PONCHO

PONCHO PROJECT

Projekt PONCHO - Internationalization of Latin American peripheral Universities through sustainable integration and inclusive implementation of International Relations Offices is a project implemented under the Erasmus+ programme since October 2015 by an international consortium. The consortium comprises 25 partners, mainly from Latin America, who are the main beneficiaries of the project's planned outcomes. In addition to the South American countries, the project is implemented by European countries (acting as experts): Spain (which is also the coordinator of the entire project), Portugal, France and Poland. The only partner from Poland is the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce.

PONCHO Project Partners:

The main objective of the PONCHO project is to improve the internationalisation process of Latin American partner universities, with a particular focus on universities located in peripheral regions of South American countries, whose geographical location or student numbers do not allow them to develop the internationalisation process to the same extent as the largest universities on the continent, including those located in capital cities.

The specific objectives of the project include strengthening national, regional and international coherence and cooperation in the internationalisation of Latin American partners, implementing management techniques for Foreign Cooperation Offices, building academic capacity, increasing the participation of the academic community of the project partners in the internationalisation process, and improving institutional internationalisation strategies to strengthen the position of Latin American partners on the global university map.

The JKU, like other European universities, acts as an expert and mentor for overseas entities due to its greater experience in the internationalisation process and the efficient functioning of the Offices of International Cooperation. The JKU´s tasks will include, among others:

• Development of theoretical training courses for Latin American university staff, made available via the PONCHO platform - a website set up as part of the project and used by consortium members to exchange information (so-called networking). The training courses are to cover the following topics, among others: The European Commission and the Bologna Process, internationalisation strategies, international education and research projects, project cycle management, management of Foreign Cooperation Offices;
• Organising practical training for Latin American university staff - training will take place at the JKU headquarters in Kielce during two-week visits to Poland. The foreign partners will observe the work of the Department of Science and International Cooperation (including the Office of International Cooperation and International Research Programmes), the Department of Teaching (including the Office of Student and Doctoral Exchange) and collaborate on administrative, financial, management tasks, on internationalisation activities for the benefit of the academic community, on the management of the project cycle, and on all activities undertaken by the above JKU units for the internationalisation of the university.

The total budget of the project is €912 575,000, of which €32 420,000 is earmarked for tasks for the JKU. The project is expected to last three years, with completion in October 2018.

One of the activities of the project was the launch of an internet platform for so-called networking between consortium members, as well as for the promotion of the project: http://poncho.ulpgc.es/

INTERNATIONAL PONCHO WEEK - RECRUITMENT OF PARTICIPANTS

From 6-10 May 2019, Paraguay will host an event entitled "INTERNATIONAL PONCHO WEEK" organised as part of the project "Internationalisation of peripheral Latin American universities through sustainable integration and inclusion of the - PONCHO Foreign Cooperation Offices".

PONCHO is a project implemented under the Erasmus+ programme since October 2015 by an international consortium. The consortium comprises 25 partners, mainly from Latin America, who are the main beneficiaries of the project's planned outcomes. In addition to the South American countries, the project is implemented by European countries (acting as experts): Spain (which is also the coordinator of the entire project), Portugal, France and Poland. The only partner from Poland is the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce.

As part of the International PONCHO Week, a Student Campus will be organised to introduce students to internationalisation and multiculturalism. Students will also learn about the importance of international degrees and student exchange programmes to society.

To this end, a delegation from each partner institution, including two students (first, second and/or third cycle), will attend the event.

We invite you to apply to take part in the International PONCHO Week.

The event organiser will cover the cost of the flight to Paraguay (Asuncion) and the cost of accommodation and meals from 6-10 May. Participants must individually cover all costs incurred before 6 May and after 10 May and related to the event (e.g. costs of food during the journey or possible overnight stays resulting from stopovers).

The criteria to be met by participants in the event and the documents to be submitted in order to receive a trip proposal are described in detail in points 3 and 4 of the Annex below.

The PONCHO project team will select the best candidates according to the criteria described in the announcement.

Documents should be submitted electronically to agnieszka.bygar@ujk.edu.pl by 20 March this year.

Annex for download:

CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS

Project Coordinator at the JKU:
Agnieszka Bygar
tel. 41 349 73 39
agnieszka.bygar@ujk.edu.pl