A significant area of growth in 2025 was the expansion of international partnerships. The faculty concluded several new Erasmus+ agreements, including with Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança in Portugal, and Bremen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The FVP currently maintains 72 active inter-institutional agreements covering 16 countries across Europe and beyond. This broad network enables both students and staff to find mobility opportunities aligned with their academic focus and to develop competencies essential in today’s globalised environment. Among this year’s notable visitors was Dr. Jo Ann Regan from the Catholic University of America in Washington, a distinguished expert in the field of social work.

The year 2025 also brought a significant increase in student motivation to participate in mobility. The new course Dare to Go became an important part of preparing students for international experiences and strengthened their confidence in planning study and work placements abroad. The courses Foreign Internship and Completion of a Study Placement Abroad were included as compulsory elective components in several study programmes, helping integrate international experience more naturally into the curriculum. Social media activities—particularly the Instagram profile @ozahranici_zezahranici_fvp—played a key role in promoting mobility by authentically sharing the experiences of students and academics.

In the area of staff mobility, the faculty continued to support a wide range of formats, from traditional teaching and training stays to the increasingly popular BIP (Blended Intensive Programmes). Sharing expertise, building professional networks, and developing staff competencies have a direct impact on the quality of teaching and the international standing of the faculty.

Blended Intensive Programmes represented a major benefit for both students and academic staff. In the summer semester 2024/2025, seven students took part in the BIP Norm-Consciousness and Health at University West, two students joined the BIP Cross-border Cooperation and Border Conflicts in Central and Eastern Europe at the Time of Policrisis at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and four academics participated in the programme Inclusion and Social Justice at Marie and Louis Pasteur University. Further BIP mobilities will follow in the winter semester of 2025, including student participation in the upcoming programme in Bremen. BIP programmes for academics also took place this year, for example in Bragança, Portugal, and at the University of Iceland.

The year 2025 was also significant in terms of project cooperation. Two Erasmus KA2 projects—Youth Grieving Experience as a Resource for Personal Growth and Development and Breaking Fences—were successfully completed. Several long-term activities within KA2 and the international CEEPUS network continue. The faculty remains an active partner in the prestigious STARS EU alliance and, in 2025, joined a new European project, THCS STARS-Health, focused on supporting patients with low health and digital literacy.

Looking ahead, the outlook for 2026 confirms that internationalisation will remain one of the faculty’s key priorities. Two new BIP programmes are in preparation—Norm-Consciousness and Health (April 2026) and Volunteering (November 2026)—as well as an international summer school scheduled for June 2026. The faculty is also developing a new collaborative project with Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia, aimed at expanding expertise in the field of social sciences.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all academic staff, students, and international partners for their active engagement, support, and inspiration throughout 2025. Thanks to our collective effort, the faculty continues to develop a strong international environment, open new opportunities, and enhance the quality of education.

We enter 2026 with optimism, respect for the work accomplished, and a firm commitment to further strengthening the international role of the Faculty of Public Policies at the Silesian University in Opava.

Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you a successful year 2026.