"Both the city and universities are concerned about the inflow of young and talented persons to Wroclaw. Universities need students, and investors acquired by the city via the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency (Agencja Rozwoju Aglomeracji Wrocław, ARAW) need employees," informs Tomasz Śpiewak from the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. "A letter of intent regarding co-operation to this extent was signed by the most important Wroclaw universities, and ARAW agreed to undertake the performance of this task."
The conception of activities on the part of universities is supervised by Prof. Bogusław Fiedor – Vice-President for Foreign Co-operation of the Wroclaw University of Economics. The action plan assumes the promotion of Wroclaw as an academic education centre. Within the scope of this project, efforts will be continued to bring candidates from behind the Eastern border into Wroclaw.
"Around 40 per cent of students from the East are Ukrainians, but we want to go further and we offer studies to young people from countries like Kazakhstan, too. A large Polish Diaspora exists there. Potential candidates are also children of the middle class living there, which is too poor to finance studies in London, but can afford studies in Wroclaw," says Prof. Fiedor. "As many as 8,000 young Kazakhs study in Czech Republic, and this country is much smaller."
Rectors are also looking towards the West; Wroclaw can attract mainly young Germans planning their studies, and increasingly more Swedes decide to study in Poland.
The Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency will play a significant role in the promotion of Wroclaw universities. One of the ideas is to organise educational missions modelled on economic missions, during which potential business partners are sought. These educational missions will focus on the presentations of the advantages of the academic offer of Wroclaw.
Such co-operation will also be beneficial for economy. Prof. Fiedor: "We assume that the most gifted university graduates will stay in Wroclaw and will work in good companies. And those who will leave will be natural ambassadors of Wroclaw schools of higher education."
"The scope of activities, the schedule and the division of costs will be the subject-matter of negotiations between the mayor and rectors in the coming weeks," announces the representative of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency.
