Dear Partners and Colleagues,

Once again it is our pleasure to invite colleagues from our partner institutions around the world  (university educators, professors and lecturers, international relation officers) to the Silesian University of Technology International Staff Training Week which will take place in Gliwice, Poland, 3-7 June , 2024.

One of the biggest challenges facing education today is helping students to navigate an increasingly complex and polarized media landscape and developing the ability to identify trustworthy and scientifically accurate sources. Today’s information tsunami, with increasing amounts of disinformation, fake news and propaganda, demands a higher level of digital literacy and critical thinking in order to filter out distractions and find reliable and scientifically sound sources for our work. In this context teachers and students must collaborate to investigate and question what we read and hear, looking at different perspectives and developing empathy, curiosity and the ability to reassess our views.

In this year’s International Staff Training Week 2024 we will investigate some of these themes, in particular the concept of critical pedagogy, developed among others by Paolo Friere (Pedagogy of the oppressed, 1968). The focus of education has shifted towards collaborative investigation with dialogue and active learning as key concepts. Even if opportunities for physical exchange are more limited today and increasingly unsustainable, it is essential to offer all students the opportunity to learn to work in an international context through virtual exchange. For educators this means designing learning activities that foster dialogue, reflection and collaboration and where students are active in their learning process. The teacher’s role becomes that of a guide and facilitator  as well as a co-learner.

Key skills for educators in this process that will be discussed during the week are:

• Developing a reflective approach to teaching and learning in HE.
• Designing project development strategies
• Shaping autonomous attitudes in students and lecturers through telecollaboration and virtual exchange
• Promoting critical digital literacy
• Facilitating intercultural collaborative learning
• Promoting various forms of interaction in online education
• Using English for research and scientific communication in the light of critical pedagogy.

The week will include inspiring keynote speakers from around the world, practical workshops, discussions, meetings with key staff from SUT with opportunities to network and discuss future collaboration and exchange activities. Of course, you will also get a chance to learn more about the culture of Upper Silesia, with study visits and plenty of good food!

Welcome to Gliwice!

PARTICIPATION IS FREE OF CHARGE

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION COSTS ARE TO BE COVERED

BY THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES

Best regards - ISTW Organizing Committee