Integrated MCSU
Project title
Integrated MCSU
Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries
Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej (Maria Curie-Skłodowska University) in Lublin
Name of programme
Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development
Competition
Integrated Curricula of the Higher Education Institution
Project value
10 127 434,27 PLN
Funding value
9 823 611,24 PLN
Project delivery period
From 01/04/2018 until 31/10/2022
Get to know our team
Team implementing the ‘Integrated MCSU’ project – Mirosław Kloc, Karolina Sokolińska, Małgorzata Wadowska-Kolendo, Justyna Narodowiec
What problem does our project solve?
The project consisted of more than a dozen tasks, each targeting a specific Faculty or group of employees (administration or research/didactic employees). 1,873 students and 430 employees of the University took part. Students from 8 Faculties of the MCSU had the opportunity to participate in additional activities to improve their qualifications and enhance their key competencies for the labour market. Two new fields of study/specialisations were created. Management and administrative personnel had the opportunity to participate in training and postgraduate studies, including MBAs, relevant to the duties they perform. Teaching personnel had the opportunity to participate in training related to didactic methods, as well as language courses. One task focused on strengthening the international research potential of the University. Another concerned investment in IT infrastructure, which, as it turned out in the following months, was a key point for the efficient organisation of educational and organisational activities undertaken, inter alia, in the on-line form.
Remarkably, the final phase of the project, which was the support of Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war, enabled male and female scientists from Ukraine to continue their research work at the MCSU.
The 'Integrated MCSU' project was one of the largest educational undertakings at the University, with dozens of employees involved in its implementation. With its interdisciplinary approach and diverse forms of support, it responded to the educational needs of both students and employees. It was possible to carry out an educational project in which everyone interested could find something for themselves.
Who will benefit from the outcomes of the project?
The project is a huge undertaking, aimed at various groups associated with the University. Students, thanks to the support that was planned, had the opportunity to increase their competencies on the labour market, among others, through a participation in specialised training courses and by acquiring their first professional experience, which greatly increased their potential for entering the labour market. Training aimed at didactic and administrative personnel enabled them to increase their core competences related to not only the education of students, but also the management of the Higher Education Institution itself.
Tangible benefits for the University itself include investment in the IT infrastructure, without which it would not have been possible to organise on-line education so efficiently, forced by the pandemic.
A very important benefit of the project is the steps taken to increase the degree of internationalisation of the University. These brought great benefits and real results in the form of the international projects implemented.
What was the most challenging aspect of the implementation of the project for us?
The biggest challenges in the implementation of the project were the pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine, situations completely impossible to be predicted in any risk analysis of the project. On the one hand, there was great concern, uncertainty, prolonged restrictions and, on the other, the need to adapt the structures, resources and organisation of project work to the prevailing situation. Thanks to the cooperation and commitment of many actors and individuals, it was possible to organise on-line learning in a relatively smooth manner, which went from being unacceptable to becoming more common every day. The outbreak of the war, on the other hand, completely re-evaluated priorities, in particular with regard to the Ukrainian students. Rather than keeping an eye on student attendance, it became more important to ensure their safety and provide maximum support in the existing situation.