Projects

The Interdisciplinary Center for Research on Education and Intercultural Communication at the University of Warsaw conducts research and implementation-oriented activities aimed at supporting processes of cultural adaptation, social integration, and educational inclusion of students with migration experience and those originating from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Since its establishment, the Center has actively collaborated with educational institutions, offering comprehensive support addressed both to students and to teaching staff.

The Center’s activities are grounded in interdisciplinary frameworks drawing on intercultural pedagogy, childhood studies, inclusive education, and intercultural communication. Particular emphasis is placed on a participatory approach, in which children and young people are regarded as active participants in educational processes, co-creators of knowledge, and subjects endowed with agency and the right to express their own experiences, in accordance with Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Intercultural workshops as a tool for integration and competence development

A key component of the Center’s offer consists of research-based educational workshops implemented in schools and preschools. Their primary aim is to support students in the process of adapting to a new educational environment and to strengthen the intercultural competencies of the entire school community. These workshops employ qualitative methods, creative activities, and storytelling as tools that enable the expression of migration-related experiences, foster a sense of belonging, and promote empathy and mutual understanding.

An example of this approach is the workshop series “Travel the World Together” (April 2025), implemented as part of a Fulbright research project led by Prof. Angela Salmon (Florida International University). The project adopted a participatory and arts-based character, with the objective of amplifying children’s voices through narrative practices, visual work, and reflection on cultural diversity. The workshops enabled students to explore their own experiences as well as the perspectives of their peers within a safe and inclusive educational space.

Intercultural education and early childhood education

The Center also implements initiatives addressed to children in early primary education, supporting the development of cultural openness and global awareness from an early age. The project “The Youngest University” (November 2023) comprised a series of workshops for students in grades 1–3, introducing them to issues related to the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity, the idea of higher education, and lifelong learning. These activities fostered intellectual curiosity, inquiry-oriented attitudes, and a positive orientation toward diversity.

International cooperation and the strengthening of social competencies

An important area of the Center’s activity is participation in international research and educational initiatives. The workshop “House of Kindness” (November 2022), implemented within the project “International Expressions of Kindness: Multimedia Showcase” under the patronage of the University of Washington, exemplified activities combining intercultural education with reflection on universal values. More than 150 students of Stanisław Dubois Primary School No. 34 in Warsaw, working through project-based learning, explored the concepts of “home” and “kindness” in the context of cultural differences, sharing their own experiences, traditions, and aspirations. These activities contributed to the development of intercultural dialogue and the strengthening of students’ social and emotional competencies.