Academia
•
FEMA strengthens ties with Bielsko‑Biała, Poland
The Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy (FEMA) at the University of Malta has formalised a five-year cooperation agreement with the City of Bielsko-Biała, strengthening a partnership that has been developing since 2024.
The memorandum of understanding was signed in Bielsko-Biała by Mayor Jarosław Klimaszewski and Prof. Frank Bezzina, Pro Rector on behalf of the Rector of the University of Malta. Accompanying on the visit was Prof. Nathaniel Massa. The signing in January coincided with official launch events celebrating Bielsko-Biała’s appointment as Poland’s first national Capital of Culture, 2026.
Undertaken with a city / region, the prospects for collaboration from this agreement extend beyond traditional academic exchanges to include applied joint research projects, youth, student and trainer mobility, social initiatives, and potential for cooperation in areas related to e.g. tourism and local governance.
Scope for collaboration:
Undertaken with a city/region, the agreement extends beyond traditional academic exchange, offering a flexible framework for collaboration such as:
• Joint initiatives and events (seminars, workshops, public lectures, policy roundtables, innovation and tourism forums)
• Applied social research and evaluation (including impact assessment and joint outputs)
• Mobility and exchanges of students, staff, trainers and other participants (short visits, teaching/training inputs, study visits)
• Other initiatives aligned to the statutory objectives of both parties, agreed case-by-case
Recent initiatives undertaken include a week-long study visit by FEMA International MBA students, featuring industry engagements and management meetings across Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Kraków and Milówka, alongside university sessions and student presentations at themed workshops.
In the region, FEMA also has MoUs in place with the University of Bielsko‑Biała and the University of Economics in Katowice.
Regional context - Bielsko-Biała & Silesian region:
Bielsko-Biała is located in the Silesian Voivodeship, one of Poland’s strongest-performing economic regions, combining a modern industrial base with a growing services sector. The city forms part of the Katowice Special Economic Zone, creating natural touchpoints around investment attraction, business ecosystems and industry-policy collaboration.
The city also connects strongly to innovation and entrepreneurship agendas through the Regional Development Agency’s business incubator/accelerator activity aligned to regional smart specialisations (including ICT, automotive, green economy and creative industries).
On the cultural and tourism side, Bielsko-Biała is sometimes dubbed “Little Vienna”, reflecting its built heritage and urban character, while its location at the foot of the Beskid Mountains – near protected landscape parks and Natura 2000 areas – supports opportunities in sustainable tourism, destination management and place branding.
