Who we are and what we want

1. Who we are and what we want PEOPLE FROM UNIVERSITY OF SILESIA www.wnoz.us.edu.pl http://kge.wnoz.us.edu.pl/

2. Who we are We are Social and Human Geographers who work at the University of Silesia. We are a team for over 10 years. Our boss is prof. AlicjaSzajnowska-Wysocka.Professor is the head of The Department of Economic Geography. This is part of The Faculty of Sciences of Earth

3. Who we are Prof. Dr hab. Alicja Szajnowska Wysocka is Human and Social Gepgrapher (Geography of Settlement, industrial spaces in Poland, Globalization, Neoregionalism, Postindustrial Heritage) Following problems and issues are in the field of her latest research: Multicultural character of the Upper Silesia, Institutional basis and circumstances of develpoment in Silesia, The aspects and valors of migration during political transformation, Spatial and demographical changes in post- socialist city (based on Sosnowiec as an example), Theories of regional and local development

4. who we are Prof. dr hab. Jerzy Runge (Demography, post-socialist towns) Social and spatial aspects of development of towns in Upper Silesia towns, Migrations of the population of Katowice Voivodeship, Demografic transformations of the largest town of Silesia, Territorial and socio-economic system of borderland in the Morawian-Silesian Region,Strategies of its development in the period of political and enonomic transformation, Social transformations in Katowice Voivodeship, The transformation of population in traditional economic regions in Cenral Europe. Structural approach. Profesor is an expert in quantites and quality methods in Geography and in Spatial Planning

5. Who we are Prof. UŚ. Dr hab. Maria Tkocz (the restructuration of traditional industry in Silesia) The main subjects of her research are: Therole of industry in development ofSilesian towns, Katowice as the centreof industrial region and now – postindustrial region, Hard coal miningindustry restructuration in Silesia. The settlement in old part of Katowice, The old workers estates in Katowice and Bytom

6. Who we are Research fellows: Dr Anna Runge: (Demography, changes of population, Geographyof Towns, Geography of Religion) She is an expert in Demographic transformations of the largest citiesof Silesian Voivodship, The demographical circumstances of development of work market in Silesia, The spatial development in Silesia, Monitoringdemographical changes – her main areas of research: changes of concentration of population in largest postindustrial citiesin Silesia, the dynamic of population in Silesia

7. Who we are Dr Iwona Kantor Pietraga (Demographyand HumanGeography) Iwona researches: the differentiations (spatial, level of life of inhabitants, social) in Silesian towns, she compares the situation in two periods of time; in 80s and present period, Social changes in Silesia during transformation, analysesof demographical structures in industrial centers, Iwona is an expert in survey methods,statistic research and GIS

8. Who we are Dr Sławomir Sitek (Socialand EconomicalGeography): The factorshaping migrations in the border regions of Poland, The quality of life in Silesian towns, The strategies of development of border regions in regional and global context, Sławomiris good organizer, every year he organises workshops about co-existence in border regions ofPoland for young Economy Geographer (P.h.D students)

9. Who we are DrKrystyna Magda-Żabińska(PoliticalGeography, HumanGeography, Tourism). Main subjects: Ecological awareness of inhabitants in region, Availability of health care, Krystynais an expert of health geography, and perception of cultural environment, Krystyna is very good human geographer.She has rich experiences in survey methods and quantities methods in social research.

10. Who we are DrMarzenaLamparska(CulturalLandscape, Historicaland HumanGeography, Tourism): my main subject has been cultural landscape and postindustrial heritage in Silesia, problems ofdevelopment of monocultural areas- mainly mining areas in postindustrial reality. I’m an expert in tourism and GIS spatial and temporal databases basedon the old maps. I spent in London lastyear , were I was avolunteer in Deptford Reach (Lewisham, Deptford). I met many homeless from Poland in this center and what wasfascinating for me - men from Silesia…I asked thoseguys about theirs journey to London and life here (I have 3 surveys – guys from Silesia and 12 – from other partsof Poland). Now this is my main subject of research . I have analyzedPolish migration to the UK and I have noticed, that demographic and social structure of this migration has been change

