University of Silesia in Katowice

The city of Joan of Arc, Armada sailing ships, and many universities on a common campus of exact sciences and technology…

Meet Rouen!

It was a short but productive trip. A week in Normandy, in Rouen on the Seine, the city of great history and many universities. It was all thanks to the financial support of the Erasmus+ programme and, most of all, many years of cooperation with the l’école d’ingénieurs du CESI Rouen.

With the beginning of June 2019, we took part in the 4^th International Staff Training Week (ISTW) organised by the CESAR, i.e. an association of universities in Rouen bringing together all universities operating in the city (CESI, ENSA Normandie, ERFPS, ESADHaR, ESIGELEC, IRTS-IDS Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, NEOMA Business School, UniLaSalle, and the University of Rouen). The ISTW programme focused on issues related to the future of inter-socialisation, and its main goal was to share their knowledge and good practice in international cooperation with foreign partners. It was possible during numerous seminars, workshops, and study visits at the universities and laboratories.

Thanks to the ISTW, we managed to see the efficient functioning of the campus of exact sciences and technology bringing together all engineering universities and faculties of exact sciences and technology to one common area located outside the city centre. In the campus operates the Creative Lab, a place where you can test an autonomous car. The very campus is located a few kilometres outside Rouen, precisely in the city of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. It is an exceptionally ergonomically designed space with numerous places for relaxation for both students and academic staff. The idea behind the organisation of a common scientific campus has been strongly supported by the city, which has a dedicated post of the Vice-President for the University Cooperation. In 2019, it was the Presidentess, which we had the opportunity to meet during an integrating meeting organised by the CESAR in a historic Rouen city hall.

Moreover, during the ISTW we have visited, among others, laboratories of applied informatics and robotics of the ESIGELEC engineering school, where we could learn how a good combination of industry and science works in cooperation with the largest French companies. Programming of robots, testing elements of jet engines, and working at autonomous cars are attractive points in the curriculum for students of various universities within the campus. The three-week programme included demonstration classes conducted at the NEOMA Business School in virtual reality mode. Of great importance for us were the seminars regarding the organisation of common or joint studies, where we could learn that the problems we encounter in the Polish reality are, in fact, globally present.

How has the cooperation between the Institute of Physics of the University of Silesia and the CESI Rouen even started? The CESI is an engineering schools network created in the 50s by five leading French companies, among others, Renault. It is a pioneer school providing engineering degrees with curricula connected with a workplace. The network consists of 25 campuses within France, one in Cameroon (Douala), and two in Algeria (Oran and Algiers). The leading degree programmes are industry and services along with constructions and land engineering, which are to a large degree conducted in English. Moreover, students are obliged to pass the TOEIC exam (Test of English for International Communication); it is a requirement to receive a diploma. Apart from many classes in physics, maths, and IT, future engineers during their studies do two internships abroad (one- and three-month) choosing from over 70 selected partner institutions around the world. The goal of such trips is to learn about scientific work in various laboratories as a good engineer has to know how a laboratory should efficiently work and should know numerous physical research methods possible to apply in industry. The university offers many other classes, including learning foreign languages.

In 2008 such activities included a Polish language course conducted by Gosia from Pomerania, who was studying in France at the time. She was the one who enthused her students with Poland to the extent that when they were searching for a foreign internship, Poland was their first choice. While searching for a foreign internship, they came upon an information that the Institute of Physics of the University of Silesia cooperates with France and carries out Polish-French studies. It was their inspiration to contact our University. That is how we met Antoine and Charles in 2008. In subsequent years, we have hosted numerous students from Rouen, who has eagerly carried out research within internship projects, learnt about modern laboratories functions, and got to know Poland; in many cases, they learnt to speak very good Polish. This cooperation later moved to the Institute of Computer Science, which joined the international exchange with Rouen. A few of our trainees have settled down in Poland working in French companies, while others have been coming to Poland within various agreements, e.g. in the automotive industry.

The stay during the ISTW in Rouen in 2019 allowed us to personally meet people with whom we have been cooperating for already ten years. Alexandra, Sabine, and Stéphane is a team of the International Cooperation Office who we have so far known only from the exchange of e-mails and documents. Our visit in the CESI, at the time located in the Mont Saint Aignan campus and now in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, has made quite an impression. The way of organising classes directed at “project based learning” and adjusted classroom and laboratories infrastructure is definitely something we are unable to see daily in Poland. If we add to that great social space for the staff equipped with, e.g. high-class massage armchairs, which are a great heath benefit after many hours of work in front of a computer, we can imagine an ideal place for work and quick relaxation during breaks.

The week on the ISTW 2019 included integration and social events as well. Thanks to them, we got acquainted with representatives, including academics and employees of international cooperation offices from partner universities from around the world. Undoubtedly, one of the most interesting activities was the lunch on the deck of the sailing ship Thalassa. The ship was one of many vessels moored at the Seine bank, as the ARMADA 2019 event took place at the time. It is the recurrent convention of the world’s biggest sailing ships taking place in Rouen. During our spare time, we managed to visit several of these. We have fond memories of the Dar Młodzieży (Gift of the Youth), on the deck of which we were allowed after the fixed visiting time – of course – thanks to our nationality, for which we want to thank the crew one more time. Another interesting experience was our participation in French lessons on the D-Day anniversary (6 June), i.e. the day of Allied landings in Normandy. It was a great opportunity for discussions about the history of France and Europe in French.

Definitely, the trip on the 4^th ISTW 2019 co-financed from the Erasmus+ programme funds was a valuable experience for us. Personally, it was not my first trip within the Erasmus programme; the first one was during my doctoral studies when I went to the Universität Osnabrück in Germany and I took a part of measurements for my doctoral dissertation.

Therefore, if you have any doubts whether it is worth to devote a piece of your life to a mobility programme supported by European funds, use the histories of students and employees of our faculty. These should convince you. You can broaden your horizons, meet many people of different nationalities and cultures, and you will know that diversity is a power, not a barrier.

[article anf photos: Anna Bajorek, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof]