Meeting with the International Office team and representatives of individual departments at Airlangga University
In recent weeks, a delegation from the University of Gdańsk held a series of meetings in Vietnam and Indonesia devoted to the development of academic cooperation within the framework of partnerships with universities in Southeast Asia. The visits are in line with the strategic directions of the University of Gdańsk's development in the areas of internationalisation, scientific research and academic mobility, as well as with the European Union's priorities for cooperation with the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and East Timor).
Southeast Asia is currently one of the most dynamically developing regions in the world, with a young population, rapid economic growth and an increasing demand for high competences in the green and blue economy, sustainable development and digitalisation. For the University of Gdańsk, a university strongly associated with the sea and environmental sciences, and socially engaged, this region is a natural partner for scientific and educational cooperation.
As emphasised by the Vice-Rector for Cooperation and International Relations, dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG: ‘The ASEAN region is today one of the most important centres for the development of science and education. We see enormous potential in it for student exchanges, joint research and building bridges between our academic communities. The University of Gdańsk's cooperation with Indonesia and Vietnam is an investment in the future of the university: in new partnerships, the development of the competences of students and researchers, as well as the strengthening of the international position of the University of Gdańsk as a university that is committed, open to the world and actively participating in European and global education policy.
‘The established cooperation and the partnerships that are being formed and strengthened open up new opportunities in the areas of student and academic staff exchanges, the creation of joint study and research programmes, the development of future competences in the digital, maritime and environmental fields, and the construction of a common higher education area between the EU and ASEAN,’ - points out Magdalena Sawicz, Director of the Cooperation and International Relations Office.
Visit to Indonesia
Open lecture by dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG, Airlangga University
During their visit to Indonesia, representatives of the University of Gdańsk - prof. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, Magda Sawicz and dr hab. Edward Juchniewicz, prof. UG from GlobalInHUB UG - met with rectors and academic staff of leading universities to discuss specific areas of cooperation, from joint educational programmes to student and doctoral student exchanges. The UG delegation visited Airlangga University (QS 287), Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (QS 509), and Udayana University (QS 1401).
Airlangga University (UNAIR) (QS 287) - one of the best universities in Indonesia, with which cooperation opportunities were discussed in the following areas:
- Biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences
- International, commercial and maritime law (joint educational modules implemented at UG and UNAIR
- Social sciences and health management
- Fisheries and marine sciences
- Joint summer schools and micro-credentials in the areas of future skills
Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) (QS 509) - a leading technical university, where areas of cooperation were identified in:
- Marine engineering and ocean technology
- Renewable energy technologies
- Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity
- Environmental engineering and sustainable infrastructure
- Short-term education in the areas of sustainable studies
- Joint research projects
Udayana University (QS 1401) - one of the largest universities in Indonesia, with which cooperation was discussed in the following areas:
- Sustainable tourism and cultural heritage management
- International law, with particular emphasis on tourism law and environmental protection
- Environmental sciences and protection of tropical ecosystems
- Oceanography and marine sciences (the island location offers unique research opportunities)
- Cultural studies, anthropology and intercultural communication
- Hospitality and catering
- Tropical agriculture and food security
Discussions also focused on opportunities for initiatives in the field of maritime economy and environmental protection, in line with the SEA-EU Global Gateway strategy and sustainable development priorities.
Visit to Vietnam
Presentation of the NAWA ASPIC project as part of the Vietnam-Poland Higher Education Forum at RMIT University in Ho Chi Minh City
The visit of the UG delegation to Indonesia coincided with the educational mission of the Polish Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) in Vietnam, part of the Edu&Science Meetings series in cooperation with the Polish Embassy in Hanoi, during which Polish universities participated in educational fairs and bilateral meetings in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The UG delegation also took part in events related to European Higher Education Week (EHEW), organised by the EU Delegation to Vietnam (EUD) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST). EHEW 2025 is an initiative implemented as part of the EU's communication and public diplomacy strategy in Vietnam, aimed at promoting the EU as a partner for sustainable development in the area of skills development. The University of Gdańsk, as one of nine Polish universities, took part in the education fair, promoting educational opportunities in Europe among Vietnamese students and academic staff.
