Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange actively participated in the annual “International Students in Poland 2026” conference, organised by the Perspektywy Education Foundation as part of the Study in Poland programme. The event, held at the Jagiellonian University, brought together representatives of higher education institutions, system-level organisations, public administration, and diplomacy, making it one of the most important forums for discussion on the internationalisation of Polish higher education.

The conference provided a space for exchanging experiences, addressing new challenges, and discussing how to build a lasting and high-quality international presence of Polish universities. Panels featuring NAWA representatives played an important role in the programme, focusing both on strategic directions of academic cooperation and on the role of students of Polish origin within the higher education system.

Strategic directions of international cooperation

NAWA Deputy Director Dr Łukasz Gołota took part in a panel devoted to prospective directions and markets for academic cooperation. The discussion focused on countries of growing importance for Polish universities, including Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Panel participants emphasised the need to concentrate on selected markets and to build long-term relationships based on trust, quality, and a coherent strategy, rather than dispersed, one-off promotional activities.

Dr Łukasz Gołota highlighted that Vietnam is one of NAWA’s key strategic areas of interest. This is due not only to the country’s academic potential but also to the long-standing history of relations and the strong capital of trust towards Poland, which provides a solid foundation for further development of cooperation in education, research, and academic mobility. As he underlined, effective internationalisation is a long-term process that requires consistency and a partnership-based approach towards both universities and international partners.

Students of Polish origin at the centre of attention

Another important area of NAWA’s presence at the conference was the plenary session devoted to students of Polish origin. NAWA Deputy Director Dr Damian Syjczak participated in the panel and emphasised the role of Polish diaspora youth in the internationalisation strategies of Polish universities, as well as the need to ensure high-quality recruitment processes and the long-term sustainability of undertaken activities.

In his speech, Dr Damian Syjczak pointed to the programmes consistently implemented by NAWA that genuinely enable young people of Polish origin to undertake studies in Poland. A key instrument in this regard is the Gen. Władysław Anders Programme, implemented since 2018 and addressed to holders of the Polish Card, special certificates, or Polish citizenship and a citizenship of another country. He also highlighted the importance of NAWA’s direct presence within Polish diaspora communities and information activities, through which many potential beneficiaries learn about opportunities to study in Poland.

At the same time, he stressed that internationalisation strategies are meaningful only when they are consistently implemented and translated into concrete actions, rather than remaining solely as written documents.

NAWA Awards. Recognising leaders of internationalisation

A traditional and important element of the conference was the presentation of the NAWA Awards – Stars of Internationalisation 2026, granted to individuals who, in practice, strengthen the international position of Polish higher education institutions. Under NAWA’s patronage, awards were presented in several categories.

Awards under NAWA’s patronage were granted to:

• Development Star – Prof Aleksandra Przegalińska, Vice Rector for Innovation and AI, Kozminski University
• Marketing Star – Paweł Urgacz, Vice Dean for Internationalisation, WSB University
• Public Diplomacy Star – Prof Beata Piskorska, Vice Rector for Students and Internationalisation, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
• Science Diplomacy Star – Prof Marzena Dominiak, Vice Rector for Internationalisation, Wroclaw Medical University

Other award recipients recognised during the conference included:

• Distinguished Star – Prof Maciej Żylicz, long-standing President of the Foundation for Polish Science
• Management Star – Patrycja Matusz, PhD habil., Vice Rector for International Cooperation, University of Wroclaw
• Research Star – Prof Piotr Sankowski, President and Co-founder of the IDEAS Research Institute
• Education Star – Magdalena Wrembel, PhD habil., Vice Dean for Research, Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
• Rising Star – Katarzyna Sanak-Kosmowska, PhD habil., Director of the Centre for International Cooperation, Krakow University of Economics
  
  

NAWA’s participation in the “International Students in Poland 2026” conference reaffirmed the Agency’s role as a key partner for universities in the internationalisation process. The conclusions drawn from debates, meetings, and panel discussions constitute an important reference point for NAWA’s further activities aimed at promoting Polish science and higher education and building lasting academic partnerships worldwide.