For 10 years WSB University has developed cross-border cooperation (CBC) with partners from the Polish-Czech-Slovak borderlands in science, education and cooperation with the environment. Based on WSB University experience related to CBC, the Institute is extending the scientific partnerships to cooperate with other academic entities that conduct similar research in the world, inviting them for the common international research projects. The Institute conducts also cross-border educational programmes (topic: low-carbon economy and sustainable growth). It has also the competences to develop and evaluate territorial cooperation strategies for borderlands. Its advantage is a very good knowledge of CBC problems in Central Europe. The results of scientific research and expert services of the Institute’s employees have already been used by many public entities involved in territorial cooperation e.g. European Commission, cities in Poland and Czechia, municipalities in Poland and Lithuania, national and foreign institutions and organizations.

Training

• (2018-2019) training: Polish-Czech academic cooperation for improving the quality of cross-border scientific studies, project co-financed by Interreg Czech Republic – Poland 2014-2020
• (2015-2024) education: Professional training programme for specialists – leaders in the low carbon economy development on the borderland, part 1 and part 2 – project co-financed by Interreg Czech Republic – Poland 2014-2020
• (2017-2018) education: Specialised education on public safety and emergency situations in the borderland, project co-financed by Interreg Poland – Slovakia 2014-2020
• (2019-2022) training: “IN SITU – Intergenerational Social Innovation Support Scheme” – project co-financed by Interreg Central Europe

Research / Applied research

• (2020-2022) research: Transfer of the Euroregional model of cross-border cooperation to the Brazilian-Argentinian border (in cooperation with the University of Porto Alegre in Brazil) – project co-financed by the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul
• (2019-2021) applied research: Identification of key elements for creating the Touristic Cross-Border Functional Area at the Lithuanian – Polish border – project financed by European Commission
• (2021) research: The role of national minorities in development of cross-border cooperation (in cooperation with the University of Southern Denmark) – COST ACTION ENTAN, financed by the Horizon 2020
• (2017-2018) Programme for the culture of Cieszyn and Český Těšín – commissioned by the town of Cieszyn
• (2018-2019) Strategy of Cross-Border Cooperation of Cieszyn and Český Těšín in the context of the development of Euroregion Cieszyn Silesia – commissioned by the OLZA Association for Development and Regional Cooperation in Cieszyn

Consulting / studies

• (2018) Analysis of the possibilities of restoring trams as a tourist attraction of Cieszyn and Český Těšín – study commissioned by the town of Cieszyn (Joanna Kurowska-Pysz)
• (2017-2020) Evaluation of INTERREG Cross-border Cooperation Programmes: Czech Republic-Poland, Poland-Slovakia, Poland-Saxony – studies commissioned by Polish Government and Czech Government (Joanna Kurowska-Pysz)
• (2013 – 2014) Extending the cooperation of the Coalition of Mountain Land Brands and the Liptov Cluster, as well as companies, local governments and non-government organizations – study commissioned by the Coalition of Mountain Land Brands in Żywiec (Joanna Kurowska-Pysz)

Conferences

• The International Conference: « New Trends in Management and Production Engineering-Regional, Cross-Border and Global Perspectives”, 2015-2018, Poland
• The International Congress on Sustainable Development, Public Management and Territorial Governance, 28-31 May 2019, Poland
• The International Conference: “Territorial and Inter-Organizational Cooperation’ 2020”, 23-24 September 2020, Poland

Publications / Conference papers

• Kurowska-Pysz, J. Opportunities for cross-border entrepreneurship development in a cluster model exemplified by the Polish–Czech border region. » Sustainability 8.3 (2016): 230.
• Kurowska-Pysz, J., Castanho, R. A., & Naranjo Gómez, J. M. (2018). Cross-border cooperation: the barriers analysis and the recommendations. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 17.
• Castanho R.A., Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) Strategies for Sustainable Development IGI Global, 2019
• Kurowska-Pysz J., Zarządzanie partnerstwami transgranicznymi organizacji uczących się, PWN, 2019
• Mora Aliseda J., Castanho R.A., Kurowska-Pysz J.: Políticas Públicas Territoriales y Desarrollo Regional, Thompson Reuters-Aranzadi, 2020