INTERNATIONALISATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION BASED ON LEAN MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES: CASE STUDY OF JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

The paper deals with the phenomenon of lean management in higher education analyzed within the context of internationalisation process in Polish higher education as a means of ensuring inclusive global higher education space. Lean management is looked upon as one of the 21st century models of university management transplanted from the sphere of private enterprises and business companies’ management. The empirical analysis has been conducted with the use of statistical data provided by the official website of Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Republic of Poland. The data have been collected in accordance with the following internationalisation process indicators: amount of bilateral Memoranda of Understanding; Inbound Mobility: number of foreign students who have completed the full cycle bachelor's / master's degree; Inbound Mobility: number of foreign students who have completed the full cycle PhD’s degree; Inbound Mobility: participation in Quin Jadwiga Fund granting schemes; Inbound Mobility: participation in Erasmus / Erasmus+ Programme; Outbound Mobility: participation in Erasmus / Erasmus+ Programme; number of outbound mobile students in accordance with bilateral agreements; number of inbound mobile students in accordance with bilateral agreements; number of outbound mobile staff in accordance with bilateral agreements; number of inbound mobile staff in accordance with bilateral agreements. The collected data have shown gradual increase of internationalisation process indicators and allowed concluding that the introduction and support of lean management principles in higher education promotes the intensification of the internationalisation process.

Międzynarodowa mobilność edukacyjna jako determinanta rozwoju osobistego i zawodowego studentów

The aim of the article is to analyze the extent, to which the participation of students in learning mobility projects on the example of the Erasmus+ programme influences the improvement of their individual skills desired from the perspective of the labour market. The text begins with an introduction that outlines the background to the considerations undertaken. Next, the historical context of learning mobility in Europe and the process of internationalization of universities are presented as one of the consequences of the globalizing labour market. In the following part of the article we characterized the best known European programme promoting academic mobility Erasmus+. The end of the article contains a review of the research on the competences of beneficiaries of learning mobility projects, supported by statistical data, and an attempt to draw a link between participation in student exchange and the chances of finding a satisfactory employment after graduation. The analysis shows that graduates with foreign mobility experience develop a number of characteristics and skills, that increase their employability and career opportunities.

The EU Erasmus+ Programme During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The article critically reflects upon various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the EU funded Erasmus+ academic cooperation programme. A complete or partial shutdown of academic mobility, imposition of quarantine, and forced introduction of digital teaching and learning technologies have become the most prominent consequences of the pandemic for the European universities. Numerous surveys among students, teachers and experts in higher education have shown many vulnerabilities of the Erasmus programme requiring improvement. Responding to the COVID-19 challenges, the EU and university community are updating the Erasmus programme for the period 2021‒2027, in order to strengthen it as a tool to promote European values and increase its resilience to withstand external threats.

The Erasmus program and its effect to the labour market

In our work, we deal with the question of what impact the Erasmus programme has on linguistic and personal competences and how it helps the economy forward. We look around this topic in the literature review. We managed to get almost 100 surveys filled out among the participants however, the representatives of the companies proved to be quite passive, with only nearly 30 of them replying. In the form of a survey, we found that it has a positive effect on improving language skills and helping with independence or problem-solving ability. In the quantitative survey we found that companies often prefer other factors than the people in a mobility programme, and they do not show favour toward a mobility student in a job interview, although the skills acquired during the programme help the individual. Therefore though indirectly, but the programme has a positive impact on the economy as well.

The Role of Consumer and Customer Journeys in Customer Experience Driven and Open Innovation

Customer and Consumer Journeys, touchpoints and Consumer Goals have been widely discussed among Customer Experience theorists and practitioners, establishing that a hierarchical relationship between those exist. Customer Experience driven innovation evaluates opportunities mainly within touchpoints in Customer Journeys. However, there is still a gap in understanding how exactly those elements are interlinked and impact each other. This research article aims to create this understanding by answering three research questions: “To what extent, and how do Customer Journeys impact Consumer Journeys and vice versa?” and “Are touchpoints (including other actors) a sub-set of Consumer or Customer Journeys?” and “Where in the hierarchy should Customer Experience driven innovation opportunities be identified?”. Phenomenological interviews with participants of the Cambridge Venture Camp 2021, organized as part of the ERASMUS+ programme of the European Union within Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education were chosen for the research methodology. Grounded theory and open coding were used to interpret the collected data. In this article, we demonstrate how Consumer Journeys impact Customer Journeys, and that Customer Journeys do not impact other journeys directly, but rather by adjusting the higher-order goals of the Consumer through the response to the stimuli in the touchpoints. A theoretical model is proposed that highlights the interconnectivity of the different experience elements, and how to interpret Customer Experience driven innovation within the hierarchy.

THE PHILIA PROJECT – FOR THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF THE YOUNG THROUGH THEIR EMPOWERMENT AND SOCIAL NETWORK DEVELOPMENT

The Philia+ project has been approved for funding within the Erasmus + Programme. Several partners from Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Romania (from higher education and social work institutions) have worked to support the academic success and social inclusion of (pre)adolescents aged 13-18 in foster care, and to enhance, preserve and develop their support networks. Training programmes were held for teachers, trainers and researchers involved in the project, as well as for students and social work professionals and young people in difficulty in the care of associations and organizations providing them social and psychological support. The aim has always been to change their position according to the theoretical DPAPC (empowerment of individuals and communities) framework and to the methodological RAC (collaborative research-action) framework, in order to enable them to understand the mechanism of the social determinism of success and failure and to enhance their support networks. We managed to create two training modules, teasers of experienced testimonies (focus groups, comprehensive conversations), educational films for the two modules, educational films on accompanying Roma and unaccompanied minors.