The Forum was attended by the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Marcin Kulasek, as well as a broad representation of Polish and Uzbek academic circles, alongside institutional partners from the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (KRASP), the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), and the Perspektywy Educational Foundation.
BUT was represented by Assoc. Prof. Katarzyna Halicka, DSc, PhD, Eng – Vice-Rector for Education, and Ewa Szatyłowicz, PhD, Eng from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences.
The presence of BUT representatives at this prestigious event allowed for the consolidation of existing relationships and the signing of new agreements. A key element of the visit was concluding a cooperation agreement and an Erasmus+ agreement with Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University (SamSACU).
Cooperation with SamSACU
Białystok University of Technology signed cooperation and Erasmus+ agreements with Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University (SamSACU). These agreements open a new chapter in BUT’s internationalisation strategy.
SamSACU educates students across more than 30 undergraduate programmes and 19 master’s programmes. In addition to engineering, the university offers courses in arts, design, and construction management.
Thanks to the Erasmus+ agreement, our students and academic staff will gain access to a new international exchange track. This partnership also aims to increase the mobility of students from Central Asia to BUT and to implement joint research projects.
The universities also expressed their intention to further deepen cooperation, in particular by preparing and implementing double degree programmes in the field of environmental engineering. The opportunity to obtain diplomas from both the Polish and Uzbek institutions significantly enhances graduates’ competitiveness in the global job market.
Our cooperation with Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has long held an important place in Białystok University of Technology’s internationalisation strategy. Our university has been implementing Erasmus+ KA171 agreements with institutions such as Karshi State Technical University, Tashkent Institute of Architecture and Construction, and Tashkent State Technical University.
This cooperation is highly practical – Uzbek scholars have already completed six inbound mobilities at BUT, while BUT delegations visited Tashkent State Technical University in June 2023 and October 2024.
Białystok University of Technology also has experience running double degree programmes with partners from Samarkand and Tashkent (double degree agreements with Uzbekistan Samarkand State Architectural and Civil Engineering Institute, as well as Uzbekistan Tashkent Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering). Joint education in Environmental Engineering (second-cycle studies) was already implemented in the 2021/2022 academic year. Despite procedural challenges related to visa processes, which limited participant numbers, the programme confirmed the high educational potential of both sides and became the foundation for current initiatives.
Academic diplomacy
The 3rd Forum of Rectors of Poland and Uzbekistan was held as part of the international Congress “Education and Business in Asia.” During plenary sessions, the BUT delegation emphasised the importance of staff mobility and the need to build educational offerings in foreign languages, a constant element of the university’s long-term development strategy.
Active participation in such events confirms Białystok University of Technology’s commitment to building durable, strategic partnerships and active involvement in global knowledge exchange.
Ewa Szatyłowicz, PhD, Eng; Monika Rokicka
