Solidarity with Ukraine
Dear Sir or Madam,
The Office for Innovation in Teaching and Learning coordinates the teaching and learning initiatives addressed to the citizens of Ukraine.
Please send information about ideas, ongoing initiatives and opportunities for collaboration between the UW units to: bid@uw.edu.pl.
Students, doctoral students and employees of the University of Warsaw join in actions to help the Ukrainian community. This support is provided to those fleeing Ukraine as well as to those who have long been members of our academic community.
Many support initiatives are also undertaken by the student self-government.
Teaching and learning initiatives
- “SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE” PROGRAMME
The “Solidarity with Ukraine” programme, funded by the National Agency for Academic Exchange, will run from 1 July to 30 September 2022. The admission process will begin on 6 June.
- RESEARCH VISIT PROGRAMME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW FOR UKRAINIAN STUDENTS AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS
On 19 April, a research visit programme will be launched for Ukrainian students and doctoral students to carry out research visits or part-time studies at the UW. The admission process will be managed by the UW International Relations Office continuously, on a competitive basis, until places are filled.
- FREE CLASSES
→The Faculty of Applied Linguistics invites students to attend free classes. It is possible to attend all classes in the following fields: Ukrainian Studies, Belarusian Studies, Russian Studies, Applied Linguistics.
→Visitors from Ukraine interested in the possibility of participating in free classes at the Faculty of Sociology are kindly requested to contact Agnieszka Jasiewicz, PhD, the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs (ajasiew@is.uw.edu.pl).
→The Chair of Hungarian Studies, at the Faculty of Modern Languages, opens its doors to students who have been forced to interrupt their course of study at universities in Ukraine. If you study Hungarian Studies, Finish Studies or you study Estonian language at your university, you can attend classes offered by the Faculty of Modern Languages at the University of Warsaw without any formalities. You are cordially invited! Please contact us at: ebator@uw.edu.pl
→ Following consultation with Monika Kostro, PhD, the Head of the Teaching Unit, Prof. Robert Małecki, the Dean of the Faculty of Modern Languages, has decided to open the classes in all units of the Faculty to students from Ukraine who express the will to attend as free students. Classes are held in the languages of the field (i.e. in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian and Finish). Anyone interested in taking part in the classes is invited to contact:openclasses@wn.uw.edu.pl.
→The Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warsaw offers classes as a “free student” for those who have interrupted their studies due to the war conflict and found themselves on the territory of Poland. Anyone willing to attend the classes organised by the Faculty of Economic Sciences as a free student, please send an email to: for_ukraine@wne.uw.edu.pl
→The Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw invites Ukrainian citizens and all war refugees from Ukraine to take part in courses: for_ukraine@wne.uw.edu.pl
→The Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw invites incoming students from Ukraine who wish to attend lectures on a free-of-charge basis in the following fields of study: biology, biotechnology or environmental protection. Contact: Magdalena Markowska, PhD (studencki@biol.uw.edu.pl).
→The Faculty of Geology of the University of Warsaw invites incoming students from Ukraine who wish to attend lectures on a free-of-charge basis in the following fields of study: exploratory geology and applied geology. Contact: E. Durska, PhD (edurska@uw.edu.pl).
- BIOLOGY SEMINAR FOR UKRAINIANS
The UW Faculty of Biology invites to participate in a biology seminar aimed at young Ukrainians who plan to take the Polish or Ukrainian matriculation exam, with the aim to attend a Polish secondary school or study in Poland. The cyclical meetings held will be translated into Ukrainian. The first lecture is already on 24 March. The seminar will focus on the Polish and Ukrainian matriculation exam in biology in preparation for these exams. The academic knowledge presented at the seminar can also benefit younger students in high school classes who intend to start their studies in Poland, as well as all science and biology enthusiasts regardless of age.
