Between 25 and 26 March 2026, Miłosława Witkowska, a staff member of the International Relations Office WMU, attended the conference “Cooperation Without Borders – Building the NAWA EURAXESS Regional Network,” which took place at the Main Library of the University of Gdańsk.
The event was dedicated to the development of regional cooperation in the areas of the internationalization of science and higher education, researcher mobility, and the creation of a friendly and inclusive academic environment for the international community.
The conference was opened by Dr Wojciech Karczewski – Director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange, Dr Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Gdańsk – Vice Rector for Cooperation and Internationalization at the University of Gdańsk and Magdalena Sawicz, M.A. – Director of the Office for Cooperation and Internationalization at the University of Gdańsk.
In their speeches, they emphasized the importance of institutional and regional cooperation within the NAWA EURAXESS network and the need for systemic support for mobile researchers and the international community.
The program included, among other things:
• a presentation of the NAWA EURAXESS Network program’s objectives
• a panel on European Universities as ecosystems of academic cooperation
• discussions on HR Excellence in Research, diversity management, and a culture of equality
• conversations on the importance of a welcome culture in hosting foreign researchers
On the second day, special attention was given to the role of students and doctoral candidates as co-creators of democratic and inclusive universities.
Another key element of the conference was a strategic workshop during which participants worked on the development framework for the regional NAWA EURAXESS network in the Pomeranian Voivodeship—focusing on the areas of Attract, Connect, Welcome, and Integrate.
The event culminated in the signing of membership declarations by new institutions, marking an important step toward further strengthening cooperation for the internationalization of science, researcher mobility, and the integration of the international community in the region.
The inspiration and best practices gained from the conference serve as an incentive for the Piastów Śląskich Medical University in Wrocław to continue actively contributing to and developing the network in Lower Silesia.