your Way at WMU” will lead to concrete, visible and lasting changes that will benefit the entire university community.