11. Who we are • Dr Robert Krzysztofik(HistoricalGeography, HumanGeography, Geography of Settlement) • Robert is an expert of towns in historical and modern aspects • The development of towns in time, • Individualities of landscape of rural areas in Poland, • Gateway towns in Europe and in Poland (theoretical and practical aspects • Quantativeand quality analyses statistical data

12. Who we are DrElżbietaZuzańskaŻyśko and drJacekPetryszyn They work together. I present Eżbietaand Jacekboth. These field of research: • Changes of infrastructural level of market in towns and how this fluctuating market is functioning • Spatial and functional transformations in Silesian agglomeration in the light of conception of functional organization of areas • Local and regional development in Silesia, neo-regionalism • The metropolisation processes in Poland • Small and large towns in Poland and in Silesia during transformation (theoretical and empirical research) • Institutionalspace in Silesia and changes duringsocial and political transformation (case studies in selected towns)

13. Mgr MartaChmielewska (PhD student) • has been researching: • Worker’s estates as a part of post-industrial landscape. • Revitalization of post-industrial landscape in traditional industrial areas (on examples of Silesia and Ruhr area), especially: • directions of revitalization, • post-industrial tourism, • preservation of industrial heritage, • morphological and functional changes in urban space caused by revitalization (succession of function). • Upper Silesia as a historical region of cultural borderland. • Aspiration of the Upper Silesian Conurbation to become a metropolis. • Marta is preparing a PhD project about: Morphological transformations of urban space of Katowice. • Would like to research: • Economic migrations from Silesia, especially following issues: • change of direction of migrations (Germany Great Britain), • motives of migrations, • conditions of being emigrant in different countries, • process of adaptation of emigrants, • temporary / permanent migration, • and related.

14. MgrMonika Kurpanik - PhD student (human geography) Main subjects: Research of identity and awareness of the territorial population conurbation Rybnik; Perception in geography; Social problems; Transformation of traditional industrial regions.

15. What we want • So, you see that ours subject is – Silesia in Europe. We research economy,social and political aspects transformation in East and Central Europe. We research many aspects of socio-economic transformation, homelessness and community rejection, poverty geography are issues commonly included in our work. • During our further research we noticed this issues and now we feel these is growing demand for complex international studies • What we want: homelessness and poverty and unemployment are very common in Silesia. We have areas, in wchih the migration is one chanse to earn many for inhabitants . Migrationsto richer countries in Europe, of course . We noticedthat traditional model and directionof migration fromSilesia which was Germany,is changing now. Many people choose The UK. • It’sobvious, that we have the knowledge about circumstances howthe level of poverty, unemployment and social helpless is creating and shaping in Poland and in Silesia

16. We present our main areasof research: • The local and regional development in Silesia • Micro and macro scale aspects of changes ofsettlement system and processes shaping this system • The social and spatial studies of the industrial centers • The modern and postmodern cultural landscape in Silesia • Postindustrial heritage – valorization and classification in cultural space inSilesia, • Tourismin Silesia – as a new possibility ofeconomic activity, • Spatial aspects of the quality of inhabitants life inKatowice and region • Ddemographic and spatial transformationof Silesia • Demographics problem (wide range) • Economicstudies in Silesia • The aspects of co-existence border regions: Silesia and Moravia • Selected elements of infrastructural changes in towns, especially spatial and organizational factors . Full list of our publications is here: http://kge.wnoz.us.edu.pl/

17. Present cooperation • “Spatial differentiation of conditions of life habitants in Silesia and spatial differentiation and transformation social features and markets.” • 7 European research programs “Governance of shrinkage in the European context” grant no 225193 (http://www.shrinksmart.ufz.de/data/WP2%20report%20Sosnowiec%20Bytom_kompr13638.pdf) • Shrinkage in as effect of decrease dynamic of demography, migrations , economic problems and infrastructural problems in towns • In- town differentiation of demographic processes • Silesian region in the light of selected conceptions of social-economic transformation • The subjects of research are social, economic and spatial and functional transformations in towns characterizing of regression in this points, especially during last 20 years (after political and economy transformation and social modernization). Polish geographers work with team from UmweltforshungZentrum Leipzig (leader of project), and Universities in Liverpool, Nottingham, Roma, Timisoara, and others. Prof. Jerzy Runge is the leader. Dr Iwona Kantor Pietraga and dr Robert Krzysztofikiare fellow of research team.