Strategy

Strategy
of the Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medical Sciences
for the years 2019-2022

Motto: There is nothing more valuable than knowledge

Scientia nulla res praestantior

 

The mission of the Institute of Health Sciences (INoZ) reflects the essential elements of the mission of the University of Rzeszów such as creating intellectual capital for the region based on highly qualified own staff, a modern scientific and didactic base, and innovative scientific research.

SWOT analysis of the development perspectives of the Institute of Health Sciences UR


Strengths:

Highly qualified academic teachers in a group of research, research and teaching and teaching staff at INoZ.

  • Employee development expressed by raising academic degrees and an increase in the  number of employees among independent researchers (professors),
  • Authorization to confer doctoral degrees in health sciences,
  • Education of doctoral students within the framework of the UR Doctoral School enables accelerated development of young scientific staff in the discipline of health sciences,
  • Increasing number of publications in high-score journals according to the ministerial list of scientific journals and peer-reviewed conference materials,
  • Fields of study conducted in the discipline of health sciences: physiotherapy, emergency medicine, nursing, midwifery, public health, dietetics,
  • Didactic base meeting educational standards. Monoprofile Center for Medical Simulation ("SIMhealth Project - Nursing and Midwifery of the 21st Century. Development of Practical Training of Nurses and Midwives using the Monoprofile Center for Medical Simulation at the College of Medical Sciences of the University of Rzeszów" implemented under the Operational Program ‘Knowledge Education Development’ 2014-2020),
  • Internationalization of scientific and didactic activities. INoZ employees conduct active scientific and research cooperation (e.g. publications, research projects, study visits). Employees and students benefit from the international Erasmus+ program,
  • Student Research Clubs operating at the INoZ enable students to develop their passion for science and to gain experience in conducting and presenting scientific research,
  • Updating of education programs (curricula), fields of study conducted by INoZ taking into account the opinions of external interesants (collaborators), analyzes of the labor market, experience of foreign universities and organizations, health needs of the society, the current state of knowledge and trends of changes in preparation for professional activity,
  • Internal education quality assurance system based on the development of own scientific staff and research-didactic infrastructure, on training programs adapted to educational standards (nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, emergency medicne) and the National Qualifications Framework (dietetics, public health) with the participation of regional employers, as well as on effective procedures for verifying learning outcomes and organizing the course of study,
  • Organization of student internships and apprenticeships in outstanding public and private health care units, sanatoriums, recreation centers, Social Care Centers not only in the Podkarpackie province or in the whole country, but also abroad.

Chances:

  • Didactic and scientific cooperation with Universities and local State Vocational Schools under the launched project of Monoprofile Medical Simulation Centers for Midwives and Nurses.
  • Student and graduate internships. Career Office monitoring the career of university graduates. Information obtained through internships, systematic consultations with potential employers of the medical sector, development of monitoring of the UR Career Office and other sources will serve the continuous improvement of education programs in all types of studies conducted by the Institute.
  • International cooperation, as well as the systematic modernization of the equipment base, will allow for a significant acceleration of the development of the scientific staff and their participation in research using modern technologies, aimed at obtaining practical effects in the field of improving medical procedures. This gives us the chance to publish the results of research process in a high-level national and international scientific journals.
  • Current fields of study are oriented on modern technologies and current labor market needs. Adapting education programs to European standards and the expectations of the medical community creates an opportunity to maintain a stable level of recruitment, as well as to prepare students well for the requirements of the modern medical labor market oriented on high technologies with a noticeable increase in treatment effectiveness.
  • Planned launch of new fields of study at the first and second level: occupational therapy, optometry, hearing prosthetics, medical rescue.
  • Wider use of post-doctoral scholarships and scientific internships in the development of the Institute's employees.
  • Continuation of ongoing projects and active involvement in new projects that are part of the next strategic regional plans for 2021-2027, in the framework of a new international programs.
  • Competitions that activate the process of building the University's Third Mission, enabling the College of Medical Sciences of the University of Rzeszow to establish relations with the local community with potential recipients of the didactic offer before they decide on further education.
  • Implementing, within the unit, the scientific promotion mechanism and the education quality assurance system.

Weaknesses:

  • Lack of employee motivation system, which contains key elements such as good atmosphere, good organization of work, opportunity for professional development, building organizational culture, fair politics and management of human resources.
  • Insufficiently developed system of monitoring the careers of graduates.
  • Lack of postgraduate education in the field of health sciences.
  • Insufficient didactic offer in the field of public health resulting in low recruitment.
  • In the interests of the competitiveness of our educational offer on the international education market, there is no sufficiently developed education in English. The Institute's offer does not include courses that are conducted in English. Insufficient participation in research and educational programs financed by NCN, NCBiR, the European Union and other beneficiaries.
  • Insufficient staff of independent researchers (professors), which would allow strengthening the INoZ and transforming existing Departments into Chairs, as well as a threat related to future maintaining the Doctoral School in the discipline of health sciences.
  • Insufficient level of cooperation with regional partners - other institutions of higher education in the Podkarpackie province, Health Care Units - in the plan for the development of new forms of scientific and application activities for the Podkarpackie province.

