Development of joint projects with the University of Szczecin

Together with the University of Szczecin, we are successfully developing joint projects that enrich the students and employees of both institutions. Recently, a group of Czech students went to Szczecin for an international seminar, and thanks to a specific project of the University of Szczecin, it was possible to share experiences with inclusive solutions for people with specific needs.

International seminar in Szczecin 

In April 2023, UHK, the University of Bayreuth, and the University of Szczecin organized an international Common Identity Common Future seminar. Colleagues from the Polish University of Szczecin organized the whole event. In addition to the Germans, 10 Czechs also traveled to the north. These students participated in three workshops (Democratic, Cross-border, and Inclusion) and a formal Oxford debate. 

"First of all, I would like to thank the hosts from the University of Szczecin for their hospitality. We had a lot of fun but also learned about the similarities and differences of democracy and common values among European nations. I am very grateful for that experience," comments Michal Királyi, PhD student from the Department of Political Science, Philosophical Faculty, UHK.

Thanks to our involvement in EURESTRA, students deepened their knowledge of the institutions of the European Union and learned how their colleagues in Poland and Germany view the European Union. The students most appreciated the Oxford debate, which, due to its rules and formality, "motivated them to better performances both argumentatively and in terms of English". 

Inclusion and sharing of good practice examples 

At the end of April 2023, the head of UHK Point, Zdeňka Kulhánková, accepted an invitation to the University of Szczecin. Polish partners are at the start of the Accessibility Knowledge Center project, which aims to expand the infrastructure for people with specific needs who study or work at the university. UHK Point combines five service workplaces, including Augustin Support for Students with Specific Needs. It thus has experience in this area, which Zdeňka Kulhánková discussed with the project managers and the Center's employees. Social pedagogue and manager of inclusive activities at UHK, Zuzana Průchová, joined the discussion remotely.

As part of the project, colleagues from Poland created a special room where you can experience life with a disadvantage. "Visiting the space, which will be used to educate and spread the idea of improving the accessibility of public and work spaces for people with disabilities, was probably the most powerful experience during my work program at the University of Szczecin," says Zdeňka Kulhánková, adding that the room has virtual reality, which provides the visitor the experience of people with various visual impairments as well as riding a wheelchair in the scenery of the city of Szczecin. "The wheelchair is anchored in one place, but its wheels turn, and you propel it with your own strength. Using the eye-tracker, you move in a real city environment and try, for example, to get out of a bank or catch a bus at a stop. The University of Szczecin Accessibility Knowledge Center will lend compensatory aids to institutions in the Szczecin region, help with education, and create service standards. It is a very inspiring project," she adds. 

Zdeňka Kulhánková was received in Poland by the management of the Faculty of Law, dean Ewelina Cała-Wacinkiewicz, and vice-deans Wojciech Bożek and Wojciech Staszewski. An essential part of inclusion is also legal aspects and claims for assistance for persons with disabilities according to the law system.