July/August 2024
Newsletter
The next issue of the Office of Sustainability’s thematic newsletter. This issue focuses on the importance and benefits of trees in ecosystems.
July 2024
„Feminist Bioethics in Space: Gender Inequality in Space Exploration„
Oxford University Press has published a new book by Konrad Szocik Ph.D., D. Sci., Assoc. Prof. titled „Feminist Bioethics in Space: Gender Inequality in Space Exploration.” This is the first book in the world dedicated to a feminist perspective of thought in reflection on space and space missions.
The book is an example of the author’s application of the feminist perspective in philosophy, ethics and bioethics to the consideration of future human space missions. Konrad Szocik, PhD, focuses on bioethical issues that may arise in future long-term and long-distance space missions. These issues primarily concern human enhancement and reproduction in space. The book points out the implications of space missions for traditionally marginalized and excluded groups, such as women, non-white people, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples and sexually non-binary people.
June 2024
Newsletter
The next issue of the Office of Sustainability’s thematic newsletter. This issue focuses on sustainability-related activities in the academic community.
June 2024
“An inclusive academic community: an anti-discrimination workshop for gender equality in the academy,” conducted as part of the implementation of the university’s Gender Equality Plan.
On 14, 17.06.2024, people employed in research and teaching, lecturing and administrative positions at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow participated in an online training course entitled. “An inclusive academic community: an anti-discrimination workshop for gender equality in the academy,” conducted as part of the implementation of the university’s Gender Equality Plan.
The workshop leader was Iwona Leonowicz-Bukała,Ph.D. co-author of the Gender Equality Plan at UITM,Dean of the UITM College of Media and Social Communication, graduate of Cultural Studies and postgraduate Gender Studies at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She researches contemporary migration, communication aspects of chronic diseases, as well as gender equality issues in the academy, particularly in academic work.
May 2024
Newsletter
The next issue of the Office of Sustainable Development’s thematic newsletter has been released. This issue focuses on disability, which is part of the 10th Sustainable Development Goal – less inequality.
May 2024
How to change the industrial food production system for the protection of health, climate and the environment?– Article written by th President of UITM-Prof. Tadeusz Pomianek, Ph.D., D. Sci., Assoc. Prof.
The fight to protect humanity from climate catastrophe focuses primarily on reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Infographic: Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the European Union by Pollutant; Cheng et al. 2022). At the same time, humanity faces an equally daunting challenge in the rapidly progressing environmental degradation. Although the share of renewable energy is growing relatively quickly (13% globally, 25% in the EU), not enough necessary changes are implemented in the industrial food production system. This sector is particularly notable for its significant contribution to widespread ecological harm (Atlas Mięsa [Meat Atlas] 2022; Crippa et al. 2021; Cheng et al. 2022).
May 2024
Assistant professor published a text in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Dr. Konrad Szocik, assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences, published a text titled “Proxy failure in social policies as one of the main causes of persistent sexism and racism” in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The text shows the importance of adopting an appropriate criterion and verification tool for social policies. With regard to the text in question, these are policies aimed at combating sexism and racism. Their criterion is usually the number of women and non-white representatives in the power structures. As Szocik shows, increasing the number of representatives of these marginalized groups in power structures does not change the global situation of these groups as such. With regard to women, the problem is sexism rooted in the individual, causing women to be viewed through the lens of their reproductive biology, a service role to men, often playing a secondary role. Despite the increased representation of women in power structures, women are still at risk of harassment, which has perhaps increased in online culture. The solution to the problem is therefore not in the number of representatives in power structures. The analogy is with racism, which still persists at all levels. The problem is the ideology of white supremacy and white privilege, the global effect of which is the racialized nature of violence, poverty or bearing the consequences of climate change. Szocik’s article concludes that representation of women, non-whites and all others traditionally marginalized in power structures should be increased for a variety of reasons, but it should also be kept in mind that these policies reduce neither sexism nor racism.
The journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences, published by Cambridge University Press, has an Impact Factor of 29.3 (for 2022). In the Web of Science database, the journal ranks high in the following disciplines: BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES – 1/52, NEUROSCIENCES – 3/272, PSYCHOLOGY, BIOLOGICAL – 1/14.
