Agreement provides collaboration opportunities with Poland’s AGH University of Krakow

Washington State University has recently signed two agreements to pursue transatlantic collaboration with Poland's AGH University of Krakow.

The agreements provide a new opportunity for WSU faculty and students to gain international experience and engagement at the Polish university, said Joseph Iannelli, professor and graduate program chair for WSU Tri-Cities' School of Engineering & Applied Sciences and director of WSU Tri-Cities' international initiatives. They also allow WSU to compete for support for research and exchange programs through the European Union's ERASMUS+ program, a €26 billion funding mechanism supporting education, training, youth, and sport in Europe.

Following on the heels of those signed agreements, a delegation from AGH University - as well as Teresa Indelak Davis, the Seattle-based consul of Poland - visited WSU in May. Visitors from AGH included Marcin Szpyrka, computer science professor and emeritus founding dean of the AGH Doctoral School; Łukasz Madej, materials science professor and associate dean; and staff members Monika Sobczyk-Paterek and Marta Sobieraj-Jakubiec.

The group toured two WSU campuses - starting at WSU Pullman on May 26 and concluding at WSU Tri-cities on May 27 - where they met with administrative leadership, faculty, and staff. Together, they explored and discussed potential study abroad and research exchange initiatives across a wide range of areas, including business, artificial intelligence and robotic systems, energy and sustainable aviation fuels, and graduate education.

"The visit emphasized international research, as well as undergraduate and graduate education partnership opportunities between WSU and AGH University with the aim of collaboratively tackling the challenges of our times and advancing knowledge," said Iannelli, who established the partnership after a series of negotiations that began last year in Poland

As part of the partnership, AGH has established 10 Erasmus+ fellowships - five for students and five for faculty members - to WSU faculty and students. Iannelli, along with Sergey Lapin, professor of mathematics and statistics at WSU Everett and director of WSU's data analytics program, received support to visit AGH during the first week of June. While there, the WSU professors further explored research collaboration ideas, namely in the fields of applied mathematics education and computational space flight dynamics.

Additionally, two WSU students have also received Erasmus+ scholarships and will study as exchange students at the Polish university during the 2027 spring semester. They are Eric Mayo-Gutierrez and Sydnee Schneider, both studying mechanical engineering at WSU Tri-Cities.

AGH University of Krakow is widely regarded as one of Poland's premier technical universities, enrolling approximately 21,000 students, with strong connections to industry. Its urban campus houses massive supercomputing centers and high-tech laboratories for research in AI, energy transformation, zero-emission economy, smart manufacturing, and other areas.

"AGH University of Krakow and WSU each have a long history of providing students with hands-on opportunities to engage in projects that impact the world," said Paul Whitney, WSU's vice president for international programs. "Together, we can strengthen this legacy and benefit students, scholars, and society."

Officials from both universities also noted the partnership is further supported by existing alliances and cooperation agreements between the U.S. and Polish governments relating to defense, energy infrastructure and security, and other areas.

"Cooperation with American universities, especially in uncertain times, is extremely important for our university and contributes to further strengthening the excellent relations between our countries. We are especially pleased to have established a partnership with such an outstanding institution as Washington State University in a year when Americans are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States," said Monika Kita, legal counsel at AGH's Center for International Affairs. "Our collaboration will not only advance education and research but also strengthen transatlantic ties through academic mobilities."