From May 25 to 29, 2026, the University of Lomza once again became a vibrant, global academic hub, hosting the fifth, jubilee edition of the International Staff Week. This exceptional, cyclical event with an established reputation attracted 22 distinguished representatives of foreign academic communities to the walls of our University, representing 15 prestigious universities from 9 countries around the world, including Georgia, Albania, Turkey, Japan, Latvia, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, and Kyrgyzstan.
Throughout the week, academic teachers, researchers, project coordinators, and administrative staff, together with the Polish academic community, co-created a new, global quality of education. The rich program of the venture was precisely designed to balance key scientific aspects with a comprehensive exchange of experiences and cultural-educational elements aimed at introducing the foreign delegates to the historical identity and traditions of our country. The foreign participants represented highly diverse scientific backgrounds, which allowed for an interdisciplinary dialogue and a multifaceted discussion on the internationalization of higher education. The entire event was officially inaugurated by the Rector, who warmly welcomed the assembled partners and emphasized the crucial importance of international cooperation in the development strategy of modern science.
The substantive heart of this international symposium consisted of presentations showcasing the scientific and didactic potential of both the individual organizational units of our University and the partner institutions. The structure and educational offer of the University were presented by members of the management staff: Vice-Dean Andrzej Sawicki, PhD, Eng., presented in detail the specifics of the Faculty of Computer Science and Technology; Radosław Brzeziński, MA, reported on the activities of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities; Milena Stachelska, PhD, Eng., spoke about innovations at the Faculty of Health Sciences; while the Dean, Ewa Jakubiak, PhD, familiarized the audience with the scope of operation of the Faculty of Law and Administration. The guests themselves also presented their strengths and experiences in the field of global education, representing Sokhumi State University from Georgia, the Mediterranean University of Albania, and the University "Aleksander Moisiu" Durrës from Albania, as well as a large group of delegates from Turkey representing Gebze Technical University, Amasya Üniversitesi, Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi, İstanbul Galata Üniversitesi, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım Üniversitesi, and Kocaeli Health and Technology University. Furthermore, presentations were delivered by representatives of Japan's Kanagawa University, Latvia's LU P. Stradiņa medicīnas koledža, Bulgaria's Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski", Germany's University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Romania's West University of Timisoara, and Kyrgyzstan's Ala-Too International University. An important element of these meetings was individual working discussions with the faculty authorities regarding the signing of new, bilateral Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIA) within the Erasmus+ program, which paved the way for the implementation of future joint research projects as well as student and staff exchanges.
Alongside the discussion panels and formal meetings, an intensive scientific marathon played a key role, consisting of numerous open lectures, seminars, and specialized workshops conducted in the modern laboratories of the University. At the Faculty of Health Sciences, a team consisting of Ewa Waldzińska, PhD, Piotr Łuba, MA, Ms. Małgorzata Drobnikowska, and Mr. Paweł Biedrzycki led advanced physiotherapy workshops entitled “Fascial Synergy: Foam Rolling and Kinesiotaping in Clinical Practice,” while Paweł Arnista, PhD, and Weronika Łuba-Arnista, PhD, conducted the class “Eduball as a Tool for Promoting Physical Fitness and Social Integration,” presenting the authorial use of educational balls in the process of fitness stimulation and social integration. In the field of Computer Science, Grzegorz Rubin, PhD, Eng., delivered a highly topical lecture entitled “Introduction to Cybersecurity,” sparking a lively discussion on data security in the network. Philological and methodological issues dominated the workshops of Mateusz Turski, MA, entitled “TeachingSmarter: Practical Digital Tools for English Language Teachers & Learners,” as well as the classes conducted by Joanna Włostowska, MA, Krzysztof Sitkowski, PhD, and Ms. Izabella Filipkowski D'amario under the title “Australia and Poland in the Classroom – Understanding Cultural Differences and Supporting Integration.” Modern technologies and automation were introduced by Mateusz Zalewski, MSc. Eng., during the “Autonomous Mobile Robots” workshops, while Dominika Talarczyk, MA, representing the field of Law, led a session on amicable conflict resolution entitled “Difficult Situations, Effective Solutions – Mediation Workshop.”
The official academic program was complemented by a rich cultural-educational module, which allowed the guests to deeply immerse themselves in the history, tradition, and heritage of our region. Our foreign partners went on a detailed tour of the campus and took an atmospheric walk through the most beautiful corners of the city, during which they learned about the unique identity of Łomża, discovering that although it administratively belongs to the Podlaskie Voivodeship, it is geographically and historically inextricably linked to the lands of Mazovia (Mazowsze). The guests also visited the North-Masovian Museum in Łomża, where the rich Kurpie culture made a great impression on them. A major highlight of the program was a full-day educational trip to the Podlasie Herbal Garden in Koryciny, located in the heart of the so-called green lungs of Poland, where during dedicated botanical and herbal workshops, the foreign scientists learned the secrets of traditional Polish natural medicine and the role of herbs in old Polish rituals and village customs. This trip concluded with a joint tasting of traditional regional dishes prepared according to old culinary recipes, which proved to be an absolute hit. Integration and relationship-building were also fostered by a formal welcome dinner, the unique cultural highlight of which was a captivating dance performance prepared by the Meandry Artistic Project. The entire week, full of international energy, was closed by the official presentation of participation certificates to all delegates, serving as a formal summary of this highly industrious and fruitful time.