As part of EHEW, a full-day Horizon & Erasmus+ Day conference was held, hosting around 50 higher education institutions (HEIs) from EU Member States visiting Vietnam and around 100 Vietnamese institutions interested in the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes , the EU's flagship programmes in the fields of education, training, youth and sport, as well as research and innovation.
The UG delegation also took part in the celebrations of the Polish National Independence Day at the Embassy in Hanoi, meeting with Vietnamese graduates of Polish universities.
During their visit to Vietnam, representatives of the University of Gdańsk - Vice-Rector for Education dr Ewa Szymczak, prof. UG SEA-EU Project Manager Marlena Rutkowska-Myzyk and a delegation from the Faculty of Social Sciences: dr hab. Joanna Różycka-Tran, prof. UG and dr hab. Paweł Jurek, prof. UG - met with the authorities of partner universities and representatives of academic circles, discussing the possibilities of implementing joint research projects, study programmes and doctoral student exchanges. The talks also focused on cooperation in the fields of maritime economy, environmental protection and digital transformation - areas consistent with the priorities of the EU-ASEAN strategy for higher education and the SEA-EU Global Gateway.
‘Vietnam is a country with enormous potential in its young generation,’ says prof. Ewa Szymczak. ‘Together with NAWA and the Polish Embassy in Hanoi, we want to build lasting academic relationships that will translate into joint study programmes, mobility and joint research projects. Vietnamese universities have enormous research and teaching potential, especially in areas related to tropical ecosystems, sustainable development and new technologies, which allows not only for the exchange of knowledge, but also for a joint response to global challenges - from climate change to energy transition. It is also an excellent opportunity to promote the University of Gdańsk and Poland as an attractive place to study.
The NAWA mission to Vietnam, in which Polish universities participated, included, among other things, education fairs, meetings with representatives of Vietnamese universities and talks at the Ministry of Education and Training in Hanoi. The event highlighted the growing importance of cooperation between Poland and Vietnam in the field of higher education and scientific research.
The University of Gdańsk has also been intensively developing cooperation with Vietnam for many years, most recently thanks to the support of the National Agency for Academic Exchange, which is financing the development of science and academic exchange for the years 2024-2026. Currently, as part of the NAWA Strategic Partnerships programme, the University of Gdańsk is implementing the project ‘Applied social psychology in an intercultural context: synergies between the University of Gdańsk and Vietnam’ with two partners in Vietnam: the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University (USSH VNU) and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS). The project leader on behalf of the University of Gdańsk is dr hab. Joanna Różycka-Tran, prof. dr hab. at the Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Gdańsk, who during roundtable meetings with local universities presented the assumptions and effects of the ASPIC project, which met with great interest during the Vietnam -Poland Higher Educational Forum at RMIT University in Saigon and the Round Table of Vietnamese and Polish universities at HUMG University in Hanoi. It is worth noting that ASPIC is the only project in the field of humanities and psychology implemented in Vietnam on such a large scale.
Thanks to funding from the NAWA Strategic Partnership programme (ASPIC project), two important conferences on mental health were organised: ‘Psychological Issues Among Adolescents in the Contemporary Context’ (5 November, VASS, Hanoi) - an interdisciplinary meeting of scientists, and ‘Psychology and Human Development in a Changing Worlds’ (7 November, USSH, Hanoi) - a conference co-organised by the University of Gdańsk.
‘Seventeen years ago, I started working with Vietnam on my own (...), and now more than a hundred people are involved in joint research projects in the fields of Mental Health Psychology, Family Psychology, Gender Studies and Research Methods. Diagnostic standards in the area of neurodiversity are being created, and tools and scales are being adapted to take into account the cultural context, says project leader dr hab. Joanna Różycka-Tran, prof. UG, emphasising the dynamic development of cooperation.
You can read more about the cooperation here:
