**2.1 The external situation**

The external situation in Poland in 2005, when the Multidisciplinary School of Engineering in Biomedicine was founded, provided several opportunities and challenges (Augustyniak 2008). These initial external conditions can be classified into three groups:

The first group referred to Polish medical technology-related enterprises and/institutions:


Fig. 4. The employment structure in Polish medical technology-related enterprises in 2005 (ROTMED Consortium 2006).

The second group was related to Polish medical technology needs based on social demands:

• There was an urgent and important need for the development of medical technology because of the poorer quality of social health services in Poland compared with those in highly developed EU countries (fig. 5)

The third group was related to Polish university traditions and traditional models of teaching:


The external situation in Poland in 2005, when the Multidisciplinary School of Engineering in Biomedicine was founded, provided several opportunities and challenges (Augustyniak

The first group referred to Polish medical technology-related enterprises and/institutions: • Local industry was rather undeveloped; we estimate the number of local medical technology-related enterprises to be about 100, but most of them (40%) were very small businesses, so-called micro-enterprises, having 1-5 employees, or small enterprises (30%) with 6-50 employees. Bigger enterprises were usually sales- or service representatives of international corporations, without independent human resources

• The relation between research and industry was weak; the way from technical

• The results of research done by technical universities were financially unattractive and did not match industry needs; industry management preferred independent research

• The average technological level of the health care was low, with notable exceptions in

Fig. 4. The employment structure in Polish medical technology-related enterprises in 2005

The second group was related to Polish medical technology needs based on social demands: • There was an urgent and important need for the development of medical technology because of the poorer quality of social health services in Poland compared with those in

The third group was related to Polish university traditions and traditional models of

• The experience with two-tier structure of degree courses/university studies (Bachelor's and Master's) was very inadequate; there were no clear guidelines for curricula, syllabuses and examinations, nor for assessment of the teaching quality; the existing

• There was no experience of teaching in English, and professional bibliography in Polish

• The organizational chart of a multidisciplinary school was innovative and rarely implemented by universities, the university funds' distribution mechanisms being

2008). These initial external conditions can be classified into three groups:

innovation to marketing of a final product was very formalized;

rather than cooperation with universities;

**2.1 The external situation** 

management (fig. 4);

some selected centers.

(ROTMED Consortium 2006).

was very limited;

inadequate;

teaching:

highly developed EU countries (fig. 5)

government regulations were insufficient;


Fig. 5. A comparative plot showing the situation in social health services in Poland vs. the developed EU countries (ROTMED Consortium 2006).

All the above issues and challenges have led to ever stronger inter-university cooperation and integration into society. Representatives of eight Polish universities made every effort to establish educational standards in biomedical engineering as a separate field of study currently offered in Poland for about 1000 candidates each year.

### **2.2 The organizational scheme and place of MSIB in university structure**

The MSIB is located at the AGH University of Science and Technology and has been in operation since the academic year 2005-2006. Although MSIB has been formed on the basis of the staff formally belonging to five faculties, it is treated as a separate part of the AGH University and has its own students. Formally, MSIB's structure is similar to that of other faculties. It is governed by a Board of 18 persons. This Board, approved by the University Senate, is made up of professors with not less than a DSc degree who are teaching at MSIB, as well as of an adequate representation of students. At present, the professors represent five faculties:


One of the Board's tasks is to recommend to the Rector appointments for the Head and the Deputy Head of the School. The appointed Head is also President of the Board. The main responsibility of the Board is to supervise the education process, assure its highest quality, verify and, if necessary, correct academic curricula, prepare staff assignments and implement other objectives of the School. The Head also represents the MSIB in the University Board on par with deans of other faculties.

From the student's viewpoint, there is no organizational difference between the faculty and the Multidisciplinary School. Both have a Dean's Office, a staff of qualified teachers, a social support system and a student board. As far as education is concerned, the rights and responsibilities of the Head of the School are identical to those of a Dean, the only difference being that research is carried out in laboratories in various faculties run by individual professors rather than in the organizational framework of MSIB.

Since medical sciences are not represented in the AGH-University of Science and Technology, six medicine-oriented lectures (e.g. anatomy, physiology, medical deontology, history of medicine) are given by professors of the Collegium Medicum (Medical College) of the Jagiellonian University. The agreement between the universities gives students the opportunity to attend lectures and to participate in laboratory exercises in the Faculty of Medicine. This cooperation is mutually beneficial since it provides an alternative, i.e. medicine-based viewpoint, for our medical colleagues and medicine students. Unfortunately, current medical curricula in Poland do not include engineering aspects in medicine, however some lecturers from AGH-UST are among those who take part in postgraduate studies and technology-oriented teaching projects for medicine students or medical doctors.