March 2024
Marcin Szewczyk, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., co-authored a report on efforts to build a Union of Equality
We invite you to read the work entitled. „Equality Union. Between assumptions and reality” authored by Aleksandra Szczerba, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof, Anna Drabarz Ph.D. and Marcin Szewczyk, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. in UITM The report takes a closer look at the strategies for implementing equality and non-discrimination regulations within the European Union by the current term of the European Commission. The publication was commissioned by the European Commission Representation in Poland.
The report focuses on the following issues: gender equality, the strategy for equality for LGBTIQ people, the strategy for the rights of people with disabilities, action against racism, the EU strategic framework for gender equality and social inclusion and Roma participation. For each of the aforementioned issues, data for several years back, the future course of action (including actions already implemented) and data for Poland are presented, along with recommendations.
March 2024
Heroes among us – celebrating World Social Work Day
Not every hero wears a cape. Good people are recognised by small activities that do not require publicity. Not everyone is capable of making sacrifices, not everyone is ready to give up thousands of minutes to support others every day, but social workers definitely do! They spread goodness every day, making our world a better place. Their mission is to empower marginalised groups, like people with disabilities, older people, refugees, and substance misusers, and ensure that they have access to the necessary resources, services, and opportunities to fully participate in society.
Every year, World Social Work Day is celebrated on the third Tuesday of March, shining a spotlight on the invaluable contributions of social workers across the globe. This year, it takes place on 19th March. It is an opportunity to recognize the dedication, compassion, and impact of social workers in improving the lives of individuals, families and communities. They work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations, employing a holistic approach to help individuals navigate life’s challenges.
February 2024
Visegrad Sustainable Living Labs Network 4 Youth of Universities
The VSLLN4YOU project aims to create the Living Labs (LLs) network, which will enable the co-creation and testing of innovative and sustainable solutions, relevant to the Visegrad Universities and Region, in cooperation with partners from the private, public, and civil society sectors.
The SLLs will engage students with real-world experience, working on sustainable projects and green solutions, and prepare them to be change agents in their personal and professional lives. Through SLLs, workshops, training materials, and conference, the project offers knowledge transfer for sustainable change.
January 2024
UITM is again the second university in Poland in UI GreenMetric ranking!
In the international UI GreenMetric ranking, UITM was ranked second among Polish universities, as it was a year ago.
The ranking takes into account environmental and sustainability solutions, and the list includes 1183 universities from around the world.
In this year’s edition of the UI GreenMetric ranking, universities from 84 countries around the world participated, including 15 from Poland. Universities from the Netherlands, Great Britain and Germany topped the ranking. Among Polish universities, the Gdansk University of Technology ranked highest, at 197th place in the ranking. The University of Information Technology and Management from Rzeszow is in second place, which gave it the 325th position in the world ranking.
December 2023
UITM Students know that every gender is equal
In a resounding display of commitment to equality, students at the University of Information Technology and Management recently engaged in a compelling debate titled „Every Gender is Equal.” The event, held at the IQ Student Club on December 12, 2023, was a noteworthy part of this year’s celebration of Human Rights Day. Dr. Zdzisław Rapacki, economist and former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN office in Geneva from 2004 – 2010 was the honorary guest.
Dr. Rapacki delivered an enlightening keynote titled „The role of international organizations in shaping standards and monitoring compliance with human rights.
In addition to Dr. Rapacki, the debate was attended by Małgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Administration at UITM, and students of Management: Mieczysław Moneta, supervisor of the Intercultural Research Club „The Globe” science club, and Valeriia Krasnozhon.
An important element of the event was the summary of this year’s Amnesty International Letter Writing Marathon. The debate was also accompanied by an exhibition of posters „EVERYONE HAS EQUAL RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF GENDER”/”ALL PEOPLE HAVE RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF GENDER”, which was the originator and organizer of the Council of Scientific Clubs of UITM in cooperation with KN The Globe, the exhibition consisted of 16 works by students major in Computer Graphics.
December 2023
We invite you to the debate „Równość płci/every gender is equal”
The event will take place on December 12, 2023 at 9:30 am at the IQ Student Club of the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow. The debate will be held in English with simultaneous translation into Polish. The debate will provide insight into how students from different cultural backgrounds perceive gender equality issues, introduce the range of anti-discrimination solutions used around the world and the activities of international organizations. The event’s guest of honor will be Dr. Zdzislaw Rapacki, economist and long-time diplomat, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN Office at Geneva in 2004-2010.
