Students of the Silesian University of Technology presented an exhibition at the Silesian Science Festival
During the Silesian Science Festival, projects co-financed by the Upper Silesian Zagłębie Metropolis grant were summarized as part of the “Science of Young” Grant Program – European City of Science 2024”. In one of the projects, students of three universities – the University of Economics, the University of Silesia, and the Silesian University of Technology – carried out an exhibition based on the results of research, which they presented during the Silesian Science Festival.
Students of three Silesian universities: University of Economics, University of Silesia and Silesian University of Technology joined forces in the project “Silesian opinion leaders or unofficial representation of Silesians.”
The project involved several stages. In the first phase of the implementation, a survey of the opinion of the inhabitants of the Silesian Voivodeship was commissioned on a sample of 500 people. The study was conducted using the CAWI method and was carried out in October 2024
The participants answered questions about opinion leaders.
Opinion leaders are people who create opinions and communicate them publicly to recipients, are asked for comment, their opinion counts to others; also people who can influence the opinions of others. In relation to this definition, the respondents were to indicate who – by name and surname – they consider to be the leader of opinion in the field of Silesian issues; what qualities these leaders should possess; what professions they represent and what topics they should be particularly interested in.
The survey of opinion leaders allowed to indicate who can influence the opinions of a given community, in this case the opinions of the inhabitants of the Silesian Voivodeship. Opinion leaders can create a public debate, for example by publicizing or weakening certain topics.
After receiving the results of the research, the team implementing the project on the basis of the collected data selected an “eleven,” i.e. an unofficial representation, which were invited to cooperate later in the project.
Leaders were invited to meet with students. The participants of the project were students of: Journalism and social communication, cognitive technologies, and social media as well as graphic design: Laura Lukaszczyk and Oliwia Głombek from the Silesian University of Technology and students of other universities: Daria Banach, Anna Danecka, Mateusz Grzesista, Bartłomiej Nogielski and Julia Piętka.
During the meetings, they could practice their journalistic skills, conduct first interviews, meet people who create public debate in Silesia and perhaps meet them in their future journalistic or media work.
Three such meetings took place – with the writer Marek Szołtysk, the chairman of the Silesian Autonomy Movement Jerzy Gorzelik and the MEP Lukasz Kohut.
Students also took photos, reported meetings on social media and prepared an exhibition, which they presented during the Silesian Science Festival.
It was not an easy undertaking, but the students learned a lot, among others, cooperation in the team, response to unexpected events, contact with external entities, research in archives, obtaining consents for the use of photos based on the GDPR clause and copyright.
They also learned to approach scientific research with humility, the results of which have been surprising in many respects. Among the largest number of indications were men, women leaders appeared much less often in indications of respondents. Second, among the leaders selected by the respondents were people who are already dead.
Precise data on the results of the research will be published in a scientific publication.
The project was led by Katarzyna Siwczyk, PhD student at the Institute of Journalism and Media Communication at the University of Silesia, while the project was led by Dr Hab Patrycja Szostok-Nowacka, Prof. of University of Silesia.
The project was co-financed by the Upper Silesian Zagłębie Metropolis grant, as part of the “Science of Young” Grant Program, European City of Science 2024”.
fot. Daria Banach i Katarzyna Adamiak
