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Representatives for equality

The equality representatives at the Doctoral Schools at the University of Warsaw are responsible for supporting PhD students and employees of the Doctoral Schools in matters related to discrimination and other forms of inappropriate behaviour. We encourage you to contact us if you have experienced or witnessed unequal treatment—based on sex, age, disability status, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic origin, or religion—as well as mobbing or sexual harassment. We will guide you to the University institutions that can provide assistance, and we will help you establish contact with them.

You can contact us by email (j.romanski@uw.edu.pl, m.e.sandowicz@uw.edu.pl) or meet us in person on the first Tuesday of each month between 10:00 and 11:00, at the SDNH i SDNS office at 56/66 Dobra St. (even months) or 1 Pasteura, room 308 (uneven months).

 Useful links

  1. https://rownowazni.uw.edu.pl/en/ – University website dedicated to equality, where you will find definitions of forms of discrimination and practical advice for people who have experienced discrimination or witnessed it; description of procedures for reporting inappropriate behaviour at the UW; and a list of institutions providing support and equality. Here you will find information on initiatives supporting neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals at the University, along with practical guides on anti-discrimination activities, inclusive language, and preventing sexual harassment.
  2. https://ombudsman.uw.edu.pl/en/start/ – the website of the University Ombudsperson, Magdalena Miksa, and her team. The Academic Ombudsperson can be contacted in cases of conflicts (between employees, between a student and an employee, etc.), discrimination, and inappropriate behaviour.
  3. The Psychological Support Centre (CPP) – provides assistance to students and staff of the University of Warsaw who struggle with low mood, stress, or other psychological difficulties. It offers free, short-term, and emergency psychological support along with workshops and training. It manages a helpline and an intervention point for the University community, meetings of a club for neurodiverse students, a support group for LGBTQ+ people, and the project “Pack your peace” offering psychological support to people on Erasmus+ scholarships.
  4. Office for Persons with Disabilities (BON) – is a university unit supporting members of the UW community with disability-related needs. You can contact the BON regarding issues related to disability, illness, or health conditions that affect studying or working, as well as mental disorders, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, or learning difficulties.
  5. Where to seek support – map

Guidebooks and other resources

  1. Anti-discrimination Guidebook for students and employees of the University of Warsaw – download anti-discrimination Guidebook – .pdf file
  2. Guide to the prevention of sexual harassment at the University of Warsaw – download guide – .pdf file
  3. Social campaign We Are All Equal –  link to the webiste “We Are All Equal”
  4. Social campaign against hate speech – link to the webiste “Social campaign against hate speech”

Courses

(see also https://rownowazni.uw.edu.pl/en/equality-actions/education-and-training/)

  1. Understanding Equality – an online course devoted to issues related to equal treatment and counteracting discrimination, available as an OGUN course for students and as a training course for UW staff.
  2. Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the University – an online course offering theoretical and practical knowledge about sexual harassment and ways to counteract it; created in cooperation with the Feminoteka Foundation, available as an OGUN course for students and as a training course for the UW staff.
  3. Mobbing at Workplace – Prevention, Recognition, and Responses – an online course introducing issues related to mobbing with particular emphasis on this problem in the academic environment and the UW anti-mobbing procedure.
  4. Discrimination, Conformism, and Resistance: History and Memory of the Forced Segregation of Polish and Jewish Students in the Second Polish Republic – an online course presenting the history of academic exclusions, forms of opposition against discrimination, and contemporary ways of commemorating a difficult past, available as an OGUN for students. 

Changing names and pronouns by transgender and non-binary students

The University of Warsaw is currently developing systemic solutions to facilitate the use of preferred names and pronouns by transgender and non-binary students within the University. A draft overlay for the USOS and APD systems is underway. Until it is ready, students who are willing to use preferred names and pronouns or those willing to create an email address alias should complete the form: https://forms.gle/7CADEzvPPusx1mfm9.

Please use your university email address when filling out the form.

Archive

ORDER No. 1 OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY DOCTORAL SCHOOL of 7 February 2025 on the appointment of representatives for equality – LINK to the ordinance website

On 24 October 2023. The Director of MSD, Professor Paweł Stępień, issued an order appointing equality officers to our school.

As equality representatives for the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, were appointed:

  • dr hab. Małgorzata Sandowicz, prof. ucz. – msandowicz@uw.edu.pl (Faculty of Oriental Studies);
  • dr. hab. Jan Romański, prof. ucz. – j.romanski@uw.edu.pl (Faculty of Chemistry).

ORDER No. 6 OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY DOCTORAL SCHOOL of 24 October 2023 on the appointment of representatives for equality at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School [in Polish] – LINK to the ordinance website

Responsibilities of the Representatives for equality

  1. Cooperating with the authorities of the Doctoral School as well as with the Academic Ombudsman for Student and Staff Affairs (Ombudsman), the UW Main Equality Advisor and the Main Research and Equality Education Advisor on anti-discrimination and fostering an atmosphere of equality and respect for diversity, nurturing an equal atmosphere in the daily life of the Doctoral School.
  2. Undertake consultation on all matters of discrimination and respond to reported cases through counselling. Contacting the Equality Representatives is not the same as initiating an official procedure. With the consent of the complainant, the Equality Representatives may refer the matter to the Academic Ombudsperson for Student and Staff Affairs.
  3. Gathering information on good equality practice, equality courses and training and providing information to doctoral students and staff at the beginning of the academic year about the support system in the Doctoral School and the University.
  4. Organise equality and anti-discrimination training in particular for members of qualifying teams.
  5. Disseminating good practice and equality and similar measures (e.g. anti-bullying).

The Equality Representatives undertakes to keep confidential secrecy, both during and after the performance of their duties, of all information and personal data to which they gain access in connection with the performance of their duties.

The person performing the role of Equality Representatives carries out his or her tasks in collaboration with members of the Doctoral School community.