About the project

Preparation, creation and promotion of an interdisciplinary study programme Trend Watching and Analysis

The project is a result of a joint initiative of the academics of three faculties of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn – the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Economics, and the Faculty of Social Sciences – and of the Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer that has acted as the project's coordinator.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Chairman - dr hab. Andrzej Szmyt, UWM Prof. – Dean of the Faculty of Humanities

dr hab. Janusz Heller, UWM Prof. – Dean of the Faculty of Economics

Jerzy Siwkiewicz – Director of the Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer at UWM in Olsztyn

PROJECT TEAM
Faculty of Humanities, UWM in Olsztyn
dr hab. Andrzej Kucner (Institute of  Philosophy)
dr hab. Marzena Świgoń, UWM Prof. (Institute of History and International Relations)
dr Piotr Wasyluk (Institute of  Philosophy)

Faculty of Economics, UWM in Olsztyn
dr Radosław Szulc (Chair of Market Analysis and Marketing)

Faculty of Social Sciences, UWM in Olsztyn
mgr Radosław Sierocki (Chair of Sociology)

Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer
dr inż. Ewa Dąbkowska (Coordinator)
mgr inż. Edyta Szacherska

The main aim of the project is to establish a new, interdisciplinary study programme Trend Watching and Analysis. The concept of the programme fits in the idea of social innovations which constitutes one of the greatest challenges of the development strategy of the European Union in the years to come. The idea of the programme is an answer to the growing need for professionals who can accurately diagnose long-term phenomena and translate them into the language of individual and social needs. Education in the Trend Watching and Analysis programme will also contribute to the broadening of the awareness of students, graduates and academic staff of environmental and climatic changes. The programme will strengthen the potential of the university in the field of interdisciplinary education and cooperation with the social and economic environment.

Project objectives:
1) Development of a report on the demand for graduates of a study programme.
2) Creation of an innovative study programme Trend Watching and Analysis at the level of the first cycle and postgraduate studies – preparation of documentation, staff and resources for the implementation of the programme.
3) Promotion and generation of cultural, social and economic demand for the graduates of the programme through information meetings, conferences and other promotional activities.

We launched the project on 1 January and completion of the tasks is expected to last until the end of this year.

Financing
The project has obtained support under the "Development of Polish Universities" component of the Scholarship and Training Fund. The financing comes from Norway Grants and domestic funds.

Through the Norwegian and the EEA funds Norway contributes to reducing social and economic inequality and strengthening of bilateral relations with beneficiary countries in Europe. Norway is a close partner of the EU under the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement). In the years 2009-2014 the support provided by Norway amounted to EUR 1.7 billion. The funding is available to non-governmental organisations, research and academic institutions, and to the public and private sectors in the 12 new EU Member States, as well as to Greece, Portugal and Spain. The financing enables extensive cooperation with entities from Norway. Projects can be implemented until 2016.