From February 26 to March 4, 2023, the Cultural Heritage Summer School was held at the Dębina Palace, coordinated by Prof. Radosław Dylewski, Dr Iwona Łęska-Drajerczak and Dr Tomasz Skirecki. The school taught by staff members of the AMU Faculty of English was attended by female students, PhD students, and lecturers from two Ukrainian universities: Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University and National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute."
On February 26, the summer school officially commenced with a dinner meeting of participants and school organizers (Prof. Rafał Dymczyk, Dr Konstiantyn Mazur) as well as content coordinators (Prof. Radosław Dylewski and Dr Tomasz Skirecki).
During the first day of classes, Dr Konstiantyn Mazur presented the students of the school with an in-depth introduction to Adam Mickiewicz University, the EPICUR Consortium, and the AMU offer of interdisciplinary studies.
On the second day of school, classes in the Ukrainian language were conducted by two lecturers from the Faculty of English: Dr Olha Lehka-Paul and Alona Kononenko-Szoszkiewicz, MA. Dr Lehka-Paul dedicated her workshop to the ins and outs of translation, the psychological and cognitive aspects of the translation process, and translation research methodology. The participants also learned about the characteristics of the translation profession and the institution of a sworn translator. Ms Alona Kononenko-Szoszkiewicz familiarized the school participants with the linguistic landscape of Poland and the phonetic features of the Polish language.
The next day of the summer school was devoted to the culture(s) of English-speaking countries. Dr Tomasz Skirecki discussed with the participants the most popular icons of British and American popular culture, metonyms in public discourse in Britain and the US, and conducted a quiz on cultural differences. After the class, the Ukrainian students took part in a modern dance workshop, and in the evening prepared a dinner consisting of traditional Ukrainian dishes. Later on, the participants and school organizers - enjoying a get-together campfire - were visited by AMU Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Prof. Rafał Witkowski.
On the fourth day of summer school, Prof. Radoslaw Dylewski discussed with the participants the differences between the main varieties of English, their cultural backgrounds, and the basic features of American English dialects. The class concluded with a workshop on phonetic and grammatical analysis of selected American situation comedies. After the workshop, the students had the opportunity to participate in Nordic walking training in the vicinity of the quaint Dębina Palace.
On the last day, the lecturers and students from Ukraine visited the seat of the Faculty of English. After being welcomed by Dean Prof. Joanna Pawelczyk, they took part in a scavenger hunt at Collegium Helidori Święcicki; they also learned about the Faculty's laboratories and study programs. At the end of their visit, Prof. Radoslaw Dylewski presented the Ukrainian lecturers and students with certificates of participation and small souvenirs.
The Cultural Heritage Summer School coordinated by the Faculty of English was an unforgettable educational and intercultural experience, which will result in close cooperation between Ukrainian universities and the Faculty of English of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
Photo credit: prof. Radosław Dylewski
