Abstract:

The internationalization of universities (in the field of education and science) is already a permanent element of educational processes in the European Union (EU). It is supported by various programs at the EU and national levels. The aim of these programs is to intensify internationalization by financing various internationalization projects: the implementation of joint international projects and exchanges of people.

The local government of Lublin (Poland) has brought internationalization activities to the city level by initiating and implementing the innovative "Visiting Professors in Lublin" program in cooperation with Lublin's higher education institutions. This program aims to internationalize the academic city by organizing visits of outstanding scholars to the university to carry out educational and scientific activities, which are combined with activities of the invited scholar addressed to the general public. The competition aims, among other things, to promote internationalization. The aim is to promote Lublin as a research and development center of international standing, create and strengthen the city's image as an attractive, international educational center for Polish and foreign students, support the development of the teaching potential of Lublin's universities and research institutes, and strengthen international research cooperation.

This article presents the goals and objectives of the "Visiting Professors in Lublin" program and a specific project implemented within it by the Lublin University of Technology (LUT). The project invites a distinguished professor from the University of Alicante (Spain) who specializes in researching the usability and accessibility of web and mobile applications. During his visit, activities planned for over 140 participants include: a workshop for LUT students on the topic of "Research on the accessibility and usability of the website of the city of Lublin and others and the development of conclusions and recommendations for its improvement", a session with scientists from the LUT Interface Ergonomics Laboratory to develop the results of the research with students and a plan for further cooperation on joint publications of the results in the future, and a popular science lecture publicly available to the residents of Lublin.

Keywords:

University internationalization, educational processes, visiting professors programme.