Elżbieta Szulc-Wałecka, PhD

Summary

I have six years of professional experience working at a regional public authority in innovation, research, economic development, entrepreneurship, and particularly in transnational cooperation under the European Territorial Cooperation Programme. During my employment, I was responsible for preparing (drafting projects), managing, and implementing various EU-funded projects, including Interreg Europe, Interreg Central Europe, and Interreg Baltic Sea Region. I am experienced in designing, managing, and implementing public policies, and collaborating with quadruple helix actors (universities, business support organizations and the private sector, civil society, and NGOs) using various tools, methods, and techniques of participation and deliberation. Consequently, I have assessed and evaluated transnational cooperation projects and developed policy recommendations or conclusions based on lessons learned from the exchange of experiences and good practices among project partners. My main contributions include policies such as "Second-chance entrepreneurship," "Road Map for Responsible Innovation," and "Pilot Action in Responsible Innovation." I have also conducted research, including surveys among different stakeholders (e.g., NGOs, business support institutions, universities, and companies), and created reports, conclusions, etc. My role also involves conducting various meetings, such as seminars, workshops, and conferences, utilizing interactive exchanges with participants. I led most of these meetings, capturing, presenting, and communicating data, findings, and knowledge. I have also conducted peer reviews and state-of-the-art analyses based on desk research, and created policy recommendations. I served as a coordinator, but I also carried out substantive tasks, moderated the work of groups (stakeholders), and handled the promotion and dissemination of results, etc. I continue to cooperate with administrative bodies at the regional and city level e.g. international projects, Urban Lab activities.

I am also an Assistant Professor at Maria Curie Skłodowska University (Lublin, Poland), where I conduct research on topics related to public administration, including self-government, urban policy, youth policy, citizen engagement, and governance, with a special focus on participatory, collaborative, and network governance. I integrate my experience and passion by teaching students, conducting research, and managing projects in various fields. I employ innovative and interactive teaching methods to animate discussions among students. In the implementation of the course "Project Management," I incorporated interactive methods from the URBACT Toolbox, such as 5whys, problem tree, empathy map, performance in policy-making, risk analysis, or stakeholder analysis table, etc. Currently, I am involved in a pilot action focused on business sector engagement in the public policy process in Poland, Spain, and Norway (qualitative research), and an international project (Poland and Finland) about young people's participation in decision-making processes (qualitative research). These projects focus on cities and include sustainable urban development approaches. In my daily work, I use different research methods, including desk research, comparative analysis, institutional, and empirical research (quantitative and qualitative). I am a member of the Council of the Institute of Political Science and Administration (since September 2023), a member of the Council of Young Scientists of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (since November 2023), and the Secretary of the Education Quality Team for the Public Administration major (since October 2019).

I was actively engaged in the NGO sector for approximately six years. My background in non-governmental organizations centres around citizen participation, social impact, sectoral cooperation (public and non-profit), NGO development, human rights, and European funds. Over the years, I have attained expertise as a trainer and consultant in participation, including a significant managerial role in communication, dissemination activities, as well as organization management. I have supported citizen participation, especially among young and elderly people, and intergenerational activities.

Since 2023, I have been an expert in two EU programs: Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) under the priority of Citizen's engagement and participation, and URBACTIV.

I am an open-minded, highly motivated person with a deep passion for learning and sharing knowledge on local, national, and international levels. I value and I am motivated by being in an intercultural environment. I believe that working with people, not only for them, is key to project success. My practical experience and passion for international collaboration drive my commitment to making a meaningful, sustainable urban impact.