Internationalization is one of the cornerstones of Lodz University of Technology strategy for research, education, as well as other activities carried out in cooperation with the socio-economic environment. The International Faculty of Engineering (IFE) 30 years of active involvement in the international arena is a testament to its attention to appropriate levels of engagement. It is a world-renowned, innovative centre that educates in 19 fields of study in foreign languages.
In 2017, a new unit was established at Lodz University of Technology - the International Cooperation Centre, whose main task is to dynamically implement the university's internationalization strategy and strongly mark the status of Lodz University of Technology as an innovative academic centre on the European Higher Education Map. In the period from May 2022 to April 2023, a project entitled WelcomeTULodz - Organization of a Welcome Point dedicated to serving foreign students and staff at Lodz University of Technology was implemented at TUL under the Welcome to Poland 2021 programme implemented by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and co-financed by the European Social Fund. The main result of the project became the launch of TUL Welcome Point as a central, accessible and friendly place to serve people from abroad.
The university currently has more than 300 full-time foreign students and nearly 400 mobility students. All of the above can take part in various forms of mobility: long-term mobility for study and internship (from 2 to 12 months) and short-term mobility also for study and internship (from 5 to 30 days), which is financed by the Erasmus + programme. They also have the opportunity to earn a double degree through partnership agreements with prestigious universities in Europe and around the world. TUL is one of the leading universities in student mobility under the Erasmus+ programme and proudly carries the title of "Mobility Friendly University." It is also the leader in terms of the number of students going on long-term, overseas summer internships under the IAESTE programme. TUL PhD students also participate in bilateral foreign exchanges.
Since 2000, Lodz University of Technology has served as the national coordinator of the Baltic University Programme, which brings together more than 60 universities in Poland. The university's international cooperation in the field of scientific research programmes and student exchanges includes more than 520 centres in 65 countries, of which more than 200 are TUL’s strategic partners. The area of education is also covered by international cooperation. Cooperation with foreign partners enables the exchange of experience and good practices with representatives of the best universities in the world. Access to up-to-date global resources and the latest trends contributes to the implementation of modern learning methods. Thanks to international cooperation, Lodz University of Technology can adapt programmes to the changing needs and challenges of the global labour market.
The university carries out many projects in cooperation with foreign partners. In 2017, IFE, in cooperation with the French Embassy in Poland and the International Association Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), opened the prestigious and long-standing French Academy for Young Engineers (FAMI) project, engaging young people in international projects based on modern technologies and social challenges. Lodz University of Technology is a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, dedicated to the education of engineers in Europe.
Lodz University of Technology obtained 25 EUR-ACE® Label programme accreditations (EUR-ACE Bachelor Label and EUR-ACE Master Label in the following majors: Materials Engineering; Automatic Control and Robotics; Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering; Mechatronics; Chemical Technology; Nanotechnology; Chemistry; Biotechnology; Information Technology at the Faculty of Technical Physics, Information Technology and Applied Mathematics; Computer Science at the Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Control Engineering; Technical Physics; Architecture; Civil Engineering; Management and Production Engineering). It is one of six Polish universities that have undergone the EUA - Institutional Evaluation Programme international institutional evaluation and can use the EUA - IEP quality mark, which is recognized throughout Europe. Having it makes the university more attractive in the European research area.
In 2020, TUL became the first university in Poland to receive French international accreditation - HCERES - for five years. In 2022, two fields of study conducted in English, Information Technology and Computer Science, received the prestigious ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), and in 2023, two fields of study at the Faculty of Chemistry (Chemistry; Chemical Technology) were granted accreditation by the European Chemistry Thematic Network Association (ECTN). A team from France's Supreme Council for the Evaluation of Scientific Research and Higher Education spoke highly of TUL’s rich educational offerings tailored to the needs of the labour market, as well as the university's efforts in improving the curricula offered. The TUL Language Centre is accredited by EAQUALS (Evaluation and Accreditation of Quality in Language Services).
In 2021. Lodz University of Technology became a member of a European Consortium of Innovative Universities. It is the only university from Poland to join the elite network of ECIU. As part of the consortium, TUL is cooperating with 13 universities from the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Denmark and Mexico. This allows for scientific and research cooperation and a joint offer for students based on micromodules and challenges. However, the ECIU is much more than that. ECIU's goal is to create a new model of a transnational European university based on challenges and strong cooperation with the socio-economic environment. For more information, visit eciu.p.lodz.pl and eciu.eu.
Internationalization at the Lodz University of Technology is also taking place through mobility of teaching and administrative staff, which is crucial to the development of the professional competence of Lodz University of Technology staff.