December 2023
Meeting of institutions holding the European award „HR Excellence in Research”
December 5, 2023. The National Agency for Academic Exchange organized a meeting for Polish institutions that hold the European distinction „HR Excellence in Research.”
During the event, the latest European solutions and initiatives supporting the professional development of researchers were discussed, as well as the achievements of Polish units in this area.
November 2023
„Imagining the Anthropocene Future”
Paula Wieczorek, Ph.D. assistant professor in the UITM Department of Philology, has published a book titled „Imagining the Anthropocene Future: Body and the Environment in Indigenous Speculative Fiction„. The publication was released in October 2023 by Peter Lang Publishing.
In her latest publication, Paula Wieczorek Ph.D. how theories of New Materialism and speculative prose produced by American writers of indigenous descent draw attention to the materiality of the human body and the complexity of relations with the non-human world. The author focuses on analyzing selected novels by such writers as Zainab Amadahy, Rebecca Roanhorse, Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, Cherie Dimaline and Louise Erdrich. Their work is part of an innovative trend in North American indigenous literature called „Indigenous futurisms.” In their works, these authors transcend the traditional framework of the science fiction genre, presenting visions of futures in the Anthropocene in which characters of indigenous origin play key roles and their cultural heritage and knowledge become a source of their strength.
October 2023
UITM’s Latest Report for the Sustainable Development in the Academic Year 2022/23
UITM has published a report for the second time that summarizes the university’s activities in the areas indicated by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The study aids in the continual monitoring of the implementation process and the introduction of the most necessary solutions.
We invite you to read the latest report on the sustainable development of our University in the past academic year 2022/23. In our activities, we focus particularly on the topics that are most important to us – the production of healthy food, protection of biodiversity, counteracting climate change and environmental degradation, and health prevention. However, on a daily basis, we also undertake a number of other initiatives that fit into all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The report shows what our entire academic community has managed to achieve together: Students and Employees of UITM – inform Dr. Małgorzata Gosek, Vice-Rector of UITM for Innovation and Sustainable Development.
The annual reports are part of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy of UITM for 2022-2024, called the Green Strategy, which was adopted unanimously by the University Senate on September 27, 2022. It states, among other things: We are convinced that it is students and employees who, through their attitudes, and bottom-up initiatives and a proactive approach to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals can contribute to protecting the natural environment and improving the quality of life of the local and global community.
The most recent Report on the Sustainable Development of UITM in 2022/23, and all information related to the University’s activities and sustainable development efforts, can be found here: Green UITM.
October 2023
UITM joins the Academic Safety and Equality Network (ASBiR)
Membership in the Academic Safety and Equality Network (ASBiR) allows you to participate on an ongoing basis in events organized by affiliated universities and related to activities or plans of institutional solutions in the area of security and equality in the academic environment.
May 2023
Training on counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence
The training took place on May 26 and June 14, 2023, led by Andrzej Kiebała, Ph.D. During the training, the following topics were discussed: the issue of equality in employment, the types and effects of discrimination and mobbing, the employee’s rights in the event of discrimination and mobbing, the employer’s obligations in terms of preventing and combating discrimination and mobbing, as well as the liability of the employer and other persons (supervisors and other employees) for discrimination and mobbing.
November 2022
UITM Gender Equality Plan
The Gender Equality Plan aims to create a space of safety and equality conducive to the harmonious development of all members of the academic community, which consists of research and teaching staff, lecturers, administrative staff, and students.
October 2020
An Anti-Mobbing, Discrimination, and Violence Policy for employees and an Anti-Discrimination and Violence Policy for students
UITM has implemented this policy from the 2020/21 academic year. The first Rector’s Plenipotentiary for counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence was Konrad Szocik, Ph.D., and currently, the Plenipotentiary is Katarzyna Kurzępa-Dedo, Ph.D. Violence, mobbing, and discrimination are three phenomena that cannot be tolerated, especially in the academic environment. Each employee/student who has suffered discrimination, mobbing, or violence should report the matter to the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for counteracting mobbing, discrimination, and violence.
