REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
Two days of deliberations, 10 panel sessions, 12 presentations, 45 speakers from Poland and abroad – this is what the just-concluded LUMEN 2023 Conference looks like in numbers.
The ninth edition of the largest event dedicated to management in higher education attracted more than 250 participants, both leaders in university management and representatives of key institutions and companies related to the higher education sector. We met stationary at the Narvil Hotel in Serock on November 20-21, 2023.
The inaugural part of the conference was opened by Prof. Lukasz Sulkowski, CEO of PCG Poland. Short keynote speeches were delivered by William S. Mosakowski, President and founder of Public Consulting Group, Prof. Jerzy Woźnicki, President of the Board of the Polish Rectors Foundation, and Prof. Michał Zasada, Vice-Chairman of CRASP and Rector of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.
FIRST DAY OF CONFERENCE AND AWARDS GALA THE
The first to speak was Łukasz Wawer, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Education and Science, who gave a presentation summarizing the ministry’s activities in digital projects in Polish higher education in 2023. Among other things, Director Wawer spoke about the “People of Science” portal launched by the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as other legislative and technological initiatives related to the introduction of e-diplomas, e-grants or e-legitimacy.
This was followed by the first Rector’s debate, moderated by Prof. Jerzy Woznicki. A summary of the five years of the Constitution for Science was given by Prof. Roman Cieślak, Rector of SWPS University, Iryna Degtyarova, Adjunct Professor from the Polish Rectors Foundation, Prof. Jerzy Lis, Rector of the Stanisław Staszic University of Science and Technology in Cracow, and Prof. Jan Szmidt, Honorary Chairman of CRASP, Warsaw University of Technology. The rectors evaluated the effects of the law so far and shared their opinions on the needed directions of changes.
The second panel session was devoted to global perspectives on the transformation of Polish higher education. The debate, moderated by Prof. Lukasz Sulkowski, featured Prof. Jaroslaw Gorniak, Vice Chancellor for Development at Jagiellonian University, Shadi Awwad, EMEA Regional Director at Elsevier, and Magdalena Marzec, Regional Manager UK & Europe at Times Higher Education. The discussion used data illustrating the positions of Polish universities in an international context, from the international databases Scopus (Elsevier) and DataPoints (Times Higher Education).
Rectors of leading Ukrainian universities were also guests at this year’s conference. The panel on rebuilding the Ukrainian education system featured Prof. Vasyl D. Karpusha, Rector of Sumy State University, and Prof. Yevhen Sokol, Rector of National Technical University Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, as well as Vitaliy Kukharskyy, Pro-rector of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and Prof. Tetiana Fesenko of Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics. The debate was moderated by Prof. Volodymyr Bugrov, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The rectors discussed the impact of the war on the condition of the Ukrainian education system and approaches to its reconstruction after the end of military operations.
The highlight of LUMEN 2023 was the Awards Gala for the leaders of Polish and Ukrainian universities ranked in THE World University Rankings 2024, the latest edition of the world’s most prestigious and recognizable ranking of higher education institutions. The awards were presented by Times Higher Education representatives Lachyn Italmazova, Commercial Director UK & Europe, and the aforementioned Magdalena Marzec, together with Prof. Lukasz Sulkowski and Prof. Jerzy Woznicki.
The list of awarded universities is given in the Gala summary available here:
SESSIONS ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE CONFERENCE
We started the second day of LUMEN with a talk on artificial intelligence. Mateusz Rafal, Director of the Center for Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Education, Barbara Michalska, Director of Education at Microsoft, and Katarzyna Patyrak, RI Solutions Manager for CEE from Elsevier, presented their views on the possibilities of applying AI in education. The panel was moderated by Dr. Maciej Madzinski of Kozminski University.
In the next panel, we looked at this year’s legislative changes and their impact on the organization of digital processes in universities. The panel moderated by Dariusz Wronikowski – Director of IT at Kozminski University and Coordinator of the IT Section of the Association of Deans’ Forum – included representatives of the Ministry of Education: the aforementioned Łukasz Wawer and Marcin Czaja, Director of the Department of Higher Education.
The topic of current changes implemented by the Ministry of Science continued in the next session, moderated by Piotr Masalski, PCG Academia Business Line Director. The discussion concerned the new guidelines for sending scientific information for evaluation purposes, and the speakers were Marek Michajlowicz, Deputy Director of the Information Processing Center – PIB, Halina Bojkowska, Head of the Office of Institutional Analysis and Reporting at Jagiellonian University, and Tomasz Yalkowicz, Director of the Department of Science Administration at SWPS University.
The big change facing the public sector now is the move away from paper in communication with the citizen in 2025. Invited experts Łukasz Wawer (MEiN), Łukasz Wróbel, Vice President of WEBCON, and Dariusz Żelasko, Director of IT at the Cracow University of Technology, presented the current status of the implementation of electronic document management systems in universities and government. The panel was moderated by Łukasz Nowak, Vice President of PCG Academia.
The last panel was dedicated to sharing experiences and lessons learned from the first competitions for universities under the 2021-2027 EU funds. The discussion, moderated by Małgorzata Lelińska, Director of the EU Funds and Digital Education Department at the Lewiatan Confederation, included Anna Marciniak, Head of the ESF Programs Section at the National Center for Research and Development, Marcin Kowalski, Chairman of the EdTech Group at the Lewiatan Confederation, and Edyta Siuda, Project Office Director at Kozminski University.
LUMEN THEATRE
The conference also featured LUMEN Theatre, an EdTech innovation theater. In a series of short, expert presentations, participants learned about specific, proven solutions to support universities in the fields of teaching, evaluation, data analytics, process digitization and management.
