PEOPLE FROM UNIVERSITY OF SILESIA

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. Alicja Szajnowska-Wysocka. Professor is the head of The Department of Economic Geography. This is part of The Faculty of Sciences of Earth

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

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

Prof. UŚ. Dr hab. Maria Tkocz (the restructuration of traditional industry in Silesia) The main subjects of her research are: The role of industry in development of Silesian towns, Katowice as the centre of industrial region and now – postindustrial region, Hard coal mining industry restructuration in Silesia. The settlement in old part of Katowice, The old workers estates in Katowice and Bytom

Research fellows: Dr Anna Runge: (Demography, changes of population, Geography of Towns, Geography of Religion) She is an expert in Demographic transformations of the largest cities of Silesian Voivodship, The demographical circumstances of development of work market in Silesia, The spatial development in Silesia, Monitoring demographical changes – her main areas of research: changes of concentration of population in largest postindustrial cities in Silesia, the dynamic of population in Silesia

Dr Iwona Kantor Pietraga (Demography and Human Geography) 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, analyses of demographical structures in industrial centers, Iwona is an expert in survey methods, statistic research and GIS

Dr Sławomir Sitek (Social and Economical Geography): The factor shaping 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, Sławomir is good organizer, every year he organises workshops about co-existence in border regions of Poland for young Economy Geographer (P.h.D students)

Dr Krystyna Magda-Żabińska (Political Geography, Human Geography, Tourism). Main subjects: Ecological awareness of inhabitants in region, Availability of health care, Krystyna is 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.

Dr Marzena Lamparska (Cultural Landscape, Historical and Human Geography, Tourism): my main subject has been cultural landscape and postindustrial heritage in Silesia, problems of development of monocultural areas - mainly mining areas in postindustrial reality. I’m an expert in tourism and GIS spatial and temporal databases based on the old maps. I spent in London last year, were I was a volunteer in Deptford Reach (Lewisham, Deptford). I met many homeless from Poland in this center and what was fascinating for me - men from Silesia…I asked those guys about theirs journey to London and life here (I have 3 surveys – guys from Silesia and 12 – from other parts of Poland). Now this is my main subject of research. I have analyzed Polish migration to the UK and I have noticed, that demographic and social structure of this migration has been change

Dr Robert Krzysztofik (Historical Geography, Human Geography, 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 Quantative and quality analyses statistical data

Dr Elżbieta Zuzańska Żyśko and dr Jacek Petryszyn They work together. I present Eżbieta and Jacek both. 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) Institutional space in Silesia and changes during social and political transformation (case studies in selected towns)

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.

Mgr Monika 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.

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. Migrations to richer countries in Europe, of course. We noticed that traditional model and direction of migration from Silesia which was Germany, is changing now. Many people choose The UK. It’s obvious, that we have the knowledge about circumstances how the level of poverty, unemployment and social helpless is creating and shaping in Poland and in Silesia

We present our main areas of research: The local and regional development in Silesia Micro and macro scale aspects of changes of settlement 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 in Silesia, Tourism in Silesia – as a new possibility of economic activity, Spatial aspects of the quality of inhabitants life in Katowice and region Ddemographic and spatial transformation of Silesia Demographics problem (wide range) Economic studies 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:

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 ( 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 Krzysztofik iare fellow of research team.