Education is one of the most important values of HumanDoc Foundation. To know more is to be able make wise choices, supported with solid knowledge and, most of all, to be able to take actions consciously – for our own, local identity, but also for its global dimension.
We introduce our mission into life on many levels: though smaller activities, like preventing infodemia by preparing press reviews and by publishing reliable information from all around the world. By complex, long-term projects, like International Documentary Film Festival HumanDOC and by education supported with high-quality culture, we can reach thousands of viewers nationwide.
New modules (specialisations) for the students
While extending our experience, we implement braver projects. One of such projects, which aimed at raising the quality of teaching global education in Polish higher education by introducing to the curricula two new modules (previously: specialisations) on full-time, I degree studies in political science and journalism.
New modules, that is Global Studies for Political Science Students as well as Film and Communication in Global World – for Journalism Students. Together with our substantive partner, University of Opole, and involved scientists from the Institute of Political Science by the Faculty of Political Science and Social Communication, we implemented our project assumptions in 100%. We take pride in the fact that a few dozens of students fulfil the program prepared by us and our partners. This is the beginning of a new chapter of global education in our country.
At the same time, bearing in mind the necessity to share knowledge with everyone who is interested, the HumanDoc Foundation and University of Opole prepared and published a multimedia coursebook. Apart from the traditional form, which was sent out to the most important academic centres in the country, we have also prepared an online version of the coursebook, so that everyone can access it at any time.
Global Studies Coursebook – multimedia tool for global education
Multimedia coursebook “Global Studies – Introduction to Global Education”, prepared by the HumanDoc Foundation in cooperation with the scientists from the Institute of Political Science at the University of Opole, is the first holistic approach to global topics in our country. The material presents, how the problems of Global South and Global North are interconnected. Mutual relations and interdependencies have been depicted on seven different global dimensions, such as economy, politics, ecology, culture, media, new technology and society. All the materials have been prepared by five authors – young scientists, whose work and publications have already received recognition. What’s important, authors’ knowledge is based not only on theoretical materials, but was also obtained during practical study visits – in one of the biggest refugee camps, Zaatari in Jordan or from the scientists in Scandinavia, who share the authors’ interest in the field of global education.
The concept of the coursebook – its multimedia dimension – is a result of previous activities conducted by the Foundation: building the story of Global South for the recipients from Global North, told to a significant extent by the reportages, which document the events from the world. Apart from the substantive and informative values, its multimedia form is an undoubtful advantage of the coursebook. Visually attractive form and innovative looks will surely meet the expectations of a contemporary reader, who not only looks for information of global importance, but also for comprehensive presentation of data in the same, multi-dimensional, even global form. This is why, the chapters in seven big parts of the coursebook contain photographs, which are also didactical material themselves.
It’s worth emphasising that the photographs come from such websites like Global Voices or Human Rights Watch. These are highly valuable sources, strongly related with global understanding of contemporary world.
The idea to prepare the coursebook in a modern, multimedia form was an imminent consequence of the Foundation’s activities. Our primary goal is to educate about global problems. For nearly a decade now, we’ve been promoting through media, art, new technology and educational activities the socially involved topics, knowledge of Global South and implementation of new solutions, supporting social growth and promoting entrepreneurship. We put our values into real actions. We produce reportages from all over the world and since 2010 we’ve been organising the International Documentary Film Festival (LINK DO FESTIWALU).
About a Lesson in Dying
Two-year project, finalised by organising a nationwide scientific conference, in which scientists working on the topic of global education from whole Poland took part. More than 200 students, 12 scientists, and 2 guests from outside the science world participated in the event.
Our goal was to go beyond the traditional scientific conferences. We were striving to build a platform for the scientists and students to exchange their views. This is why we invited special guests and meetings with them were aimed at preparing students for academic discussion about teaching global education in Poland.
Our open workshop by Katarzyna Boni, Polish reporter, attracted a lot of interest as well. Boni is interested in the problem of global education, especially in the area of ecology. At the same time, she is the co-author of the book “Kontener”, written with Wojciech Tochman. The book tells the story of Syrian refugees and their life in Jordan. The workshops by Bani opened students’ eyes to global education, making them realise that their personal choices and local actions, have their consequences in the global structure of the world.
For the academics, the discussion panel turned out to be the most interesting part of the event – “Searching for the Effective Narration. About the Global Studies – How to Talk about the Global World”. All invited quests, including the prominent professor Mirosława Czerny and the Polish Ambassador, Michał Radlicki, participated in the project. The goal of the panel was to specify the directions of global education in higher education.
The coursebook “Global Studies – Introduction to Global Education” was prepared by the HumanDoc Foundation together with the scientists from the Institute of Political Science of the Institute of Opole. The project was co-financed from the funds of Polish Aid programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The result of the project are the modules available for students of the University of Opole since the academic year 2019/2020. New modules on the Political Science major are Global Studies, while on the Journalism and Social Communication Major – it’s Communication and Film in Global World. Yet another result of the project is the multimedia coursebook.
