On 13-15 June 2022, the research team consisting of: Prof. Ewa Jarosz (Vice-Rector for Staff Development), Dagmara Dobosz, PhD, and Marcin Gierczyk, PhD, within the project “Wellbeing of children and the youth in the conditions of postmodern reality and threats – global and local perspective”, went to the University of Iceland with a study visit. The meeting was organised within the acquired grant: Professional Development of Staff – Iceland–Liechtenstein–Norway Grants. Additonally, the research team also invited two political scientists from the Institute of Pedagogy to take the study visit: Natalia Stępień-Lampka, PhD and Paweł Grzywna, PhD.
The goal of the project was to develop the research and educational competencies in the area of academic research and education regarding child protection against violence and carrying out research with the participation of children. Iceland, along with Latvia, New Zealand, Finland and Denmark, is a country of the highest quality of childcare (according to the UNICEF 2021 report). The University of Islands employs top-class researchers and academics dealing with the said issues and at the same time directly collaborating with the child protection organisations in Iceland.
The study visit at the University of Iceland was preceded by an online meeting (April 2022) with the visit coordinator Prof. Freydís Jóna Freysteinsdóttir who has discussed the programme and organisational issues of the visit. The three-day programme of the visit included several educational and workshop meetings. The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Iceland, Prof. Guðný Björk Eydal presented the outline of Iceland policies on children and their protection, she also discussed finished and current research projects. Prof. Brynja Elísabet Halldórsdóttir, the Chair of the Committee for Equality of Opportunities of the University of Iceland, brought closer the issue of gender equality and diversity policy implemented at the university. Prof. Guðrún Kristinsdóttir carried out a workshop on methodical and ethical aspects of research with the participation of children and research on participatory research in the context of children. Meeting with Prof. Freydís Jóna Freysteinsdóttir was devoted to discussing research collaboration opportunities between the Institute of Pedagogy and the University of Iceland within the development of research on the issue of child abuse and its elimination.
During the stay in Iceland, the research team also went on a study visit to the National Agency for Children and Families – the basic national agency dealing with the issues of child abuse in Iceland.
The visit at the University of Iceland allowed for fulfilling all the objectives of the grand received by the Institute of Pedagogy. It significantly contributed to the development of research collaboration opportunity with the University of Iceland in the area of children wellbeing, development of research and educational competencies that will elevate the quality of education offer of educational offer at the Institute of Pedagogy on child abuse and other modules taking up the issues of children rights and their wellbeing.
