International Leadership Training for PhD students and early-career researchers from Ukraine
“Leadership skills, communication, creativity, the ability to implement innovation, including social innovation – these are the necessary skills for future academic leaders who function and will be functioning in the world of science, looking for solutions to global challenges, building their careers in European and worldwide academia,” said Vice-Rector for Research, dr hab. Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak, prof. SGH. These were the words that welcomed early-career Ukrainian researchers at the inauguration of the Summer School on 16 September 2024.
In cooperation with Ukrainian higher education institutions, the SGH Warsaw School of Economics has devoted a great deal of its attention to the development of early-career academic staff (see the Polish-Ukrainian Summer Camp, CIVICA Doctoral Conference, etc.). The main event is the Summer School – SGH-CIVICA4Ukraine International Leadership Training – held here at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics from 15 to 21 September 2024 in the framework of “Solidarity with Ukraine – European Universities” programme organised by NAWA (Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange). The School is attended by PhD students and early-career researchers from partner institutions as well as representatives of the Ukrainian Science Diaspora in Poland.
The Summer School aims to train Ukrainian PhD students and early-career researchers, allowing them to develop communication, leadership, and ethical skills, and to understand the broader global context of social and economic development. Not only do all these skills prepare the PhD students for an academic career and a professional career outside the academia in Ukraine and Europe, but they also prove useful for early-career Ukrainian staff and universities in integrating with the European Higher Education Area. The programme has been developed in cooperation with the International Strategies Unit, the Institute of Management, and the College of Management and Finance. The programme’s professional coordinator is dr Maria Pietrzak.
Paweł Skubida, representative of NAWA, underlined the significance of supporting early-career Ukrainian researchers in their academic development, and of engaging in international cooperation and academic exchange with Ukrainian higher education institutions.
Dr Pietrzak noted that the main driver behind the leadership training was the fact that every scholar is a leader by definition, a leader accompanying students in their academic journeys; however, we lack great leaders who would inspire and support transformation. She said that today’s world required and expected a whole lot from current and future leaders, as well as researchers engaged in developing societies. Dr Pietrzak added that the role of universities was also to prepare young people to face and overcome such challenges.
Training is provided by eminent SGH lecturers. We have also familiarised early-career Ukrainian researchers with the CIVICA for Ukraine project, as well as the efforts taken by the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and CIVICA for Ukraine.