Trusted university partners presented their solutions: Anthology, Dolphin Consulting, Elsevier, Inspera, Learnetic, PCG Academia, PRODATA, Promethean, SIGNIUS, Treasury TFI, UpWare, WEBCON and Wolters Kluwer.
Recordings of this year’s LUMEN are available on our website and YouTube channel.
The organizers of the 9th LUMEN 2023 Conference were PCG Academia, Times Higher Education and the Polish Rectors Foundation.
LUMEN 2023 partners were Anthology, Dolphin Consulting, Elsevier, Inspera, Learnetic, ProData, Promethean, Signius, Treasury, UpWare, WEBCON and Wolters Kluwer.
The conference was held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Education and Science. The conference was also under the patronage of the President of CRASP, the Polish Accreditation Commission, the Information Processing Center – PIB, NASK, the Association of Forum of Deans, the LEWIATAN Confederation and the PRom Association. The conference was held under the media patronage of the Academic Forum.
Agenda – November 20-21, 2023
REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFERENCE
OPENING SESSION
SUMMARY OF THE DIGITAL PROJECTS CONDUCTED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE IN 2023
FIVE YEARS OF APPLICATION OF THE LAW ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENCE – ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS AND DIRECTIONS OF CHANGE
Moderator:
Speakers:
COFFEE BREAK | LUMEN THEATRE
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE POLISH HIGHER EDUCATION
Moderator:
Speakers:
LUNCH | LUMEN THEATRE
REBUILDING OF THE UKRAINIAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE RECTORS OF THE LEADING UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES
Moderator:
Speakers:
THE WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2024 – PRESENTATION OF THE METHODOLOGY
Speakers:
COFFEE BREAK | LUMEN THEATRE
THE WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS GALA WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE LEADING POLISH AND UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES RECTORS
CONCERT BY OLGA BOŃCZYK AND BANQUET FOR CONFERENCE GUESTS
DANCE EVENT WITH DJ IN THE LAGUNA ZONE
REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFERENCE
AI IN THE SERVICE OF EDUCATION – CONVERSATION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN POLISH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
Moderator:
Speakers:
COFFEE BREAK | LUMEN THEATRE
KEY LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE IN 2023 AND THEIR IMPACT ON DIGITAL PROCESSES IN THE AREA OF ORGANIZATION, EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Moderator:
Speakers:
REVOLUTION OR EVOLUTION IN REPORTING SCIENTIFIC DATA HALFWAY THROUGH EVALUATION? HOW THE POLICY OF OPENING SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT MODEL AT LEADING POLISH UNIVERSITIES
Moderator:
Speakers:
LUNCH | LUMEN THEATRE
NATIONWIDE PREPARATIONS FOR PAPERLESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, STUDENTS AND CITIZENS. STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF DOCUMENT WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS IN UNIVERSITIES AND POLISH PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Moderator:
Speakers:
DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLISH HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM WITH THE USE OF EU FUNDS IN THE FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2021-2027. STATUS AND CONCLUSIONS FROM THE FIRST OPEN EU PROGRAMS
Moderator:
Speakers:
CONFERENCE SUMMARY
HOST OF THE GALA AND CONFERENCE
President of the Management Board of PCG Polska
Vice-Rector of the WSB University in Dąbrowa Górnicza
Head of the Department of Management of Higher Education Institutions at the Jagiellonian University
Director, Learnetic
RI Solutions Manager for CEE, Elsevier
Director of Education at Microsoft Poland
Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Science
Project Office Director, Kozminski University
Director of Investment Communications, Skarbiec TFI S.A.
Founder of Dolphin Consulting
Senior Account Executive, Anthology
Key Account Manager, PCG Academia
EMEA Regional Director, Elsevier
Commercial Director – UK & Europe,
Times Higher Education
Promethean Product Manager, ProData
Business Development Manager, SIGNIUS
Regional Director, PCG Academia
Business Line Director, PCG Academia
Product Manager, PCG Academia
Director of the Prestige Customer Team, Skarbiec TFI
Channel Partner Manager, Inspera
Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics
Rector, National Technical University Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute
CONFERENCE HOST
Specialist in the field of international marketing and intercultural communication
European Association of Communication Professionals in Higher Education-EUPRIO
Regional Manager – UK & Europe,
Times Higher Education
President and Founder, Public Consulting Group
Kozminski University
President of the Board of the Polish Rectors Foundation
Rector, University SWPS
Przewodniczący Konferencji Rektorów Akademickich Szkół Polskich w kadencji 20014-20010
Rektor Politechniki Warszawskiej w kadencji 20014-20010
Rector, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków
Assistant professor, Polish Rectors Foundation
Rector, Jagiellonian University
Rector, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Vice-Rector of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics Department, PhD in Physical-Mathematical Science.
Recotr, Sumy State University
Director, Digital Transformation Center, Ministry of Education and Science
Chairman, EdTech Group, Confederation Lewiatan
IT Director, Kozminski University, IT Section Coordinator, Dean’s Office Forum Association
Business Line Director, PCG Academia
Deputy Director for Software Development, Information Processing Center – National Research Institute
Project Manager of the POL-on System
Head, Office of Institutional Analysis and Reporting, Jagiellonian University
Director, Department of Science Administration, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
Vice President, WEBCON
IT Director, Krakow University of Technology Tadeusz Kościuszko
Director, Department of EU Funds and Digital Education, Konfederacja Lewiatan
Head, ESF Programs Section, National Center for Research and Development
Business Development Manager, UpWare
The LUMEN 2023 conference was held on