University of Wroclaw

The Institute of International Studies of the University of Wrocław is an independent unit that conducts research and teaching in the field of broadly understood international relations. The basic research areas focus on security, international relations, issues of European integration, German studies, Eastern Europe and Asia, Global Studies, international economic and financial relations, international communication as well as geopolitics and foreign policy of Poland. Such a multidisciplinary profile of the Institute naturally implies special scientific and didactic activity in the sphere of creating contacts with foreign academic centers.

The actions taken in the field of cross-border cooperation are characterized by a strong geographical diversification, which in practical terms means establishing, maintaining, and developing contacts with various universities operating in different countries. At the Institute of International Studies, foreign cooperation is carried out on several levels. Above all, the activities undertaken on the basis of a number of bilateral ISM partnership agreements with individual foreign units are important. Currently, the Institute cooperates directly with universities from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Spain. Valuable bilateral contacts were also established with important research centers in Central Europe. In addition, ISM is developing the sphere of foreign cooperation based on university-wide research and teaching programs. The Institute actively and systematically participates in the implementation of numerous partnership agreements concluded by the International Cooperation Office of the University of Wrocław. As a result, the sphere of foreign contacts includes cooperation with many other non-European universities, incl. from the United States, China, India and Kazakhstan.

The Institute of International Studies also actively participates in international research programs and projects. It is worth highlighting the strong commitment to the VI and VII EU Framework Programs and Horizon 2020. In this way, ISM cooperates with universities from almost all EU countries. In addition, ISM employees individually carry out numerous research projects financed from external funds, especially from the EU budget, contributing creatively to the entirety of activities undertaken by the University of Wrocław in the international sphere. Foreign cooperation also results in a number of joint initiatives with the participation of external partners. The Institute of International Studies regularly organizes international scientific conferences, seminars and workshops as well as prepares and participates in foreign publications.

Such extensive foreign contacts not only allow for the conduct of often unique scientific research, but also allow for the construction of an extremely attractive didactic offer for students of the Institute of International Studies. The unit currently has about 50 officially signed cooperation agreements under the ERASMUS + program with many universities from the European Union countries. Moreover, ISM participates in the European Master Global Studies (EMGS) Program, enabling the potential exchange of researchers and students of the Institute with attractive and prestigious universities from other regions of the world. The program started in 2005 and is co-financed by the European Commission as European full-time 2-year supplementary Master's studies, implemented by the Institute of International Studies of the University of Wrocław in cooperation with Universitaet Leipzig, Universitaet Wien, London School of Economics and Political Science, Roskilde University and the University of Ghent.

In addition, the Consortium cooperates with partner universities from outside the European Union, such as Canada (Dalhousie), USA (Santa Barbara, University of California), South Africa (Stellenbosch), Australia (Macquarie, Sydney), China (Fudan Shanghai), India (Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa University), Cameroon (University of Yaoundé) and New Zealand (University of Otago). It is aimed at people who are interested in deepening their knowledge about social, cultural and historical determinants of the globalization process. The program also serves as a forum for interdisciplinary debate on global issues from a European perspective.

The significant development of the international cooperation of the Institute of International Studies creates many valuable opportunities for both students and academic staff. Visits by representatives of foreign universities and institutions provide a unique opportunity for direct contact with recognized authorities in specific areas related to international relations. Moreover, they enable deepening of knowledge and its confrontation with real tasks performed by practitioners who also regularly visit the Institute of International Studies. Mutual student exchange, on the other hand, creates the possibility of establishing valuable and often long-lasting contacts with foreign academic circles, better understanding of various cultures and a broader view of the complexity of the changes taking place today. The aforementioned official agreements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in other countries, extremely valuable in today's world. Each year abounds in studies and foreign scholarships that are eagerly used by many students of both full-time and part-time studies at the Institute of International Studies.

The Institute of International Studies also runs bachelor's and master's studies in English for foreign students. The extensive offer of subjects in this mode strongly correlates with the research conducted at the entire Institute, enabling students from other countries to learn about extremely interesting areas of knowledge from the perspective of Central Europe. At the same time, it is an important impulse for a number of other activities undertaken jointly by domestic and foreign students.

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