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Student internships and practical placements, study visits, courses and trainings, new fields of study and specializations, joint research and development projects, as well as promotion of the railway industry - all this is to be the result of scientific, technical and educational cooperation between Lublin University of Technology and PKP Intercity. The cooperation agreement was signed on February 9, 2024 in Lublin by the rector of LUT, Prof. Zbigniew Pater, and vice-president of the management board of PKP Intercity, Tomasz Gontarz.

The parties declared ongoing exchange of information regarding possible areas of cooperation in the field of research and development (R&D) and the possibility of implementing the results of this work in economic practice. For the company, cooperation with the education sector allows for eliminating staff gaps, providing graduates with professional development paths in the railway industry, and for Lublin University of Technology to adapt its educational offer to the requirements of the labor market of railway carriers.

– We are looking forward to another cooperation with a university. We believe that cooperation between business and science will bring tangible benefits for the future of Polish railways. We want to use the knowledge and scientific resources of Lublin University of Technology and offering them practical solutions. As part of our development strategy, we have set a specific development direction, but in order to achieve further goals, we must expand the group of qualified specialists. In Lublin, we plan to build modern technical facilities for our trains. At the end of January, we concluded a tender for design work. Soon 400 people will be employed in our ranks, who will work in comfortable and new halls in Lublin, operating modern rolling stock - said Tomasz Gontarz.

As noted by Prof. Zbigniew Pater, rector of LUT, cooperation between universities and companies is extremely important today, it is one of the three areas of activity of universities.

– Lublin University of Technology can offer a lot to the company. Our university has been developing in the field of mechanical engineering for a long time. And in this scientific discipline, in the last evaluation, it was classified first in Poland. It was similar in the transport discipline. Therefore, we have the potential to conduct scientific work and joint projects. For our scientists, it is an opportunity to transform the results of their research into real products and services that can hit the market.

The rector emphasized that the implementation of the agreement will also bring benefits to students.

– Our students will have access to internships and practical placements in one of the most important entities in the railway industry in Poland. This is a unique opportunity to gain valuable industry experience. Thanks to this, when they leave the university, they will be equipped with the latest knowledge and necessary skills - noted Prof. Zbigniew Pater.

The subject of the agreement with the university is also the joint organization of conferences, seminars, workshops and symposia with the participation of students and academic staff, as well as the promotion of the railway industry and its development among the public. The university employees will also provide research, expert and consulting services to the company.

Lublin University of Technology is the seventeenth university to establish cooperation with PKP Intercity.