Erasmus+ Policy Statement
The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow

The Pontifical University of John Paul II (UPJPII) cooperates with over 60 academic centers in Europe. The university participates in various international educational programmes. It thus undertakes steps aimed at constant increase of academic mobility. The university selects foreign partners based on the previous contacts as well as good experience resulting from those relations.

The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow is planning to intensify international mobility aimed at carrying out part of the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. studies in order to further stimulate student entrepreneurship and creativity, thereby improving their chances of succeeding in the European labor market.

The principal unit of UPJPII is responsible for the coordination of the Erasmus+ programme activities in the Centre for Scientific Research and International Cooperation (CSRIC). A special section of this unit is devoted to rendering administrative and organizational assistance to both, the outgoing university students, as well as the incoming students who chose the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow to study. CSRIC staff help students in preparing their applications and advise on all issues related to mobility. Through collaboration with their counterparts abroad, the international office staff monitor the stay of foreign students at UPJPII and provide support in organizational matters. CSRIC also keeps a register of institutions that may offer traineeship opportunities to UPJPII students. At present, this list includes over 40 institutions. The university is also planning to launch double degree programmes in cooperation with universities it has been collaborating with within the Erasmus+ programme.

In order to take advantage of all opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme, UPJPII intends to expand its collaboration with partner countries. The Pontifical University of John Paul II’s strategy is to develop programmes for the mobility of its research and teaching staff owing to the fact that it will raise its prestige and encourage studying at UPJPII. The objectives of the Erasmus+ programme facilitate the development of employees, who may take part in a variety of internships and training seminars abroad. Thanks to the Erasmus+ programme, as well as transparent qualification criteria, each academic may pursue the career path of their choice and add to their scientific output as well as grow as a teacher. UPJPII offers language courses that are intended to prepare academics for their international mobilities.

UPJPII also hosts staff members from partner institutions. The international relations that have been established enable making use of the scientific and didactic experience at the university as well as foster the formation of interdisciplinary research teams. UPJPII is a popular choice for students, especially those from Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, and Portugal. UPJPII students get involved in the organization of meeting with foreign students so as to better integrate them with the Polish academic community. During such events, international students have an occasion to gain the first-hand experience with Polish culture and language.

The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow also commits itself to organize language courses that offer the possibility to learn the languages spoken in the destination countries. For the purpose of attracting more interest of students in the opportunities presented by the Erasmus+ programme, a number of promotional activities have been taken, such as meetings with the former scholarship holders (international day), extensive information campaign on the university websites, cooperation with the student association aimed at promoting the programme at individual faculties, meetings between students and faculty coordinators, get-togethers with international students hosted at the university as well as transparent rules for recruitment and financing. 

One of the strategic objectives of UPJPII is to improve its internationalization, to that end, the catalogue of courses offered in foreign languages is expanding, mainly in English, but also German and French. These courses offered at particular faculties will be complemented by the so-called general-offer courses, which are available to all students of all faculties, including international students.  

Benefits of participation in the Erasmus+ programme:

1. enhancing the language competences of students;
2. opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, the so-called soft competences;
3. the increasing mobility of the research and teaching staff, who improve their qualifications abroad;
4. establishing relations with European HEIs, building partnerships and consortiums for science;
5. gaining experience in innovative teaching methods;
6. hosting students and academics from scientific units abroad, who will contribute to the development of the university;
7. streamlining management of the university thanks to training provided abroad, dedicated to administrative staff.