Launch of the University of the Third Age at the Medical University of Gdańsk

Project title

Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries

Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny (The Medical University of Gdańsk)

Name of programme

Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development

Competition

Teacher education programs

Project value

PLN 315 387.50

Funding value

PLN 305 862.50

Project delivery period

1/01/2019 – 31/07/2022

Get to know our team

The project team consisted of people working in various units of the Higher Education Institution. Employees from the Project Office, the Promotion Department, the Communication Section and the Business Department were involved.

Have a look at the outcome of our work

The outcome of the work is satisfied participants and lecturers. The project succeeded in bringing generations together. A special event for the students of the University of the Third Age was the inauguration of the academic year. The setting of the event was similar to that of the inauguration of the academic year for students (inaugural lecture, handing out of 'transcripts'). There are few photos as most of the activities were during the pandemic (on-line classes). Attached is a publication for the 75th anniversary of MUG, where we have one of our Third Age University students on page 107 and some photographs from the inauguration (photos by Paweł Sudara).

What problem does our project solve?

The University of the Third Age of the Medical University of Gdańsk is an initiative aimed at seniors in Pomerania. Although it is not the first such initiative in the city, its uniqueness is determined by the range of issues around which all meetings were focused. These are medicine and health - topics that have been the most popular among students of the University of the Third Age throughout Poland for years. The project solves the problem of understanding issues in the field of medicine in its broadest sense. It activates older people - it encourages them to take care of their physical and mental fitness, facilitates making friends and provokes them to leave their homes (before the pandemic). During the lectures, senior citizens improved their knowledge of frequently diagnosed diseases of old age, e.g. diabetes, learnt the principles of first aid and learnt about ways to help them take care of a healthy spine. Experts also told them about the principles of the correct use of medicines, the healing properties of plants and the secrets of a healthy diet. The participants also had a joint lesson in the history of medicine at the Museum of the Medical University of Gdańsk.

Who will benefit from the outcomes of the project?

A total of 59 women and 14 men took part in the three editions of the project. The classes lasted three months. Lectures and exercises, covering a range of medical and health sciences, were initially conducted in person, then via the ClickMeeting platform. The offer of the Third Age University at MUG was addressed to residents of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. A student could become a person over the age of 60. The outcomes of the projects benefited the students, as well as those preparing the classes. This is a different group of recipients than the one they encounter on a daily basis. The form of communication and presentation of issues was different.

What was the most challenging aspect of the implementation of the project for us?

The problem was the pandemic and the associated restrictions. Seniors wanted to get out of the house, meet during activities. To talk and make new acquaintances. The pandemic locked them indoors. The challenge was to carry out activities at that particular time. A major difficulty was to convince seniors to participate in the on-line activities, to encourage the use of the Internet and applications that would allow the project to be completed by the end. Sometimes the reluctance was due to a lack of skills and sometimes to a lack of accessibility to hardware or the network.