- REMOTE CLASSES FOR THE UNIVERSITY IN DNIPRO
The UW Faculty of Oriental Studies organizes remote classes for the University of Dnipro (the Ołeś Honczar Dnipro National University) for students of the Comparative Philology of Eastern and English-speaking countries. https://www.dnu.dp.ua/en/comparative_philology_of_eastern_and_english_speaking_countries_chair/ The classes include:
→organised by the Huayu Chinese Language Learning Centre (The Taiwanese centre at the Department of Sinology): “Selected Readings of Taiwanese literature” and “Selected Readings of Business and Economy”
→ OGUN classes: The chrysanthemum and the tortoise, a linguistic converse
→ Chinese history: lecture/workshop
- INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
The Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics has launched the following programmes:
→ “Tandem” – the idea behind the programme is for students to meet with the aim to learn each other’s language: Polish and Ukrainian.
→ “Let’s meet” – the programme aims to meet specific individuals and families and show them Warsaw and support them in their daily lives.
and the initiative:
→ “Language Assistance Centre” aimed at students and other Ukrainian citizens, which consists of free assistance in medical, legal and other important everyday translations. It also covers interpreting in offices, medical, educational and other institutions. The programme also provides free assistance in certified translations
Language courses
- POLISH AND UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE COURSES
The Open University Centre organises Polish and Ukrainian language courses in cooperation with the Faculty of Pedagogy, the Faculty of Polish Studies and the Faculty of History. An initiative dedicated to people outside the UW, including refugees from Ukraine, volunteers, and school teachers. Admission for courses is announced periodically. All interested, please follow the link: https://www.uo.uw.edu.pl/.
- FULL-TIME CLASSES IN POLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The University of Warsaw Library organises free-of-charge, full-time courses in Polish as a foreign language. During the classes, participants will be able to learn: how to introduce yourself and tell people about yourself; what are the free platforms for learning Polish. Course participants will also be able to expand their vocabulary and break down the language barrier.
- BASIC UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE COURSES FOR STUDENTS, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
The UW Centre For Eastern European Studies and the UW School of Eastern Languages organise token-free and free-of-charge courses in the basics of the Ukrainian language for students, staff and volunteers. Course dates and information on how to enrol can be found on the UW School of Eastern Languages website.
- UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE COURSES FOR THE UW FACULTIES
The Faculty of Applied Linguistics, Department of Ukrainian Studies organises Ukrainian language courses for students from other UW faculties, by means of commissioned classes. All interested, please contact Katarzyna Malesa, PhD, at k.malesa@uw.edu.pl.
- GOOD ADVICE FROM TEACHERS OF POLISH AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Training series conducted by the lecturers from the Polonicum – Centre of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners at the UW – good advice for teachers and lecturers of Polish as a foreign language (and all other good people who help Ukrainian refugees).
Open meetings
- SEMINAR ON THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
The UW Centre of Migration Research is organising a seminar on the challenges of hosting refugees in Poland and lessons from other crises in Europe. The event will take place online on 18 March at 2.00 pm. The meeting will be conducted in English. A webcast of the event can be viewed on the Facebook page of the Centre of Migration Research (https://www.facebook.com/events). A recording of the meeting will also be available on the Centre channel on YouTube This is the second event organised by the Centre in a series of meetings on the current humanitarian crisis. The first webinar can be viewed on the Centre YouTube channel in Polish: https://www.youtube.com.
- CURRENT POLITICAL COMMENTARY, CENTRE FOR EASTERN EUROPEAN STUDIES
The Centre for Eastern European Studies organised a series of open online lectures on “Ukraine 2022”. The initiative aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the events in Ukraine, their background and possible consequences. Lectures take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6.00 – 8.00 pm (including discussion), in Polish or English. Meetings are led by the Centre lecturers and invited guests. More information about the meetings can be found on the Centre’s website: https://studium.uw.edu.pl.
