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NEWS
Fieldwork, lectures, sharing sessions, and guitar playing – these are experiences of the 4-day-long research camp organized by the University of Opole together with the Technical University of Liberec. On May 17-21, the students and academics explored the Czech-Polish borderland, staying in the border town of Głubczyce in the beautiful agrotourism center “Stable on Warszawska Street” (Stajnia na Warszawskiej). Our students, as a part of their fieldwork, traced the legacy of immigration from the Eastern Borderlands, investigated local cultural diversity, and mapped patterns of cross-border mobility together with identifying cross-border benefits. We also had guest lectures from the University of Wrocław and the Silesian University in Opava, so the research camp involved four partners of our network located on both sides of the border.
Amirhossein Hayati, PhD student from the University of Wrocław, shares his experience from the CEEPUS stay at the University of Zagreb in April 2026
In April 2026, I had the opportunity to spend a month at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, within the framework of a CEEPUS Short-Term Stay for assistance with my doctoral thesis. As a doctoral student at the University of Wrocław, this mobility became an important moment in the development of my academic path, not only because it allowed me to work on my research, but also because it placed that research within a new intellectual and social environment.
During my stay, I was able to take part in several academic activities connected to my doctoral work. I presented my research during PhD Day, gave a lecture in a sociodemography class, and delivered a public lecture at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research. These moments were especially meaningful because they allowed me to share the development of my research interests, from my earlier work on acculturation narratives toward my current doctoral focus on Iranian students in Poland, everyday spaces, cultural practices, and meaning-making.
The stay also happened to be valuable since it created space for consultation, discussion, and academic exchange. I met researchers, took part in consultation sessions, participated in student-organized events, attended social events related to culture and society, joined Q&A sessions with students from the department and faculty, and had the chance to meet alumni. These encounters helped me look at my doctoral project from different angles and gave me useful feedback for further developing my thesis.
I am especially grateful to Prof. Drago Župarić-Iljić for his academic support and guidance during my stay. The possibility to discuss my work in such an environment helped me better understand how doctoral research can grow through dialogue, not only through solitary reading and writing. Sometimes, a research project needs another city, another faculty, and another set of conversations to become clearer.
Beyond the academic dimension, Zagreb offered me a deeply welcoming experience. Conversations with local people, everyday encounters, and exposure to the social and academic culture of the city made the stay personally meaningful as well. I felt welcomed, encouraged, and intellectually stimulated throughout the mobility.
For me, this CEEPUS stay was not only a period of academic assistance, but also a chance to experience another academic environment and society, build international connections, and gain more confidence as a young researcher. I would recommend CEEPUS mobility to doctoral students seeking academic exchange, international experience, and the opportunity to reflect on their work from a broader perspective.
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