The university's activities for Sustainable Development and Goal 16 presented in the reports for 2021-2022 and 2020-2021 "Lodz University of Technology on the path of sustainable development".
The Diversity Management project classes at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at TUL present social aspects of diversity as one of the key challenges for contemporary organizations.
During the course, attitudes are developed free from stereotypes, racial, ethnic, national, religious or gender prejudices. Classes allow for developing skills to solve problems arising in the organization and having their origin in diversity.
The module of intercultural management and diversity management is conducted for the direction of management of the second degree at the Faculty of Management and Production Engineering. The course provides a presentation of the social aspects of diversity as one of the key challenges for contemporary organizations. It forms attitudes free from stereotypes, racial, ethnic, national, religious or gender prejudices. It shapes skills, which come down to solving problems, emerging in the organization, and having their sources in diversity.
Human Rights and Technology project classes are held at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, TUL.
The course presents and develops issues related to human rights in the contemporary world and the perception of these rights in various contexts. During the course, the international legal framework on human rights is reviewed, referring to basic principles such as equality, non-discrimination, freedom, integrity and dignity contained in international agreements and conventions.
The "Man-Business-Technologies" Open Science Seminars is an initiative of the Humanities Group and the Institute of Social Sciences and Technology Management.
Throughout the lecture, topics related to a holistic view of society, economy and technology and their relationships are addressed.
Among the most important issues are:
- the universal dimension of technology and the human condition;
- the impact of the enlightenment vision of progress and the economic vision of the free market on contemporary social reality;
- relations of science, ideology and politics, that is, political responsibility of scientists;
- risk society and safety - questioning scientific expertise;
- responsibility and moral consequences of economic and technological development.
The analysed concepts and symbols describe modern civilization. Distinguished guests who present the results of the research are invited to participate in the seminars. There are also open meetings and discussions for academics, doctoral candidates and students.
Student Government and Student Science Circles are very active at Lodz University of Technology. The university works closely with them and provides financial, legal and practical support.
The Vice-Rector for Student Affairs meets regularly with all parties to discuss the policies and strategies of TUL, ensuring that students are included in the life of the university.
Once every four years, the election of the Rector of Lodz University of Technology takes place. The selection is made by the University Electoral College. It consists of 112 people, representing all groups of employees, students and doctoral candidates of Lodz University of Technology.
Candidates for Rector to the University Election Committee can be put forward by: The Council of Lodz University of Technology and any member of the university community with passive suffrage.
European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers were issued in 2005 as a recommendation from the European Commission. The documents are addressed to researchers, employers and research funders working in the public and private sectors.
The European Charter for Researchers describes the rights and obligations to which scientists and the institutions employing them and the organisations that provide funding for research.
The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers describes the rules for recruiting researchers that institutions and employers should follow, ensuring equal treatment in the ongoing recruitment process.
Lodz University of Technology is aware that both the Charter of Researchers and the Code of Conduct have a real impact on ensuring appropriate conditions for work and conducting scientific research. They also emphasize the value of the work of people conducting research. Thus, TUL decided to start the process of implementing the provisions of the Code and Charter by submitting a declaration of support for the principles contained in these documents.
European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers contain forty rules. An internal analysis carried out at the university showed that most of the national regulations, internal laws and good practices at TUL comply with these principles.
The Committee for Good Academic Practices is concerned with the formulation of opinions and conclusions on cases involving breaches of good academic practice. In particular, they refer to behaviour that is in breach of the duties of an academic teacher, nepotism, abuse of power, running a competitive business against Lodz University of Technology, lack of respect for intellectual property, the use of non-substantive criteria in evaluating the work of academic teachers and students, discrimination, undermining
the authority and scientific competence.
TUL is fully aware of the need to protect fundamental freedoms in accordance with international agreements and to promote non-discriminatory law. In its curricula, it includes issues that help raise student awareness. Project classes Diversity Management in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of TUL present the social aspects of diversity as one of the key challenges in modern organizations. The classes enable the development of problem-solving skills arising from diversity. Attitudes free from stereotypes, racial, ethnic, national, religious or gender prejudice are developed in students as part of the intercultural Management and diversity management module implemented as part of the management course, second-cycle studies. Project classes Human Rights and Technology, which are also held in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, TUL, and the module Management and human rights implemented as part of the subject Ethical and social aspects of management in the digital world in the Management course, second-cycle studies, present and develop issues relating to human rights as viewed in different contexts in the modern world. In the classes, the international human legal framework with reference to the fundamental principles like equality, nondiscrimination, freedom, honesty and dignity found in agreements and international conventions, is reviewed.
