In the recent “hot” project period, funding was obtained for new projects of the University of Silesia in Katowice. The list of projects, which received funding includes:
‘SPIN-ART Art and Culture Education Centre’
The project will be implemented until 30 June 2027, and the total value of funding obtained from European Funds for the University of Silesia is PLN 21,808,673.17. The aim of the investment is to adapt the infrastructure of the University of Silesia campus in Cieszyn to the current needs of the job market, challenges in the area of digital transformation and transformation towards a green economy and smart specialisations of the region. This assumption will be implemented through the reconstruction and renovation of the premises along with the provision of equipment for the lecture hall building at ul. Paderewskiego in Cieszyn.
15 projects of the Faculty of Social Sciences
The projects concern support for approx. 600 pedagogical and psychological counselling centres throughout Poland. They will be implemented until 31 March 2028, and the total value of their funding from the European Funds for Social Development is PLN 76,451,739.44. The project coordinators are: Edyta Widawska, PhD, DLitt, Assoc. Prof.; Prof. Zenon Gajdzica; Magdalena Bełza-Gajdzica, PhD; Sabina Pawlik, PhD. The aim is to implement organisational changes in public psychological and pedagogical counselling centres, enabling the implementation of an approach based on the biopsychosocial model, increasing the effectiveness of cooperation between the clinics and entities operating in the district using the Intersectoral Support Model, as well as supplementing the resources in the scope of equipment of the clinics, necessary to implement organisational changes.
‘Special Education Teacher with a Future…’
The project will be implemented until 30 September 2027, and the value of funding from the European Funds for Social Development for the University of Silesia is PLN 737,774.70. As part of the project, the Faculty of Arts and Educational Science of the University of Silesia acts as a partner of the University of Białystok. The project coordinator is Ilona Fajfer-Kruczek, PhD. The aim is to support higher education institutions in providing courses in accordance with the standard of education preparing for the profession of a special education teacher, speech therapist teacher and teacher providing early development support.
‘B-KINETIC. Bridge Knowledge to Innovation: Entrepreneurial Training into HEI Communities’
The project is financed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology as part of a programme organised by the EIT Raw Materials Knowledge and Innovation Community. The University of Silesia is one of the partners. The substantive unit responsible for the implementation is the Industry Cooperation Office of the University of Silesia. The project will be implemented until 30 April 2027, and the value of its funding for the University of Silesia is EUR 180,367.00. The project aims to integrate entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives in various higher education institutions and will have a significant impact on students, as well as the academic and administrative staff. The project will strengthen cooperation through joint events and targeted training sessions.
‘SOCORE – Social Competences for Research and Innovation Infrastructure’
The project is financed from EU INTERREG EUROPE funds. The University of Silesia is the leader of the consortium (9 partners and the Associated Policy Authority region) within the project. The substantive unit responsible for implementation will be the Industry Cooperation Office of the University of Silesia. The project will be implemented until 31 July 2029, and the value of funding for the University of Silesia is EUR 242,720.00. The aim is to conduct research and develop solutions to improve the quality of implementation of regional development policies in the area of research and innovation infrastructure, through systemic strengthening of the social competences of people responsible for the development and use of RII.
‘SUCCESS – Socially Innovative Ukrainian Centres in Central Europe: Empowerment and Social Support’
PThe project is financed by the Social Innovation Initiative. The University of Silesia acts as the partner of Lithuania. The substantive unit responsible for the implementation is the International Cooperation Development Department of the University of Silesia. The project will be implemented until 30 April 2027, and the value of its funding for the University of Silesia is EUR 90,431.20. The project aims to examine and define the model of implementing social innovations of the Ukrainian Centre in Lithuania and Poland. Through a multi-faceted approach to social inclusion, including education and active participation (language teaching, leadership training, youth advisory teams, Saturday schools, consolidated events, international conferences and forums), the project aims to strengthen the position of Ukrainians in Lithuania and with partners in Poland.
In addition, the university has launched several smaller grants, including:
- a research grant financed by the Arctic Field Grant (for the Centre for Polar Studies at the University of Silesia),
- a grant from the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management to co-finance an educational task entitled Academy of Climate and Environmental Education for Teachers (for the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Silesia).
