The Role of Academic Integration in Education on Environmental Protection and the Concept of the Entrepreneurial University

Abstract

The problem of activation and integration among university professors around the field of study named “environment protection” was particularly important in the early 90s of the last century due to the initiated socio-political changes and related higher education reform. The integration took on the nature of cyclical, annual national methodology conferences entitled “Protection of environment studies at the universities” (Wrocław, 1993, 2003, 2013, Cracow, 1994, 2004, Opole, 1995, 2007, Warsaw, 1996, 2006, 2011, Poznań, 1997, 2005, Gdańsk, 1998, Lublin, 1999, Toruń, 2000, Johannesburg, 2001, Olsztyn, 2002, Białystok, 2008, Zielona Góra, 2009, Katowice, 2010, Kielce, 2012). The new interdisciplinary field of study, entered on the ministerial list of courses in 1992, did not have a corresponding research discipline or relation to the tradition of education. The conference has become an important forum for the exchange of experiences and common understanding. The leading theme, which to this day is the subject of much debate and controversy, both at home and abroad, was the problem of multi- and interdisciplinary environment study, the course which is at the crossroads of many scientific areas. After twenty years of experiences, we ask the question, what we have achieved in the formulated goals of education, the structure of degree programs, developed teaching material, method and learning outcomes. The most important effects of the integration of domestic and international comparability of education programs are a relatively short period of implementation of ECTS, developing criteria and standards for the accreditation of UKA and PKA, the active participation of experts in accreditation procedures and the development of the area of learning outcomes. In practice, for those who manage it meant the ease of learning and the implementation of good academic practice. The challenge of interdisciplinarity in environmental education is the creation of a new legal situation of “environmental protection” discipline in two areas: life sciences and chemical sciences. This challenge can be summarized in the question: will the logic of further development be the loss of awareness of the need of interdisciplinary environmental protection? New challenges should act as an incentive to continue the tradition of regular meetings of the younger generation, who is responsible for the future of education in this increasingly important social field.