Abstract:

In 2017 the Polish Government through National Centre of Research and Development announced the largest national call for an unprecedented, new type of education projects: Integrated University Programs POWER 3.5. The main aim of this type of project was transforming Polish universities into modern, competitive and attractive spaces with the use of individually designed paths and tools supporting students, lecturers, researchers and university administration.

The maximum budget of a single project was approx. EUR 9 million. Several of the best Polish universities, including the Silesian University of Technology, obtained two such projects with almost the maximum budget. The projects were designed as tools for profound changes of the university in all its areas, including new curricula, implementation of modern forms of teaching such as PBL, employing outstanding lecturers from abroad, creating a central doctoral school, training for all types of employees to support university administration, e.g. MBA studies and IT support for university service. The designed transformation was to help the university prepare for new challenges, including the prestigious status of a Research University, awarded to the best 10 Polish universities. These extremely complex projects involving all students and the vast majority of employees with their direct support required a unique, newly designed methodology for their administration, implementation and coordination with other strategic activities. The Silesian University of Technology, the largest beneficiary of these projects in Poland, is halfway connected with the implementation of these projects. The presented article presents the current observations related to the realisation of those projects in context of global transformation of High Education Institution.

Keywords:

Education project, higher education, transformation, management, Poland.