Visit of Academic Staff from Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences at Faculty of Public Policies

In the last week of April, the Faculty of Public Policies at Silesian University in Opava welcomed four academic staff members from Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences in Lillehammer: Associate Professor Kjersti Jevne, Associate Professor Roald Undlien, Associate Professor Gagan Chhabra, and Assistant Professor Sunniva Rogstad Hegvik. All of them are members of a research group focused on Special Education, Participation, and Marginalisation.

The programme of the visit was focused on sharing experiences in the fields of inclusive and special education, as well as work with individuals with disabilities. The guests had the opportunity not only to become familiar with the faculty environment, but also to gain insight into the functioning of selected institutions in the region.

Throughout the week, the Norwegian academics visited a number of organisations and schools dedicated to the education and support of children, pupils, and adults with disabilities. They became acquainted, for example, with services for individuals with visual impairment at the organisation KAFIRA, and visited Charity Opava – the St. Cyril and Methodius House (supported housing) in Vlaštovičky. They also visited Eliška Kindergarten and the Primary School for Pupils with Physical Disabilities on Dostojevského Street in Opava, where they gained deeper insight into the education of children and pupils with special educational needs.

The programme continued with visits to the inclusive Božena Němcová Primary School and Praskova Primary School, where the guests explored different approaches to inclusive and special education. The afternoon programme was dedicated to Anima Viva, an organisation providing social rehabilitation services for adults with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities.

Associate Professors Roald Undlien and Gagan Chhabra also delivered two highly engaging lectures for students and academic staff, focusing on the involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in volunteering activities in Lillehammer, and on ableism and social resilience in individuals with disabilities.

The visit concluded with a round table discussion, which focused on the exchange of professional experience and, in particular, on opportunities for further research collaboration between the two institutions.

The visit significantly contributed to strengthening international cooperation and the exchange of professional knowledge in the fields of special education and inclusive education. It confirmed the shared interest of both institutions in further developing research and teaching collaboration, while also opening new opportunities for partnerships and joint projects in an international context.