The recorded lectures, which are part of the series, are available on the YouTube profile of the Foreign Affairs Portal (event partner):
- “Russian aggression against Ukraine – analysis of the course of armed struggle”
- “Russians towards Russia’s aggression against Ukraine – public reactions”
The Centre for Eastern European Studies also publishes videos on the Centre’s YouTube channel, in which Jan Malicki, the Head of the Centre, talks about the current situation related to the war in Ukraine. The materials are available at the website of the Centre for Eastern European Studies.
- WEBINAR “A REFUGEE IN OUR HOME. HOW TO HELP?”
A webinar “A refugee in our home. How to help?” organised by the UW Faculty of Sociology. During the meeting it was possible to find out the answers to the following questions: how to take care of our guests and how to take care of ourselves and other household members? What are the challenges of intercultural communication in the domestic space? What can we learn from people with experience of helping refugees? The event was attended by Anna Alboth, a journalist, and Marta Pietrusinska, PhD – experts and activists specialising in migration and working with refugees. The meeting was chaired by Sylwia Urbańska, PhD from the UW Faculty of Sociology, the author of research on the transformations of family life in migrant and rural communities, including the book “Polish Mother at a Distance. From the migratory experiences of female workers 1989-2009”.
- WEBINAR “MIGRATION AND CITIES IN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS”
How to effectively manage distributed activities implemented by local administrations, NGOs and volunteers? What solutions work best and have already worked well in communities that have been receiving forced migrants for years, and what can less experienced communities learn from them? These questions were answered by the participants in a webinar organised on 8 March by the UW Migration Policy Team and the UW Socio-Cultural Research Team of the Centre of Migration Research. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the current conditions for the reception of forced migrants, the challenges accompanying this, as well as best practices in managing the crisis situation and responding to the most necessary needs of people fleeing Ukraine in terms of accommodation, education, access to health care or the labour market. This seminar kicks off a series of meetings on how cities are responding to the needs of migrants in times of crisis.
The meeting was organised by: Kamila Fiałkowska, PhD, Marta Jaroszewicz, PhD, Marta Kindler, PhD, Karolina Łukasiewicz, PhD, Michał Nowosielski, PhD, Marta Pachocka, PhD, and Dominik Wach. Detailed information can be found at the UW Centre’s website >>
- WEBINAR “SHOULD WE BE AFRAID OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ACCIDENT?”
On 8 March, the webinar “Should we be afraid of a nuclear power plant accident?” took place. The speakers panel consisted of the scientists from the UW Faculty of Physics: Prof. Zygmunt Szefliński and Beata Brzozowska, PhD. The webinar was organised by the Open University Centre.
- “HOW TO PREPARE TO WELCOME UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IN THE CLASSROOM?”
The webinar “How to prepare for welcoming Ukrainian children in the classroom?” took place on 4 March. It was organised by the Education School of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the University of Warsaw. The online meeting was aimed at teachers, headmasters, volunteers and parents. The invited experts – teachers and intercultural assistants from the Ukrainian House in Warsaw – talked about the most important issues related to the integration of children and young people: both from the psychological and cultural as well as from the educational perspective.
- CHILDREN FROM UKRAINE. HOW GOOD IS IT TO BE WITH THEM AT SCHOOL?
The UW Faculty of Psychology organises meetings for people accompanying Ukrainian children in Polish schools. Meetings are held online, every Wednesday from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm. The next meeting will take place on 30 March at 6.00 pm and will be hosted by Anna Cierpka, PhD, Karolina Małek, PhD and Zofia Borska-Mądrzycka, MA under the topic: “Supporting children – building safety and healing play”.
