Sustainable Tomorrow – Project for the Future (of Education) in Poland

Working together for a green,
competitive and inclusive Europe

HumanDoc Foundation goes on raising the quality of education in Poland regarding the most up-to-date issues of global dimensions. This time, together with our substantive partners – universities from Poland (the University of Warsaw, the University of Opole and the University of Wroclaw) and abroad (from Iceland and Norway) – we are working on a new subject in the field of sustainable development. This will be the first course of this kind at Polish universities, which is a response to the gap in terms of sustainable development in current education system.

Works on the implementation of the project have already started in full swing. In cooperation with the academicians, working groups were established, which collect materials for further work. Experts provide substantive support to the academicians – the first of them was Katarzyna Karpa-Świderek, spokeswoman for WWF Poland.

We are using new technologies and HumanDoc’s knowledge of media to create the first in Poland, interdisciplinary subject in an attractive form. This is why, an addition to introducing this innovative subject will be publication of a multimedia coursebook with many audio-visual forms, like reportages, social campaigns and human stories. New quality of education will in the future translate into a better educated society, aware of degradation of natural environment and looking for solutions – individually, locally, on governmental level, on international arena and globally.

New quality of education

The goal of our project is to introduce the subject in the field of sustainable development in as many as ten different majors at three respected universities in the country: University of Warsaw, University of Wroclaw and University of Opole. This will be the first subject of such kind introduced to Polish universities, which in a holistic way will combine topics from various fields. New, innovative subject means new possibilities for Polish students: opportunity to acquire knowledge in the context of the most recent events and pressing challenges. At the same time, this knowledge will be needed and will allow real response to current challenges, not only in the local context, but also globally. During the implementation of the project, we will work with our experienced substantive partners: University of Warsaw, University of Opole and University of Wroclaw. The engagement of scientists from these institutions in yet another project by HumanDoc Foundation on the one hand makes us proud, and on the other fills us with optimisms about the outcome of our joint efforts.

What’s also important, we have the support of our substantive partners from Norway and Iceland as well as from international organization with its seat in Svalbard and experts in sustainable development. This is also part of our innovative solution. The core of our project is building an intercollegiate and international team of experts, who will not only prepare the content-related matters, but will also create a program and didactical materials.

New Technologies for Education

At the same time, to share the expert knowledge with the widest audience possible – academics, students, high school youth involved in global matters – we will prepare a multimedia coursebook with our original content. The essence of this book, apart from its substantive values, will be also its availability for anyone, who would like to broaden their horizons.

Within the scope of the project, we will create audio visual materials, including reportages and other video forms, like human stories or social campaigns. This part of the task reflects the skills and possibilities of HumanDoc team and the confidence we have in the power of pictures. We know that films are the best information carriers today: thanks to the capabilities of this form, it influences the viewer with powerful pictures, but also with the sounds, emotional stories of the characters. This is why, audio-visual materials are such an attractive and popular form for young viewers. This is why we will continue to use the possibilities that cultures offer us to support education and learning new content effectively.

The core of this project is education for sustainable development. Another equally important element is our concept of taking actions, which are bound to bring results: we are looking for interdisciplinary solutions, which present topics in a holistic way, taking into consideration the environmental, economic and, what’s important, social aspects of the sustainable development. We do believe that raising the qualifications of Polish academic staff will translate not only into the quality of education, but also the involvement and inspiration for the students, social leaders, to take actions. The results of our project will reach further than just introducing a new subject and publishing a multimedia coursebook. This project by HumanDoc will be the beginning of a real change shaped by our Foundation, the results of which will resonate in a better educated society, which is aware of the threats and needs of the global world. Society which looks actively for important solutions for sustainable development in Poland and on international arena.

Urszula Martyniszyn

HumanDoc Foundation

The Project “Introducing Education in the Field of Sustainable Development at Selected Universities in Poland” benefits from the funding of EUR 188,060.40 granted by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as a part of EEA fund for 2014-2021.

The aim of the project is to introduce the subject of Sustainable Development on the total of ten courses at three Polish Universities: University of Warsaw, University of Wroclaw and University of Opole.

About EEA Grants

The EEA Grants represent contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to creating a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

There are two general objectives: reducing economic and social inequalities in Europe and strengthening bilateral relations between donor states and the EU-15 countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltic Sea area.

The three Donor States cooperate closely with the EU under the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Donors contributed 3.3 billion euro as part of successive fund programs in 1994-2014. EEA funds for 2014-2021 amount to 1.55 billion euro.

The priorities for this period are:

#1 innovation, research, education and competitiveness;

#2 social inclusion, youth employment and poverty reduction;

#3 environment, energy, climate change and low carbon economy;

#4 culture, civil society, good governance and fundamental rights;

#5 justice and internal affairs.

The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, whose contributions are based on their GDP. Eligibility for funds is based on meeting the criteria set out in the EU Cohesion Fund for Member States where gross domestic product per capita is less than 90% of the EU average.