In December, AACRAO was invited by NAWA, The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange to participate in a conference in Warsaw. Institutions from around the country gathered to discuss issues around academic exchange with the US and the UK. Along with colleagues from UK NARIC, Deputy Director Melanie Gottlieb represented the association and presented to nearly two hundred participants on Secondary Education in the US and UK.
NAWA is a part of the ENIC-NARIC Network, which is an international network of ministry information centers that support academic mobility across the European Higher Education Area. AACRAO engages with ENIC-NARIC to keep members up to date on international education system changes that may impact international recruitment and credential evaluation. Th Polish agency is a new government agency, established on October 1, 2017. It was created through legislation to coordinate state activities driving the process of internationalization of Polish academic and research institutions. Specifically, the agency:
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Supports international mobility of students, academics and researchers
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Supports the process of internationalization of Polish HEIs and research institutions
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Promotes Polish science and higher education
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Promotes and popularize teaching of the Polish language
The Polish Ministry of Education is currently focused on promoting Polish Higher Education to US and UK students. This translates into increased activities that support an understanding of these education systems in order to foster international institutional partnerships, study abroad, and direct student recruitment activities.
In addition to conference participation, Gottlieb met with the members of the Ministry of Education to gather information on recent education system reforms for inclusion in the AACRAO EDGE database and a webinar on the topic planned later this summer.
The Old Library on the University of Warsaw campus, where the conference took place. It was dark by 3 pm each day.
The front gate of the University of Warsaw
Old Town Warsaw