Meet the Team: Slupsk
The geographical position of Poland makes it a busy transit area, used by economic migrants and asylum seekers. With 1,300 km, Poland has the longest border with the former Soviet Republics, namely Russia (Kaliningrad), Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. There are around 5,500 people who are granted refugee status or subsidiary protection in Poland, most of whom come from Russia or former USSR countries. The major ethnic groups are Chechens, Ukrainians, Tajiks, Syrians and Belarussians. Data from Poland’s labour ministry showed that in 2019 there was a further 35% increase in the number of work permits issued to immigrants from outside the EU. At the moment in the field of education are working approximately 3% of all the foreigners in Poland.
We both are living and working in Slupsk in the field of higher education. Grzegorz was born in Slupsk and all his live he is living and working here. In 2005 Maria came from Belarus to work at the Pomeranian University, where we have met and have been working fruitfully together for all these years.
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| Maria got her MA degree in Psychology with honour at the Belarussian State Pedagogical University in Minsk, Belarus in 1998. In the same year she got an Award of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus for the best student’s work in the field of Psychology. After this success she got a position of Assistant Professor. Maria is specialized in the field of Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Individual Differences, Psychology of Gifted and Talented and Psychology of Dance. Since 2005 she has been teaching polish and international students at Pomeranian University in Slupsk, Poland. In the last decade she has also been a Guest Professor at the Finnmark University College in Alta (Norway), at the Maribor University (Slovenia) and at the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic). As a coordinator of the International Cooperation with East European Countries and a coordinator of the ERASMUS+ Programs she is working both with Polish and international students and staff. For the last 12 years Maria has been the Head of the Department of Psychology at the Pomeranian University in Slupsk. Among her duties is administrating the work of the department of Psychology, taking care for didactic process and career development of the employees. She has been also engaged in the process of organising of international scientific conferences and popular scientific events for children and adults. About her hobby: sculpture and jeweler work you can read more here: www.mashenkaart.com | | Grzegorz is specialized in the field of social pedagogy, equality education and educational policy. His latest publications are devoted to forgotten victims (LGBT persons) of World War II. Among his strong sides there is experience in managing a team of employees, impeccable personal culture, openness to new experiences and organizational skills. Nowadays he has 15 years of experience in Academia, and 6 years in managerial positions as Head of the Department of Pedagogy and Education and as Director of the Institute of Pedagogy. He has been also engaged in the process of organizing of international scientific conferences and popular scientific events for children and adults. One of the conferences he is particularly proud of is “Interdisciplinary National Conference on Science and Methodology: Equality Education: Challenges - Needs - Opportunities”.This conference became well know and received positive feedback from professionals from all over the country. He has well developed experiences in making contacts with public and private sectors, as well as in the business world. As an academic teacher he is teaching Equality Education (master's degree) and Introduction to Pedagogy (bachelor's degree). In the frames of his hobby Grzegorz tries himself as an actor in the in theatre: http://www.sok.slupsk.pl/index.php/pracownie/teatr-main/spektakle-teatralne-i-widowiska/39-monodramy/3926-wyznania | |