From March 23rd to 27th, the University of Zielona Góra (UZ) hosted the international, interdisciplinary school "Interference Patterns: Science and Culture in Dialogue." The event brought together approximately 50 students and staff members from partner universities across eight countries: Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Turkey, and Vietnam.
Thinking Outside the Box
The program was designed to be truly interdisciplinary, featuring lectures, workshops, and project-based activities. The goal was to encourage students to explore different ways of thinking and acquire knowledge in fields outside their primary expertise. This allowed participants to exchange experiences and view science, culture, and art through various lenses.
The curriculum was a collaborative effort involving experts from several UZ institutes: Astronomy, Polish Philology, Philosophy, Physics, History, Mathematics, Music, Sociology, and the Institute of Sport, Tourism, and Nutrition. This broad academic involvement created a unique program blending exact sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts.
A Relay of Knowledge
A key highlight was the continuity between different educational initiatives. During the first few days, students who had previously participated in the Polish-Romanian spring school (organized by Dr. Magdalena Pokrzyńska and Dr. hab. Sylwia Kondej, prof. UZ) presented their science communication projects.
By the final day, the current "Interference Patterns" participants presented the results of their own work. This created a natural "knowledge relay," where previous experience was passed on to new participants, fostering a symbolic chain of engagement.
Art Meets Science
On Wednesday, March 25th, the program moved to the Piekarnia Cichej Kobiety club for a concert featuring students and alumni from the UZ Institute of Music. The performance perfectly embodied the school's mission of bridging different disciplines and forms of creative activity.
Anniversary Celebrations
The event was a significant part of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the University of Zielona Góra.
The "Interference Patterns" school proved that cross-disciplinary cooperation is not only scientifically valuable but also essential for building international relationships and mutual understanding. The project was supported by the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) and the PROM project.
