Architecture and urban planning

Architecture and urban planning have a significant social impact, shaping space and, consequently, the identity of places, building social relationships and bonds, creating public meeting places, and directly influencing residents’ quality of life and well-being. They also have a significant impact on the economy by stimulating the construction industry, creating jobs, and increasing property values and the investment attractiveness of cities.

Economics and finance

Supporting economic decision-making processes concerning financing, investment processes, spatial management, risk management, methods of measuring performance and financial results, etc. Raising public awareness of the financial aspects of managing various types of resources. Providing appropriate tools and models for: analyzing the efficiency of the economy and its entities, auditing and controlling, sustainable development, economic security, asset valuation, the functioning of social security systems, tax systems, etc.

Linguistics

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Medical sciences

1. Improving the competencies of medical teams and management staff in healthcare institutions:

• teaching activities of clinical physicians with students of the medical program at Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University,
• establishment of research teams by AFMKU staff in regional hospitals and their engagement in obtaining research and development grants.
• conducting academic promotion proceedings, such as doctorates and habilitations, for clinical physicians employed in hospitals and other healthcare facilities,
• delivery of advanced training and postgraduate programs in medical specialties and healthcare management.

2. Joint research and development activities of AFMKU and healthcare institutions:

• establishment of consortia of healthcare institutions with AFMKU to conduct research in modern medicine,
• cooperation of AFMKU research units with clinicians in implementing research projects based on basic research,
• participation of AFMKU staff in preparing expert reports and opinions for healthcare-related entities

3. Preventive and health-information campaigns for residents of Krakow and the region, carried out by AFMKU student organizations and staff.

4. Participation in blood donation drives and promotion of the bone marrow donor registry.

5. Cooperation and exchange of experience with the socioeconomic environment through the AFMKU Collegium Medicum Social Council.

6. Cooperation with regional secondary schools in presenting the medical degree program.

Legal sciences

The social and economic impact of the discipline of legal sciences consists primarily in providing a rational foundation for the normative order, without which neither durable public institutions nor stable economic transactions can exist. Legal sciences diagnose inconsistencies and legislative gaps, set standards of interpretation, and design institutional solutions that increase the certainty and predictability of the law. As a result, they lower transaction costs, reduce the risk of disputes, and foster investment, innovation, and fair competition – both in the private sector and in the regulated sphere. In the social dimension, the discipline strengthens the protection of individual rights and freedoms, improves the quality of public administration and the judiciary, builds trust in the state, and consolidates standards of equal treatment and the rule of law. Its real impact is evident in the development and evaluation of public policies, in shaping judicial practice, and in legal education, which translates into the professionalism of personnel, legal culture, and social cohesion.

Political science and public administration

1. Public administration (practice of politics and administration)

• Local self-government – city halls, voivodeship marshal’s offices, county (powiat) offices; teams for urban policy, participation, and smart city,
• Central and field government administration – ministries (in particular: interior, digital affairs, climate, EU funds), voivodeship offices,
• Oversight and ombudsman institutions – the Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Ombudsman (thematic contact), the Supreme Audit Office (NIK), the Personal Data Protection Office (UODO).

2. Civil society organizations and think tanks

Particularly important for the following areas: social movements, equality policies, urban participation.

3. Private sector (in the areas of administration, digitalization, and public policy)

• consulting and research firms – policy analysis, evaluations, public opinion research,
• technology and govtech companies – projects for the digitalization of public services, AI in public administration,
• media and analytical portals – cooperation on courses in political communication and disinformation.

4. Universities and research networks

• foreign departments of political science / public policy / public administration – joint doctoral seminars, summer schools, double degrees,
• research networks (as institutional partners for courses/projects): – ECPR (European Consortium for Political Research), – NISPAcee (public administration in Central and Eastern Europe), – EGPA and other professional associations.

5. International organizations

In the areas of democracy, equality, participation, and security:

• Council of Europe (CoE), European Union – local democracy, human rights, equality,
• OSCE / ODIHR – election observation, democratic standards,
• UNDP, UN Women, IOM – equality policies, migration, governance.

