How can expertise in management, information technology, media, medicine, or design respond to the environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the modern world? At the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow (UITM), sustainable development is treated as a practical framework that shapes research projects, international partnerships, student activities, and everyday campus operations. For prospective students considering studying in Poland, this integrated approach offers a clear picture of what modern, responsible higher education can look like.
This article examines how sustainable development is embedded in research and academic practice at UITM, what research initiatives the university leads, and why these efforts matter for students, academics, and the wider community.
Interested in seeing where these principles meet your chosen field? Explore UITM’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to find a study path that matches your interests.
Sustainable Development as a Foundation of Academic Practice at UITM
At the University of Information Technology and Management, sustainable development is not confined to a single course or an occasional campaign. It functions as a connecting thread across the institution. The university’s Sustainable Development Office initiates and monitors projects in this area, bringing together three interconnected dimensions: environmental protection, social development, and responsible economic growth.
The university also maintains a dedicated English-language platform, Green UITM, which documents current projects, publications, events, and initiatives undertaken by the academic community. This transparency matters for two reasons. First, it allows prospective and current students to see exactly how sustainability commitments translate into concrete activity. Second, it aligns with the principles behind the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award, which UITM has held since 2017, reinforcing the university’s commitment to a responsible and open academic environment.
Research Initiatives That Address Real Global Challenges
UITM researchers examine the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Their work covers biodiversity, renewable energy, food production, public health, ESG reporting, green transport, responsible management, and sustainable supply chains. This breadth demonstrates an important point for anyone choosing a university: sustainability is not a niche topic reserved for environmental science departments. It intersects with logistics, medicine, aviation, media, design, and business.
Academic Publications With Practical Relevance
Two recent publications illustrate the scope of UITM’s research activity. The first is the edited volume Sustainable Supply Chains in the Digital Age: Navigating Complexity, Technology and Finance, published by Routledge in 2026 and edited by Kateryna Lysenko-Ryba, PhD, and Professor Sabina Kauf from the UITM Chair of Logistics and Process Engineering. Its contributors analyse how artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain technology, and automation affect modern logistics, while also addressing ESG standards, risk management, and the construction of resilient supply chains.
The second example is the Polish-language book Dbając o planetę, dbasz o swoją przyszłość (By Caring for the Planet, You Care for Your Future), published by the UITM Publishing House together with Aspra Publishing House. Written by a team of more than a dozen authors, it explores the connections between climate, food production systems, diet, and human health, and it was prepared primarily for younger readers — a deliberate effort to make scientific knowledge accessible early in life.
Science Communication and Open Access
Research only creates value when people can find and understand it. The UITM President’s Green Blog, supported by Professor Tadeusz Pomianek, President of UITM, publishes contributions from experts in economics, agriculture, management, medicine, public health, education, biodiversity, and new technologies. Topics range from microplastics and regenerative agriculture to the energy costs of artificial intelligence. The blog shows readers how to assess environmental information critically and make better-informed decisions.
These efforts are complemented by a genuine open-access policy: selected academic publications issued by UITM are freely available, and the Academic Library provides access to open research resources. For students, this means reading materials are not locked behind paywalls.
Learning Through Practice at the ekoPrzestrzeń Centre for Environmental Education
Knowledge becomes durable when it is applied. At the UITM campus in Kielnarowa, the ekoPrzestrzeń Centre for Environmental Education demonstrates how strategy turns into hands-on learning. Headed by Urszula Binduga, PhD in Medical Sciences, Assistant Professor at the UITM Chair of Lifestyle Diseases and Regenerative Medicine, the Centre offers interdisciplinary education in ecology, sustainable development, food, energy, and biodiversity.
Participants work with real laboratory infrastructure, including the Ecobiotechnology Laboratory, the Biological Analysis Laboratory, and the Renewable Energy Laboratory. Activities include microscopic observations, microbiological analysis, examination of natural raw materials, and practical study of renewable energy sources. Workshops are being developed as modular units covering organic food, natural cosmetics, microbiology, and biodiversity, and they take place both indoors and outdoors — in meadows, forests, and the educational garden.
The programme serves school pupils, lifelong learners, the local community, and partner institutions, making it a model of how a university can extend its expertise beyond its own student body.
International Experience Through the SUNRISE European Universities Alliance
UITM is a member of the SUNRISE European Universities Alliance — the Smaller Strategic Universities Network for Regional Innovative and Sustainable Evolution. The alliance supports the internationalisation of education, the development of European cooperation networks, and the search for solutions tailored to regional needs.
