Participants and organisers of the Summer School of the University of Lodz Doctoral School of Social Sciences at the new seat of doctoral schools of the University of Lodz
More photos from the #UniLodz SDNS Summer School
The Summer School was initiated as part of the "SPINAKER – Intensive International Educational Programmes" project, funded by the European Funds for Knowledge, Education and Development, as well as the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. The event was organised by Professor Małgorzata Pietrasiak, the Head of the Department of Asian Studies at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz together with her team.
I am delighted to have been a part of this extraordinary event. The summer school was a true journey through the diversity of cultures, perspectives and research. It was an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and exploration of the social aspects of multiculturalism. We took part in countless inspiring discussions, presentations, workshops and meetings with invited experts that opened our minds to the new ways of looking at how societies address the challenges of multiculturalism. However, the energy, passion and commitment of each participant made the most lasting impression on me. The willingness to share their research and experiences, as well as the openness to learning from one another, was truly inspiring. Together, we created a friendly and open environment that fostered the exchange of ideas and making lasting friendships. I am proud of what we have collectively achieved during this summer school. We are all now part of a global network of scholars who are open to working on solving numerous social challenges we have been witnessing in the 21st century
– Dr Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska from the Department of Asian Studies at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz, the co-organiser and the guiding spirit of the summer school.
The online part of the summer school, included lectures by scientists from the University of Lodz: Prof. Ilona Świątek-Barylska, Director of the University of Lodz Doctoral School of Social Sciences; Prof. Grażyna Zygadło; Prof. Tomasz Kamiński; Prof. Marta Woźniak-Bobińska; Dr Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska; Dr Błażej Ciarkowski; as well as Prof. Andreas Langenohl, from the Justus Liebig University in Giessen; Jessica Geraldo Schwengber who is a researcher at the Leadership Excellence Institute in Friedrichshafen, Germany and Tobias Grünfelder who is a researcher, a lecturer at Zeppelin University promoting intercultural learning.
The Summer School exposed me to Europe's multicultural experiences. Not only did I acquire knowledge of the subject and its theories but I was also able to share Malaysia's multicultural experience. I also got to learn about experiences of others, network and make long life friends with individuals from various backgrounds but with similar interests
– Syahirah Sulastri Asman, one of the event participants.
In the on-site part, the participants of the summer school were divided into four groups and, with the guidance of academic supervisors, were to answer what might seem like a trivial question: What is the best museum in the city of Lodz? Each group had to develop its own research methodology and present their findings based on it. It turned out that each group selected a different museum: one group chose Herbst Palace Museum, another selected the ms 2, the third opted for the Film Museum in Lodz, and finally, the fourth group chose the Łódź City Culture Park.
Thank you for this excellent opportunity to take part in the “Social Aspects of Multiculturalism” Summer School! I enjoyed both parts: the online part and the on-site part in Lodz. I have to admit that after one week of working online it was amazing to meet all the participants on-site and explore the museums of Lodz together. Poland is a country with rich culture and history, therefore the practical group task – to find the best museum in the city was very complicated at first, because there are many great places of culture and it is not possible to see all the museums in a week. However, when we came up with a strategy based on the academic literature review, we coped with the task well. It was a pleasure to work together in one research group with students from Malaysia, Pakistan, Portugal, Georgia and China. In my opinion, there was a perfect balance between lectures, workshops and group task. The best thing about the summer school was not just sharing my own opinions on different topics but also meeting doctoral and MA students from all over the world who have similar approaches and life understanding. This opportunity means a lot to me because I have improved not just my theoretical knowledge of multiculturalism, academic presentation skills but also made new friendships and contacts. Hopefully, there will be other projects which will allow us to meet in the near future. Thank you very much for all the effort you put into the organisation, because overall this was a great experience that I will never forget
– Lingita Lina Henritiusa, one of the event participants.
Source: Michał Gzik, University of Lodz Doctoral School of Social Sciences
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz
Photos: Maciej Andrzejewski (Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz)