Universities and Non-Governmental Organizations: A Comparative European Study of the Potential for Civil Society Collaboration

In the opinion of the general public, universities and NGOs would be natural partners for effective collaboration in many fields. They are indeed, but mainly in theory. This book examines the reasons why this is the case and what possible models of cooperation and facilitated dialogue between institutions of higher education system and NGOs could transform this theoretically optimal union into practice. The authors start with Poland and analyse legal, cultural and socio-economic factors, which impact upon the current state of affairs. Subsequently they move on to consider cases from four other European countries: Portugal, Austria, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Then they propose possible solutions, areas for further research and formulate recommendations for strengthening future cooperation between the two main types of actors which shape education and increase awareness in civil societies. Universities and Non-Governmental Organisations will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in higher education and research, public discourse and civil society.

Monika Banaś is Professor at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Her research focuses on culture, politics and their mutual dependencies. She has published on migration and integration policies, political culture and political symbolism. Her works include: Protest in Late Modern Societies. Dynamics, Forms, Futures (co-editor Ruslan Saduov), Routledge; Integration Policy as a Challenge for European Cohesion in Politické Vedy, Swedish Migrant Integration Policy After 2015: A Revised Approach in the Shadow of the Migration Crisis in Fuori Luogo. She is the Chief Editor of the academic journal Intercultural Relations.

Franciszek Czech Ph.D., sociologist and political scientist at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, Jagiellonian University, Cracow. His research interests include analysis of public discourses, political culture and civil society. He performs various administrative functions at the university, and in addition he has experience of collaboration with various non-governmental organisations. Author of two books, numerous articles and reports. He currently sits on the Advisory Board of The ERC-funded project ＂Populism and Conspiracy Theory (PACT)＂. His most recent article is Links Between Conspiracy Thinking and Attitudes Toward Democracy and Religion: Survey Data From Poland (＂Politics and Governance＂).

Malgorzata Kolaczek PhD, political scientist, deputy director and Assistant Professor in the Institute of Intercultural Studies, Jagiellonian University. She is co-founder of Foundation Towards Dialogue. Book review editor for Romani Studies. Author of Ethnic mobilization of the Roma and the European Union. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary (JUP 2014). Co-author of Direction: Future. 25 years of freedom and the Roma people (JUP 2018); Cooperation between universities and NGOs as civil society animators using the potential of cultural heritage (KA 2019). For 20 years, she has researched topics regarding the Roma community: ethnic mobilization, socio-political situation and media coverage of Roma minority