President of the State Parliament of Lower Austria visits Bialystok University of Technology

The delegates from Lower Austria visited the University together with Łukasz Prokorym, Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

– Developing international relations is extremely important to us, – said Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng, Rector of Bialystok University of Technology, while welcoming the guests.

The Rector presented the scientific and educational potential of the University, as well as its innovation, especially in projects conducted in cooperation with the business environment. She also introduced the idea and the subsequent stages of development of the European University Across, which brings together Bialystok University of Technology and universities from nine countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Ukraine) in a consortium focused on innovation, raising educational and research standards, exchanging good practices, and fostering mobility.

– Our activities, both within and beyond the region, are carried out in collaboration with and thanks to the support of the Marshal’s Office of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, – added Rector Kosior-Kazberuk. – This is how we implement our cooperation model with the business environment, various institutions, and in the framework of international relations – and today’s visit of the Marshal’s guests to Bialystok University of Technology is a perfect example of that.

During their visit, the representatives of the Lower Austrian Parliament discussed the mutual promotion of universities, enhancing academic mobility, and supporting the exchange of researchers and students. Lower Austria is home to several renowned universities, including the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, the University of Vienna, Vienna University of Technology, the University of Graz, and Graz University of Technology.

As noted by Łukasz Prokorym, Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, the cooperation between the region and the State of Lower Austria has lasted for nearly 20 years. It is important to maintain and expand it to include new areas.

– One of our priorities is academic exchange, which will involve students and academic staff, as well as secondary school pupils, – said Marshal Prokorym. – Bialystok University of Technology, as a leading university in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, is a leader in fields such as mechanical engineering, electronics, and construction. Our partners from Lower Austria are interested in collaboration in these areas, so it was important for us to help establish these relations. We also wanted to showcase the University’s multidimensional activities – including a commercial company facilitating the implementation of research outcomes, and the impressive sports infrastructure reflecting the University’s concern for the health of its students and staff. We are proud of all that.

The delegation from the State of Lower Austria included:

• Karl Wilfing – President of the State Parliament of Lower Austria
• Members of the Lower Austrian Parliament: Martin Antauer, Michael Bierbach, Georg Ecker, Edith Kollermann
• Directors of the State Parliament: Thomas Obernosterer, Denise Röska

In addition to the meeting at Bialystok University of Technology, the multi-day visit programme also included a tour of the Sybir Memorial Museum and a visit to the border region with Belarus. The regional authorities also intend to promote local products, such as Podlasian honey.

by mr