Moreover, recently, university employees have obtained funds for the implementation of 15 research projects from the National Science Centre under the OPUS, SONATA and MINIATURA programmes:
- Faculty of Humanities – 2 projects,
- Faculty of Social Sciences – 2 projects,
- Faculty of Science and Technology – 6 projects,
- Faculty of Natural Sciences – 3 projects,
- Faculty of Law and Administration – 2 projects.
The total value of the obtained grants is almost PLN 13.5 million.
It was a particularly active period for the Faculty of Science and Technology, which, in addition to projects from the National Science Centre, signed four agreements amounting to almost PLN 3.2 million in funding. These include:
‘Introduction of a new and innovative method for improving the safety of procedures and assessing the effects of laser therapy in aesthetic medicine treatments’
The R&D project of Prof. Armand Cholewka will be implemented until 31 December 2026, and the total value of the obtained funding from the European Funds for Silesia for the University of Silesia is PLN 1,198,296.00. The aim is to develop a new method for improving the safety and assessment of the effects of laser therapy in aesthetic medicine procedures. The project involves research on the possibility of increasing the effectiveness of treatments by using thermal imaging technology. The University of Silesia in Katowice, as a partner, will be involved in the implementation of research and development works. As part of the project, research will be carried out to optimise laser therapy procedures, taking into account thermal analysis of the skin and the impact of various treatment parameters on patient safety.
‘Bringing theory and experiments together for precision neutrino physics’
The research project of Prof. Janusz Gluza from the Faculty of Science and Technology will be carried out until 30 June 2029, and the total value of the obtained funding from the Polish-Swiss Research Programme for the University of Silesia is PLN 1,290,000.00. The aim is to strengthen cooperation between theoreticians and experimentalists in the field of precise neutrino physics. The project focuses on combining theoretical knowledge and experimental data to better understand the fundamental properties of neutrinos, their oscillations and potential new phenomena that go beyond the standard model of elementary particle physics.
‘From Local to Global to a Livable Environment’
The educational project of Prof. Jerzy Jarosz will be implemented until 31 October 2026, and the total value of the obtained funding from ERASMUS+ for the University of Silesia is PLN 48,160.00. The aim is to promote pro-ecological attitudes and disseminate knowledge about modern tools and concepts supporting school education, such as STEAM and Open Schooling, by organising four different ecological activities in each of the partner locations, addressed to school and university students as well as teachers.
‘VINCI RELOADED – Interdisciplinary International Silesian Summer School’
The faculty-wide project financed from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange funds (SPINAKER Programme) will be implemented by the Faculty of Science and Technology in cooperation with the SPIN-LAB Centre until 31 July 2026. The value of the obtained funding for the University of Silesia is PLN 661,100.00. The aim is to improve the quality of student education and increase the attractiveness of the university by preparing and implementing one edition of the Interdisciplinary International Summer School Programme in English.
In addition, the University of Silesia has acquired nearly PLN 1.3 million for:
‘Stay with US – professionalisation of the offer of the University of Silesia in Katowice for scientists from abroad’
The university-wide project under the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange funding (Welcome to Poland Programme) will be implemented until 30 September 2027, and the funds allocated for the University of Silesia amount to PLN 521,100.00. The aim is to integrate researchers and doctoral students from abroad with researchers and doctoral students from the University of Silesia and to enable cooperation, exchange of experiences and building a network of contacts at various stages of the scientific career by improving the competences of the University of Silesia staff in the field of international service and cooperation, professionalisation of the offer for scientists from abroad and increasing the presence of the University of Silesia on the international higher education market. The project will be substantively implemented by the HR Department.
‘Establishment of the Silesian EURAXESS network supporting career development and mobility of scientists in order to increase the international competitiveness of Polish higher education and science institutions’
The university-wide project will be implemented until 30 September 2028. Funds for the University of Silesia amount to PLN 259,701.00. The project will be substantively implemented by the HR Department.
Purchase of a spectrometer
The purchase of a simultaneous ICP-OES spectrometer for the Laboratory of Environmental Analyses of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Silesia was co-financed from the funds of the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. The amount of funding was PLN 499,995.00.
