Lachowicz-Santos, Director of the Internationalization Office, was selected through a rigorous competitive process and appointed by the EAIE General Council in Amsterdam. With over two decades at the University of Economics in Katowice, she has represented Poland at numerous international events, including CEEMAN conferences, and contributed significantly to the field of higher education internationalization.
Her achievements include helping to establish the Silesian Universities Network (SUN) and launching the first Welcome Point in the Silesian Voivodeship for international students and staff. Under her leadership, the university received CEEMAN IQA and EFMD accreditation for its International Business program. She is also involved in the activities related to the project: Katowice, European City of Science 2024.
Active in the EAIE since 2002, she chaired the Expert Group on Employability from 2016 to 2020 and was the first Pole to receive the EAIE Rising Star award in 2015. From 2020 to 2024, she served on the EAIE General Council.
The EAIE Board, as the executive body, guides the Association's work, represents it to external partners, and influences European higher education internationalization processes. Other newly elected board members include representatives from Spain, the UK, France, and the Netherlands.
The EAIE, founded in 1989, has over 3,000 members from more than 90 countries. It provides a platform for learning, networking, and exchanging knowledge.
Lachowicz-Santos is set to help shape the EAIE's future strategy and support its volunteer experts. The annual EAIE conference, attended by over 7,000 professionals, is a significant event showcasing global higher education, with Poland represented by the "Study & Research in Poland" booth organized by NAWA.
"Managing such an influential organization is a great responsibility, but also a prestige and distinction for Poland and this part of Europe. There is a lack of representatives from this region in high positions in organizations that are crucial for the development of higher education. I think that in the current geopolitical situation, the topic of internationalization seems even more critical. Internationalization is not an end in itself, but a means to improve the quality and excellence of higher education and research in the light of global competition. I am glad that the voice from Poland will be heard in such important debates for Europe," adds Edyta Lachowicz-Santos”.
Through her role on the EAIE Board, Edyta Lachowicz-Santos will have the opportunity to present the perspective of Central and Eastern Europe.
Sources:
https://www.ue.katowice.pl/uczelnia/aktualnosci/article/pierwsza-polka-w-zarzadzie-miedzynarodowego-stowarzyszenia-eaie.html
https://forumakademickie.pl/kadry/pierwsza-polka-w-zarzadzie-miedzynarodowego-stowarzyszenia-eaie/
https://perspektywy.pl/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9728:edyta-lachowicz-santos-w-zarzadzie-miedzynarodowego-stowarzyszenia-eaie&catid=24&Itemid=119
https://biuletynimm.pl/browser/internet/BAOET0/z/i
https://aktualnosci.news/pierwsza-polka-w-zarzadzie-miedzynarodowego-stowarzyszenia-eaie-uniwersytet-ekonomiczny-w-katowicach-870731/
https://x.com/NAWAPoland/status/1795460330962686196