Threats:

  • Lack of entitlement to confer habilitation qualifications in the discipline of health sciences hampers the possibility of creating new fields of study resulting from the demand on the labor market.
  • Possible strong decline in the number of candidates for studies, especially extramural, associated with demographic decline, competition from other universities, and weaker preparation of young people to study in medical fields.
  • College funding level inadequate to developmental plans.
  • Lack of didactic base that fully meets the needs of education in currently conducted and planned fields of study, in particular lecture and seminar rooms.
  • Lack of a university hospital for conducting clinical trials and educating students.
  • InoZ funding level insufficient for current and planned needs, especially in the area of science.
  • Probable decrease in the recruitment level due to the lack of an educational offer
    in English language.
  • The standard of social and living facilities (Student Houses with infrastructure) does not fully meet the contemporary requirements and expectations of students.

 

The Institute's strategy resulting from the SWOT analysis


The assumptions of the INoZ strategy are in line with the strategy of the University of Rzeszów and include the following development goals:

  • Educating students in accordance with the needs of the labor market in the field of health, economy, public life and the current state of medical sciences, health sciences and sciences about physical culture, implemented with particular care for their quality and practical application, including the use of opportunities created by various interdisciplinary forms of education, developing the offer of postgraduate studies and other forms of training.
  • Increasing the amount, quality and effectiveness of scientific research in health sciences ensuring INoZ a permanent presence in national and international research and application projects and programs, as well as special care for the development of scientific staff, including independent researchers (professors).
  • Systemic and professional building of relations with the medical environment of the region by engaging in various research for increase health care standards, through the transfer of knowledge on modern technologies, as well as through the development of practical specializations of curricula and dissemination of scientific achievements of INoZ and improvement of forms of dissemination of knowledge.
  • Building relationships with enterprises, economic, cultural and social institutions.
  • Design and implementation of research oriented on practical results (commercialization of research results).
  • Further development of the INoZ didactic base.
  • Construction of the University Hospital.
  • Beginning of new infrastructure investments (construction of scientific laboratories).
  • Modernization and equipment of the scientific and didactic building for the field of physiotherapy and development of the scientific and didactic base of such fields as dietetics, emergency medicine and public health.

The strategic scientific direction of INoZ development assumes special care for the development of young, independent scientific staff in the discipline of health sciences.
Investments directed at the development of own scientific and research infrastructure are subordinated to this goal, in particular the unique equipment base allowing to conduct scientific research at the highest level.
It also opens opportunities for international scientific cooperation based on the Nature and Medical Center for Innovative Research, INoZ departments and research laboratories, and for wider participation in the creation and implementation of new technologies together with health care units of the Podkarpacie province. Increasing the status of a scientific journal published by the UR publishing house "European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine" and scientific conferences implemented by INoZ.

Among the specific scientific goals should be mentioned as primary:

  • obtaining the entitlement to confer habilitation qualifications in the discipline of health sciences.

Obtaining the above mentioned rights gives the opportunity to launch postgraduate studies in the field of modern medical technologies and procedures, which will significantly translate into the development of the scientific and research staff of the University and the Province, increase in the quality of education and expand our educational offer for the Podkarpackie Province.
It is planned to constantly improve the competence of the teaching staff in terms of content, methodology and language in order to conduct classes at the highest scientific level (obtaining funds for their funding, among others, in NCBIR competitions).
In the framework of the Centre for Innovative Research in Medical and Natural Sciences, the scientific activity of INoZ employees and students will be developed. Further Student Research Clubs will be created in order to allow students to develop their scientific passions and acquire experience in conducting research and publishing their results. The organization of summer schools for students showing outstanding achievements will be another activity aimed at developing students. The summer schools will be a nationwide undertaking integrating the environment of young scientists and promoting the unit on a national forum. It is planned to constantly improve the competence of the teaching staff in terms of content, methodology and language in order to conduct classes at the highest scientific level (obtaining funds for their funding, among others, in NCBIR competitions).

In the short-term perspective, the most important actions will be:

  • internationalization of studies and increasing accessibility to foreign students by creating a learning path in English,
  • strengthening international cooperation in the field of scientific research,
  • strengthening the quality of scientific conferences conducted by INoZ (e.g. registration in the SCOPUS database),
  • launching post-graduate education,
  • obtaining the right to confer habilitation degree in the health sciences.

In the medium-term perspective:

  • extension of the INoZ teaching infrastructure (including thermo-modernization and equipment of the building at Marszałkowska St. for the field of physiotherapy),
  • increasing the didactic and scientific potential of academic teachers through the appropriate selection of teaching staff and their continuous training in terms of content, methodology and language in order to conduct classes at the highest level possible,
  • preparation of domestic and foreign research projects financed from grants and increasing international scientific cooperation,
  • increase of scientific activity of academic teachers,
  • obtaining of further degrees and titles in the discipline of health sciences,
  • organizing conferences and symposia in cooperation with other academic centers (domestic and foreign),
  • development of the INoZ structure in accordance with the resulting demand