The first Erasmus+ Staff International Week at the Police Academy in Szczytno has concluded. The event was devoted to the topic “Police Education Systems and the Training of Other Services Responsible for Public Safety and Order in Europe.”
It was one of the initiatives organized to mark the 35th anniversary of the Police Academy in Szczytno, prepared by the Team for European Integration and International Relations together with the Team Monitoring Education Systems of National and Foreign Security and Public Order Services.
The meeting was attended by 13 representatives of foreign higher education institutions training police or border guard officers, including: the Alexandru Ioan Cuza Police Academy in Bucharest (Romania), the Police Academy in Hamburg (Germany), the Police Academy in Zagreb (Croatia), Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius (Lithuania), the University of Applied Police Sciences of Baden-Württemberg (Germany), the Police University College in Tampere (Finland), the Higher School of Border Guard in Rezekne (Latvia), and the Scottish Police College in Kincardine (United Kingdom). Representatives of the Higher School of Border Guard in Koszalin and the Border Guard Training Centre in Kętrzyn were also invited to participate.
The substantive part of the event was also attended by Col. Sylwia Majewska-Mazepa, Director of the Bureau for the Coordination of Police Recruitment and Training Procedures of the General Police Headquarters of Poland. The Police Academy in Szczytno was represented by numerous members of the academic community, including the Vice-Rector for Development, deans, directors of institutes, and other members of the management and teaching staff.
On behalf of the Academy’s management, the guests were officially welcomed on 27 October 2025 by Col. Dr. Monika Porwisz, Deputy Commandant–Prorector. Subsequently, Lt. Col. Aleksander Napiórkowski, Head of the Department of Training Organization and Professional Development, presented a detailed overview of the system of police education in Poland.
The next point on the agenda was a presentation by Monika Rożek from the Team for European Integration and International Relations, who introduced the Police Academy in Szczytno, outlining its mission, structure, and educational offer. The practical part of the presentation began with a visit to the recording studio of the Institute of Social Sciences.
On the second day, guests toured selected facilities of the Academy, including the specialized laboratories of the Police Analytical and Research Centre, the shooting range, the simulation training center for crisis situations, the road accident scene simulator, the library, and the Memorial Room.
The following day of the Erasmus+ Staff International Week was devoted to exploring the training systems of the Polish Border Guard and police education in other European countries. Representatives of the participating institutions presented the structure of education systems, recruitment criteria, and training programmes for officers in their respective countries.
On 30 October 2025, the international guests visited the Border Guard Training Centre in Kętrzyn. The Erasmus+ Staff International Week concluded the following day with a summary session.
In addition to the scheduled presentations and lectures, Erasmus+ participants had the opportunity to experience Polish culture—they visited the Masurian Museum in Szczytno, the Museum of Warmia and Mazury and the Old Town in Olsztyn, as well as the Wolf’s Lair in Gierłoż. The guests were impressed not only by the modernity and versatility of the Police Academy in Szczytno but also by the richness of Polish history and tradition.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to exchange information on sectoral education systems in various European countries, the realities of service, recruitment and promotion criteria, as well as challenges in organizing and implementing educational programmes for officers.
The participation of numerous Erasmus+ representatives significantly contributed to the internationalization of the Police Academy in Szczytno.
However, the greatest value of the event lay in the establishment of friendly relations among representatives of the participating institutions. Ideas emerged for joint training activities, conferences, and expanded student exchange programmes.
Thus, the Erasmus+ Staff International Week became the starting point for further fruitful inter-university cooperation.
