UHI hosts AGH University of Krakow to strengthen academic and research partnerships

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) recently welcomed a delegation from AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, as part of a collaboration to advance international research, innovation and student education.

During the visit, senior academic leaders from both institutions explored new opportunities for joint working aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Discussions focused on key areas including environmental protection, quality of life, and innovative responses to global challenges.

The AGH University delegation included Professor Jerzy Lis (Rector), Professor Rafał Wiśniowski (Vice-Rector for Cooperation), and Professor Janusz Szpytko (Director of the UNESCO AGH Chair).

While in Inverness, the delegation met with senior academic leaders at UHI House and toured several of UHI’s cutting-edge research facilities. These included the Institute for Biodiversity and Freshwater Conservation at UHI Inverness, the genetics and immunology labs at An Lòchran, and the Life Sciences Innovation Centre (LSIC). Discussions explored opportunities for joint projects in areas such as medical nanotechnology, mass spectrometry, and biomedical sciences.

A highlight of the visit was a meeting with Pawel de Sternberg Stojalowski, an AGH University alumnus and former student of one of the visiting professors. Pawel is the founder of Aseptium, a company based on the Inverness Campus, which has strong collaborative links with LSIC and UHI’s biomedical research teams.

^{Left to right: Professor Rafał Wiśniowski, Vice-Rector for Cooperation, AGH University; Dr Ellen Packham, Commercial Partnerships Manager, UHI; Professor Jerzy Lis, Rector, AGH University; Professor Janusz Szpytko, Director of the UNESCO AGH Chair, AGH University; Dr Su Bryan, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Health and the Environment, UHI; and Pawel de Sternberg Stojalowski, Founder of Aseptium.}

Following their time in Inverness, the group travelled north to UHI Shetland where they had a tour of the Scalloway Campus and got to see the  innovative Cube learning space. The Cube is an immersive space which allows 360⁰ videos and presentations to be projected across all four walls simultaneously. This enables teaching staff to recreate realistic scenarios for training and education, particularly in locations students would not normally be able to go to.

The delegation also experienced the UHI Shetland Bridge Maritime Simulator, developed in line with fishing industry and aquaculture requirements to provide new training opportunities in the Isles and beyond, in these key commercial sectors.