Rector elections are held every four years. The election is made by the University College of Electors that consists of 112 people who represent all groups of employees, students and doctoral students of TUL. Candidates for the post of rector can be submitted by the TUL Council and any member of the university community with a right to vote. Inclusive, participative and representative process of decision taking is assured by the University Senate which consists of all representatives of academic community- academic teachers, administrative employees, doctoral students and students.
Open Scientific Seminars ‘Man- Business- Technologies’ are held under the auspices of the Faculty of Organization and Management, TUL. During the lectures, topics related to the holistic view of society, economy and technology and their relationships are discussed. Among the most important topics are:
- the universal aspect of technology and the human condition
- the impact of the Enlightenment vision of progress and the economic vision of the free market economy on contemporary social reality
- relations between science, ideology and politics, i.e. political responsibility of scientists
- the society of risk and safety- questioning scientific expertise
- responsibility and moral consequences of economic and technological development
Analyzed concepts and symbols describe contemporary civilization. To participate in the seminars outstanding guests are invited and present their findings. There are also open meetings and discussions, held for the TUL employees, doctoral students and students. In the academic year 2021/22 five meetings of this kind were held.
The good practice committee, set up at the university, formulates opinions and conclusions in cases of violation of good academic practice. These refer specially to conduct that violates the duties of an academic teacher, nepotism, abuse of power, activities competitive to those that represent the university, also lack of respect for individual property, the use of non-substantive criteria in job evaluation, discrimination, undermining authority and scientific competence, incidents with signs of corruption, conflict opposing sides when mediating between academic teachers.
The student self-government has a wide range of rights as guaranteed by the provisions of act. These include participation in the distribution of funds for the student affairs, the exercise of legislative power, improvement of education programmes and carrying out activities in the field of accommodation and cultural issues. The student self-government is the sole representative of all students of any university. The doctoral students' self-government has a similar mandate; its role and rights, however, relate to matters relating to doctoral students only. For its part, the university provides the conditions necessary for the functioning of student self-government, including the infrastructure and financial resources at the disposal of the student self-government as part of its activities. At the university, apart from the central student self-government there also function faculty divisions. Students and doctoral candidates’ representatives are members of the university collegial bodies; hence no important decisions can be made without their consultation. The President of the student self-government is a member of the University Council, which is the university’s collegial body. The voice of students is important when they create and improve educational programmes. In some faculties the student representatives are included in the teams monitoring didactic activities. The student self-government of TUL has a strong representation on the national level, including the PKA student expertise, who transfer their experience, good practice and interesting formal and legal solutions to the university.
The TUL community is deeply disturbed by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The university is taking a number of measures to provide adequate support to Ukrainian students, and in order to coordinate its activities the university has launched a special site on which it presents information to support people affected by the war (http://p.lodz.pl/uczelnia/lodzka-politekhnika-dlya-uraini-pl-dla-ukrainy). The university launched a special information and recruitment point to offer aid and support to students, doctoral students and academic teachers and administrative employees who come from the Ukrainian universities, but also to those students who stayed in Poland before the outbreak of the war. Academic Trust Centre provides free psychological help. The university organizes intensive Polish language courses for those who want to continue their studies in Poland and also courses and workshops to facilitate entry into the academic system at Polish universities. TUL also joined a donation collection, organized by the City Hall of Lodz. The university community offered such basic products as: painkillers, first-aid kits, thermoses, thermal mugs, batteries, powerbanks and long-term food. (the full list can be found on the Lodz City Hall website). The donations for Ukraine were collected at some points in different areas of the university campus and delivered collectively to the City Hall.
The issue of ethical conduct in academic employee ethos is crucial. Counteracting corruption and corruption-generating processes is of vital importance for the employees in the public sector. TUL, as a public finance sector unit, takes initiatives and actions to prevent corruption processes. A tab for this issue has been prepared on the internal Wikamp platform, in which documents and online courses in this field are available: ‘Social effects of corruption’ and ‘Corruption in public administration’ developed by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau. An anti-corruption policy has been implemented at TUL in 2017, and the university undertakes to apply standards of impartial and transparent scientific and economic activity. Supervision over the implementation of these principles was entrusted to the Committee for Good Academic Practice.