A flagship example is the SUNRISE Green Summer School, Green Business & Education for a Sustainable Future. Over five days, more than 50 students, lecturers, volunteers, and academic staff from partner universities in Poland, Germany, France, Sweden, and Portugal worked in international teams. Students explored the principles of green business and developed concepts for responsible start-ups, while staff attended workshops on modern teaching methods, leadership, and the use of artificial intelligence in education. Programmes of this kind give students something a lecture hall cannot: direct experience of multicultural collaboration on sustainability problems.
How Students Contribute to Sustainable Development Research
One of the most convincing indicators of a university’s academic culture is what its students produce. UITM encourages students to address sustainable development in their own research, and the results are tangible. The second edition of the university’s competition for the best degree thesis in this field attracted 24 submissions from all four UITM Colleges.
The main prize went to Beata Balon, a graduate of the Master’s programme in Cosmetology, for her thesis on the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using neem extracts. A distinction was awarded to Oskar Gawroński, a graduate of the English-language Aviation Management pathway, for his thesis on actions airlines are taking toward sustainable development. The range of topics — spanning medicine, management, technology, aviation, media, and design — confirms that sustainability research is not tied to any single degree programme.
Student research clubs extend this activity beyond the classroom. The Humanus Interdisciplinary Student Research Club, supervised by Paula Wieczorek, PhD, organised events at the third Holidays and Myths Festival, where international students presented myths and traditions about the relationship between people, water, and the environment. Stories about Nyami Nyami, the god of the Zambezi River, and water spirits such as Mami Wata and Yemoja opened a broader discussion about colonial history, displacement, and the consequences of major infrastructure projects.
Graphic design students contribute in a different medium: their poster exhibition on sustainable development, organised with the Provincial and Municipal Public Library in Rzeszów, communicated social, economic, and climate-related challenges to the general public. If you want to be an active contributor rather than a passive recipient of knowledge, learn how to apply to UITM and review the admission requirements early in your planning.
Knowledge for Society and a People-Focused Campus
Sustainable development at UITM also means public engagement. University staff initiate and co-create debates, lectures, conferences, podcasts, and publications that make research accessible to non-specialists. The nationwide debate Our Planet – Our Common Future is a leading example: its first edition attracted more than 200 participants, including researchers, politicians, local-government representatives, farmers, environmentalists, activists, and young people. UITM staff helped prepare the event and spoke on the transformation of agriculture, food production, protection of natural resources, and the effects of the environment on human health.
Sustainability is equally visible in daily campus life. Students and staff can use the Green Bike rental scheme, and the Kielnarowa campus hosts an apiary and an educational garden. The university promotes physical and mental health, accessibility, work–life balance, and equal treatment through initiatives such as Health Week, development workshops, and support provided by the Academic Centre for Personal Development and Psychological Support. Institutional policies reinforce this culture, including the Gender Equality Plan for 2026–2029 and a policy for preventing workplace bullying, discrimination, and violence.
Why These Research Initiatives Matter for Prospective Students
For anyone comparing universities in Poland or elsewhere in Europe, these details answer a practical question: does a university merely declare its values, or does it act on them? UITM’s record suggests the latter. Since 2017, the university has held the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award, which confirms its commitment to a supportive research environment, transparent recruitment principles, and continuous improvement of human-resources policies in line with European recommendations.
For prospective students, this means studying at an institution where important ideas are converted into research projects, competitions, laboratories, and public events. For current and future staff, it means an environment that supports interdisciplinary cooperation and professional development at every career stage. If you are planning your studies abroad and want advice on programmes, accommodation, or scholarships, contact the UITM Admission Office — the team can guide you through each step.
Take the Next Step Toward a Sustainability-Focused Education
Sustainable development at the University of Information Technology and Management extends far beyond environmental protection. It encompasses responsible research, modern education, international cooperation through the SUNRISE alliance, social engagement, well-being, and equal access to opportunities. From the ekoPrzestrzeń Centre and the President’s Green Blog to award-winning student theses and city-wide poster exhibitions, the university shows how academic knowledge becomes concrete action.
If this approach matches your goals, take a practical next step today: browse the available programmes of study, prepare your application documents, and reach out with any questions. Have experience with sustainability projects during your studies, or questions about life in Rzeszów? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and explore our related articles for further reading on studying in Poland.
[KClientError] [REQ_ERR: 500] [KTrafficClient] Something is wrong. [KClientError] [REQ_ERR: 500] [KTrafficClient] Something is wrong.
