Maria Curie-Sklodowska University (UMCS) |
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Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin (UMCS) is the largest public university in the Eastern Poland, which has been operating for over 80 years. It has a culture-forming and opinion-forming function and makes a significant contribution to building a knowledge-based economy. UMCS conducts education at 13 faculties, 3 doctoral schools, 80 fields of study and nearly 250 specialties, and the number of graduates has already exceeded 241,000. Currently, about 18,000 students are enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs at UMCS, including over 1,800 foreigners (10% of all students) from more than 50 countries worldwide. UMCS employs 1582 research and teaching staff and 1247 administrative and technical staff. The scientific and research potential of UMCS is based on modern laboratories and workshops, including e.g. Analytical and Programming for Advanced Environmentally Friendly. UMCS also invests in modern research infrastructure, such as ECOTECH-COMPLEX which also houses the newly created Centre of Artifical Intelligence and Computer Modelling. In 2017, UMCS received HR Excellence in Research logo awarded by the European Commission. The university has also won many significant titles and awards, such as: "University of Leaders", "Aurea Praxis", "Good University - Good Work", is also a laureate of the competition "The most innovative and creative university in Poland in creating professional prospects”. UMCS is one of the most internationalized universities in Poland, it also ranks 1st among public universities in educating students from Ukraine as part of study programs first and second degree. In 2022 UMCS joined the European Universities Alliance – ATHENA. In the years 2017-2022, over 40 international research projects were carried out for ca. EUR 2 million. Some of the larger recent projects included DT.UNI - Design Thinking Approach for an Interdisciplinary University, Open Innovative Resources for Distance Learning, Space Weather Awareness Training Network (SWATNET), Preserving Fundamental Rights in the Use of Digital Technologies for E-Health Services(REINITIALISE). UMCS has over 182 agreements on scientific and educational cooperation with foreign partners.
The Faculty of Chemistry of the UMCS is a faculty with a very high scientific and teaching potential recognised worldwide and certified by the European Chemistry Thematic Network (ECTN): Chemistry Eurobachelor, Chemistry Euromaster and Chemistry Doctorate Eurolabel. The Faculty of Chemistry of UMCS specialises in the synthesis of modern materials and special-purpose chemical compounds, i.e. silica sorbents, polymeric sorbents, composite materials, materials immobilised with bioligands, chromatographic fillers, complexes, organic ligands with metals with a wide spectrum of applications.
Particularly important are research problems concerning the modification and application of biopolymers (also waste materials) for the synthesis of new systems with industrial application and comprehensive characterisation of the obtained materials using modern instrumental methods, including NMR, FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TEM, XPS.
The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) |
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The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm is Sweden's largest and oldest technical university, founded in 1827, and the most international technical university in the country. KTH has extensive experience in implementing complex educational and research projects, backed by robust infrastructure to support academic, administrative, and financial management across international collaborations. In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, KTH ranked 74th globally out of 1,600 universities, securing the top position in Sweden and placing tenth among EU universities.
The Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology (FPT) at KTH is Sweden's largest academic institution specializing in both native and synthetic polymers. This unique integration of natural and synthetic polymer research enables FPT to address critical issues related to sustainable material use. FPT collaborates closely with major research institutes on the KTH campus, such as RISE Bioeconomy and the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and has built a solid foundation in the chemical structure, biosynthesis, isolation, and chemical modification of wood polymers, including lignins.
FPT is an active participant in the new Resource-smart Processes (RSP) industrial graduate school - a national initiative to advance forest, textile, and chemical industry processes through more efficient use of bio-based raw materials. RSP aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish industry by generating new research results, fostering new expertise, and expanding professional networks across industry and academia. The RSP graduate school is funded by Swedish national agency Vinnova, industry partners, and academia through the strategic innovation program BioInnovation and is coordinated by Chalmers, KTH, and the research platform Treesearch.
In addition, several FPT researchers are engaged in the Wallenberg Wood Science Centre (WWSC), a joint research initiative among KTH, Chalmers, and Linköping University, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. WWSC focuses on developing innovative materials from wood and is internationally recognized as a leading center in the field.
Approximately 130 individuals work within FPT annually, including 14 full professors, six associate professors, one assistant professor, 25 researchers or guest researchers, and around 80 full-time doctoral students. Currently, FPT is affiliated with four industry-based professors.
FPT provides extensive analytical instrumentation for material characterization from molecular to pilot-scale polymer testing. Through the Treesearch national platform, FPT researchers and students also gain access to cutting-edge analytical equipment and research facilities across Sweden. Treesearch represents a collaborative initiative across academia, industry, private foundations, and government to create a world-leading, open research environment for the bioeconomy of the future.
The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (UKIM) |
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The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (UKIM) in Skopje is the first state University in the Republic of North Macedonia, founded in 1949, initially with three faculties. At the moment, the University represents a functional community of 23 faculties, 5 research institutes, 4 public scientific institutions - associate members, 1 associate member - other higher education institution and 7 associate members - other organizations. Its activities are stipulated by the Law on Higher Education and the Statute of the University.
The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University develops study programmes in all scientific fields – natural sciences and mathematics, technical and technological sciences, medical sciences and health, biotechnical sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts. Except for the faculties, the research work, also is carried out in the independent research institutes as an integral part of the University.
Nowadays, the illustration of UKIM through figures is as follows: over 22,700 students in the first cycle and 14,100 students in the second cycle of studies are part of the teaching and educational process. The third cycle - doctoral studies is realized within the School of Doctoral Studies, with a total of 1,545 students. Over 3,100 teaching, research, associate, as well as administrative staff participate in the realization of the teaching and scientific process at the faculties and institutes.
The University has produced over 194,000 graduated high-professional staff (with obtained Bachelor degree); over 21,300 candidates obtained Master’s and Specialist's degree and over 5,570 candidates obtained the doctoral degree in all teaching and scientific fields.
Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy (FTM) within the University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje (CMU) was founded in 1959 with the main goal of advancing scientific knowledge in the field of technology, metallurgy, chemical engineering and material science through the technical education, research, practical training of engineers and scientists, postgraduate studies and application. Research teams from FTM had successfully completed several FP6 projects, EUREKA, UNESCO and NATO projects. FTM consists of 6 Departments, with over 100 employees and 30 postgraduate students (each year). Within FTM, the Department of Polymer Materials itself counts with 7 professors and 10 researchers, currently involved in more than ten R&D projects on subjects that range from tailoring of polymer interfaces to plastic materials, synthesis of new polymers and compatibilizers, development of new composite materials, nanocomposites, biodegradable polymers and nanocomposites, biomaterials from waste materials, recycling and re-use of polymer-plastic wastes, polymer blends, laser ablation of polymers, electro-conductive polymers and rheology of polymers. The Polymer Department has also established cooperation with industrial and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) partners in RN Macedonia.