Family studies

The research conducted supports the development of family policy and support systems at the local and national levels. Preventive and assistance programs are developed and evaluated for families in crisis, foster and adoptive families, and families with members with disabilities, as are programs supporting the development of parenting competencies. The unit co-develops expert reports and recommendations for public institutions, non-governmental organizations, and professionals working with families, which improves the quality of social, health, and educational services and the effective use of public funds and external funding.

Management and quality studies

• Supporting economic decision-making processes concerning, among other things: spatial management, risk management, crisis response, implementation of sustainable development and social responsibility strategies by various types of organizations, introduction of solutions in the area of human resource management, and labor market activities.
• Raising public awareness of the aspects of managing organizations and managing various types of resources. Providing appropriate tools and models for, among other things: sustainable development, economic security, and shaping working and employment conditions.
• Applying solutions to reduce threats to the natural environment and ensuring the operation of businesses using clean energy carriers and sources. Disseminating knowledge and solutions for building corporate resilience to global warming.

Health sciences

• Strengthening the professional capacity of healthcare and public health personnel in the regions of Eastern Europe.
• The impact of air pollution on women’s reproductive health.
• Fostering positive attitudes toward organ transplantation and engaging medical communities in harnessing the potential of organ donation.
• Optimizing pain control in patients undergoing thoracic surgery.
• Improving the wound healing process, supporting tissue regeneration, and protecting against oxidative stress.

Pedagogy

Research conducted in the field of pedagogy contributes to the development of educational practice in Poland. It covers, among other things, topics related to the effectiveness of the teaching process, pedagogical diagnosis and therapy, the digital safety of children and young people, social change and its impact on the transformation of schools, the role of teachers, and the history of the child and childhood. The unit cooperates with educational institutions in the areas of education and upbringing in the digital environment, creativity, future competencies, and the role of artificial intelligence in education. Cooperation is conducted with the Board of Education (Kuratorium Oświaty), educational and juvenile rehabilitation facilities, as well as organizations such as the University of the Third Age and the Children’s University Foundation (Fundacja Uniwersytet Dzieci).

Psychology

Research conducted in psychology contributes to the development of psychological practice in Poland. Projects are carried out on, among other things, the effectiveness of psychotherapy, and persons affiliated with the unit participate in work on the national specialization in psychotherapy and co-create a nationwide psychotherapy research network. The “UV Rare Diseases Support Platform” is also being developed, expanding access to knowledge and support for people with rare diseases and their loved ones.

International Relations

• Preparation of opinions and expert reports for state and local government institutions, in particular for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to support decision-making and the formulation of policy toward the states of the Middle East; in addition, for institutions in the business environment maintaining trade relations with the states of this region.
• Participation in international projects carried out within the framework of, among others, UNESCO, the European Science Foundation, and the European Commission – Representation in Poland, and with foreign universities, which has translated into global knowledge transfer and the application of research results at foreign analytical and academic centers, including Oxford, Princeton, Columbia University, Ankara University, Massey University, and ESSEC Business School.
• Activity in national and local media, which contributes to fulfilling the idea of the social responsibility of science and to knowledge transfer to a wide audience, e.g., on the Middle East region, the conclusion and provisions of the EU–Mercosur agreement, the use of armed forces as an instrument of foreign and security policy, and the significance of other states’ experience for building the Territorial Defense Forces.
• Publishing scientific journals and organizing the research community, which contributes to shaping opinion leaders on Middle Eastern issues and, more broadly, on national and international security (the periodicals Krakowskie Studia Międzynarodowe and Bezpieczeństwo. Teoria i Praktyka).
• Cooperation with the Polish Armed Forces, both at the level of selected military units and commands, including participation in conferences and training, and lectures, e.g., a series delivered in 2022 as part of fulfilling the idea of the social responsibility of science, covering, among other things, international topics and held in all territorial defense brigades in Poland.
• Developing cooperation and supporting the building of the local community through the use of research results in the history of international relations concerning the importance of airdrops in supporting the Home Army during World War II, including, e.g., the preparation and unveiling of an obelisk commemorating the “Buk” drop zone and the soldiers who served it, with the participation of a representative of the Embassy of Australia.
• Reviewing works submitted for academic degrees and titles, as well as European Social Fund projects, which shapes the scientific and external environment and helps define the directions of further research and its usefulness to society.