- MINDFULNESS AND COMPASSION IN CRISIS. HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
The UW Faculty of Psychology invites to participate in an online supportive meeting entitled: “Mindfulness and compassion in crisis. How to take care of yourself and others”, during which participants will meditate and perform mindfulness practices focused on: developing mindfulness and related qualities, such as calmness and sustainability, which are so important in the current times; being skilful with difficult emotions; developing the ability to soothe and inspire kindness and compassion towards oneself and one’s own struggles, as well as towards other people. Meetings will take place on the ZOOM platform every second Wednesday at 7.30 pm (the schedule of meetings can be found at the link below). Target audience: volunteers and anyone else who would like to take care of themselves and help others in these difficult times by developing mindfulness and compassion. Each meeting will consist of an introduction and meditation, followed by a panel discussion. Meetings will be led by a mindfulness teacher and therapist, Prof. Paweł Holas, MD PhD.
- ONLINE MEETINGS FOR STUDENTS WORKING WITH CHILDREN (POLISH AND UKRAINIAN)
Online meetings for students working with children (Polish and Ukrainian). Space for ongoing discussion of difficult situations and sharing of ideas. The meetings, organised by the UW Faculty of Psychology, will take place on Tuesdays at 7.00 pm and will be chaired by Prof. Agnieszka Maryniak. Link to the meeting: meet.google.com/jjn-rzrg-qdp.
- THE HISTORY OF UKRAINE A LA RUSSE…
A debate “History of Ukraine à la russe…” took place at the Faculty of History of the UW. Participants in the debate discussed the history of Ukraine, fake news regarding relations between Ukraine and Russia, the contemporary relationship between the two countries and the ongoing war. The meeting was attended by: Prof. Joanna Getka from the UW Faculty of Applied Linguistics (the Chair of Intercultural Studies of Central and Eastern Europe), Bartłomiej Gajos, PhD, from the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Science, Prof. Hieronim Grala from the UW Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, and Piotr Kroll, PhD and Artur Markowski, PhD (chairing the meeting) from the UW Faculty of History.
- “TOGETHER ABOUT UKRAINE” SERIES
How to understand the treaties of alliance? What is “casus foederis”? What is the relevance of aviation legislation and what is at stake in the debate about creating a no-fly zone?
The Faculty of Political Science and International Studies will help to find answers to these and other questions. The next meeting of the “Together about Ukraine” series will take place on 4 April at 6.30 pm, in the Professor Baszkiewicz auditorium on the ground floor of the UW Faculty of Political Science and International Studies auditorium building, 26/28 Krakowskie Przedmieście! The war in Ukraine has been going on for over a month now, and the following weeks are shedding light on new issues. This is worth talking about!
- ROBERT MAKŁOWICZ – CENTRAL EUROPEAN COFFEE HOUSES AS CENTRES OF INTELLECTUAL AND ARTISTIC LIFE
About cafés as centres of cultural and intellectual life in Central Europe and about Ukraine as part not only of Eastern Europe, but also of Central Europe. On the role and importance of café life in the former Habsburg monarchy and what such life was like in Lviv and Chernivtsi during the Austro-Hungarian era and the interwar period. All these interesting issues will be presented by Robert Makłowicz – a journalist, publicist, culinary critic, author of cult reportages combining culinary themes with a historical and geographical perspective.
Teaching and learning materials
- DATABASE OF POLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS
The Open University Centre together with the UW Research Centre on Warsaw Culture has prepared a special database of Polish language learning materials for people of Ukrainian origin. All materials in the database have been selected for their teaching and learning value. The materials can be used by those who will undertake the independent study of Polish as a foreign language.
- “OPEN ACCESS UKRAINIAN-POLISH THEMATIC DICTIONARY”
The Publishing House of the Ukrainian Catholic University has made available for free access the “Ukrainian-Polish Thematic Dictionary” by Janusz A. Rieger and Orysia Demska-Kulczycka (Lviv 2007). The dictionary contains approximately 35 000 entries.
The dictionary is available on the issuu.com platform .
- HOW TO HELP SENSIBLY?
The experts from the UW Faculty of Psychology have prepared a series of five films under the slogan “HELP” about how to help wisely, how to support others so that the help is effective and also does not exceed the physical, mental and financial capacity of the volunteer.