The first of the meetings, held on 17 August, took place at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage with Marta Cienkowska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The meeting provided an opportunity to present the idea behind this year’s edition of the Forum and discuss the importance of student culture as a significant element of academic and social life.
The Chair of the Nationwide Student Culture Forum then visited the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, where she met with Barbara Szelewa-Kropiwnicka, Director of the Department of Strategic Analysis and Science Communication, to discuss the place of culture within the academic environment, as well as the challenges and opportunities related to the development of students’ cultural activity.
The third meeting took place at the National Centre for Culture with Robert Piaskowski, Director of the National Centre for Culture, and Michał Rydzewski, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Culture. The discussion focused on the role of cultural institutions in supporting young creators and cultural audiences, as well as opportunities for building cooperation for the development of student culture.
As Izabela Pastuszko emphasises, discussions about student culture today extend beyond cultural activity itself and concern the quality of the entire academic environment:
"Student culture is one of the pillars of a modern university. The quality of academic education is not limited to the transmission of knowledge. Universities also shape individuals through the environment they create around them: opportunities to build relationships, develop creativity and competences, experience a sense of community, undertake their own initiatives and function in a safe space that supports mental and social wellbeing. Student culture is one of the key areas in which these processes can take place naturally. For this reason, academic cultural institutions are an important component of a high-quality educational environment and of the university’s responsibility as a creator of culture.
At the same time, the potential of universities, cities, cultural institutions and the student community is significantly greater when we begin to think in terms of activities based on shared resources. Shared competences, infrastructure, knowledge, staff experience and, above all, the energy of young people can create a single ecosystem of development. The quality of this environment determines not only the experience of several years of study, but also whether a young person develops a bond with the university and the city, finds their place within it and wishes to contribute to it in the future. Universities build a stronger academic environment, enhance the quality of the student experience and strengthen their ability to attract and retain young people. Cities gain active residents, creators, future professionals and a community that wants to identify with them and help shape their future. For this reason, a conversation about student culture is also a conversation about the future of Polish universities and academic cities.
The Nationwide Student Culture Forum was established to connect these perspectives and build a network of cooperation capable of having a real impact on the future of student culture in Poland. If we want young people to choose to build their lives in academic cities, we must begin to treat student culture as a shared responsibility."
The meetings at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the National Centre for Culture form part of a broader process of preparations for the 4th Nationwide Student Culture Forum. Their purpose is not only to present the concept of this year’s edition, but also to involve representatives of institutions whose activities have a direct impact on this area in discussions on the future of student culture. This year’s Forum, to be held in Lublin on 9-10 November under the motto Studiować-Tworzyć-Żyć [Study-Create-Live], will focus on the place of culture in academic life and its importance for the development of students, universities and academic cities.
One of the most important objectives of the fourth edition of the Forum is to create a space for meetings and the exchange of experiences between various communities connected with student culture. For this reason, preparations for the Forum also include discussions with representatives of public institutions and organisations operating in the fields of culture, science and higher education. These meetings make it possible to identify the key challenges currently facing student culture and gather perspectives that may serve as a starting point for discussions during the November event.
Student culture is one of the key pillars of university and city life. It is a space in which students not only take part in artistic events, but also create, develop competences, build relationships and co-create the academic environment. Its development therefore requires cooperation among many stakeholders, from academic cultural centres and universities, through student governments and municipal institutions, to public institutions and organisations operating on a nationwide scale.
The 4th Nationide Student Culture Forum is intended to be a place where different perspectives meet and translate into concrete discussions, experiences and recommendations concerning the future of student culture in Poland.
The August meetings constitute one stage of this work. The Forum is being developed not only as an event, but also as a space for dialogue created jointly with representatives of the academic community, the cultural sector and public administration.
More information:
- Nationwide Student Culture Forum website (in Polish)
- Nationwide Student Culture Forum on Facebook
- Facebook event
Organisers:
- Academic Centre for Culture and Media UMCS Chatka Żaka
- Nationwide Student Culture Forum
- Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin
Co-organisers:
- City of Lublin
- Centre for Culture in Lublin
- Students’ Parliament of the Republic of Poland
Partners:
- European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029
Honorary Patrons
- Ministry of Science and Higher Education
- Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Contact Regarding the 4th Nationwide Student Culture Forum
Małgorzata Adamczyk, Academic Centre for Culture and Media UMCS Chatka Żaka
ul. Radziszewskiego 16, 20-031 Lublin
phone: +48 81 533 32 01 ext. 214
Source: Nationwide Student Culture Forum
