School of Open Mind – integration through dialogue and shared experiences

Foreign residents, members of the local community and UJK academics once again came together for a shared discussion. The September meetings of the School of Open Mind provided an opportunity to discover different perspectives and build relationships across borders.

In the first week of September 2026, another series of integration meetings took place as part of the School of Open Mind (SzOU). The Integration Europe – East Association once again joined the annual co-organisation of this initiative. The international discussions brought together foreign residents, representatives of the local community and academics from Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce.

The School of Open Mind is a long-standing initiative led by Prof. Oleg Leszczak and Prof. Ryszard Stefański of UJK, who have worked with our Association for many years. The September meetings created a space for exchanging views, sharing experiences and discovering the perspectives of people from different countries and backgrounds.

The history of the School of Open Mind began in 2008, when a group of students and their academic mentors initiated a series of methodology workshops. The first institutions involved in creating the School were Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce and Ivan Ohiienko National University in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine. Over time, the initiative developed into international cooperation combining integration meetings, workshops and academic conferences.

Previous editions of SzOU have addressed issues including cultural prejudice, diversity of worldviews, communication, truth and falsehood in the world of information, and values that are important in human life. These topics combine academic reflection with the everyday experiences of people living in a diverse society.

Integration begins with meeting one another and being willing to listen. A discussion in an international group provides an opportunity to present one’s own perspective, ask questions and gain a better understanding of others. It helps people recognise shared experiences while also discussing differences with respect and openness.

As a long-standing partner of the School of Open Mind, we support this form of dialogue and cooperation. Our involvement in organising the initiative forms part of the INTEURO project activities aimed at building relationships between foreign residents and the local community. We would like to thank all participants and UJK academics for their involvement and for another series of inspiring meetings!

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Support is provided by the
Integration Europe – East Association
as part of the project
“INTEURO – integration of foreigners in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship”.

The project is co-financed by the European Union under the
European Funds for Migration, Borders and Security.

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