Rules and Regulations for participation and recruitment in the PhD Hackathon event as part of the project "UEKat in BAUHAUS4EU – developing the University’s potential for a European University for sustainable, resilient, and inclusive regions"

§ 1

1. The project is financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, hereinafter referred to as NAWA, under the "Support for European Universities – 2025 call" program.
2. The aim of the "UEKat in BAUHAUS4EU – developing the University’s potential for a European University for sustainable, resilient, and inclusive regions" project, hereinafter referred to as the Project, is to internationalize and develop the potential of the University of Economics in Katowice by implementing activities complementary to initiatives organized within the BAUHAUS4EU (B4EU) Alliance by creating additional opportunities for cooperation within the framework of numerous events at various levels and in different areas, aiming at the better understanding of the very idea of the Alliance and an increase in the involvement of the entire community.
3. The project includes plans to organize a hackathon — an innovative teaching method for doctoral students. Its main goal is to strengthen academic cooperation and knowledge exchange between doctoral students, as well as to encourage open dialogue, creative exchange of ideas, and interdisciplinary cooperation between different disciplines, institutions, and regions. The full name of the event is "The 1st BAUHAUS4EU PhD Hackathon Workshop - Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Beautiful Regions."
4. The following Rules and Regulations concern the recruitment and participation in the PhD Hackathon event, which is planned for 20 full-time doctoral students from BAUHAUS4EU Alliance partner universities. The event is open to doctoral students from BAUHAUS4EU Alliance universities representing different disciplines.
5. Equal participation of representatives from all partner universities is assumed, i.e., 2 doctoral students from each university.
6. These Rules and Regulations shall be available at the International Office and published on the Project webpage and the event webpage.
7. The event is scheduled for July 6-9, 2026. Participants arriving from partner universities should allow 2 days for travel.
8. The event shall take place at the University of Economics in Katowice, in locations adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. All materials necessary for the organization of the event shall be prepared according to WCAG 2.1.

§ 2

1. The preliminary learning objectives and outcomes for doctoral students are described and divided into three categories: knowledge, skills, and social competencies. These outcomes constitute a standard set of requirements describing the competencies acquired as a result of the support. The learning objectives and outcomes are available on the Project webpage.
2. The following key criteria shall be taken into account when assessing the acquisition of the learning outcomes referred to in § 1:
   1. in terms of knowledge – whether a participant has understood and learned the required information and concepts,
   2. in terms of skills – whether a participant can apply the acquired knowledge in practice,
   3. in terms of social competencies – whether a participant has improved their interpersonal skills, teamwork abilities, etc.
3. A test assessing the level of acquisition of learning outcomes shall be conducted among doctoral students. This test shall be conducted before and after the event.
4. After completing the validation procedure, a validation specialist prepares an assessment and a summary report of the skills assessments performed.
5. Each doctoral student who, as a result of the validation process, confirms an increase in their competencies shall receive a certificate detailing the learning outcomes acquired.

§ 3

1. The recruitment process is conducted according to the principles of equal opportunities, transparency, openness, and competitiveness, while taking into account the specific nature of the target group and the objectives of the Project.
2. Recruitment among doctoral students shall be conducted via a registration form, available on the Project webpage, event webpage, University website, and partner university websites.
3. The registration form shall include questions concerning any required special needs for participation in the event.
4. The recruitment deadline shall be published on the Project website, event website, and the websites of the University and partner institutions no later than 3 months before the beginning of the event.
5. The Admissions Committee is responsible for the recruitment process. It consists of the following members:
   1. Prof. Artur Walasik – Dean of the Doctoral School at the University of Economics in Katowice;
   2. Magdalena Skowron – Project Manager;
   3. Hoa Thi Diem Nguyen – doctoral student of the Doctoral School at the University of Economics in Katowice.
6. To participate in the recruitment process, candidates must provide a certificate from their Doctoral School or institution confirming doctoral student status (name and surname, faculty/department, year of study, etc.) and complete the registration form.
7. Additionally, each candidate should  provide the following when completing the application form:
   1. a cover letter (max. 500–700 words) describing research interests and their relevance to the event's theme;
   2. a certificate of active involvement in BAUHAUS4EU activities from the institutional coordinator of the candidate's home university, if applicable.
8. All applications submitted on time, according to the rules described in these Rules and Regulations, are evaluated and selected by the appointed Admissions Committee based on the following criteria:
   1. possession of the doctoral student status at one of the full-fledged partner universities of the BAUHAUS4EU Alliance – mandatory criterion;
   2. assessment of a cover letter on a scale of 0-5 by each member of the Admissions Committee;
   3. active involvement in activities for the BAUHAUS4EU Alliance – additional criterion, assessed on a scale of 0-1.
9. A main list and a standby list shall be created, separately for representatives of each partner university.
10. 2 people from each partner university who have received the most points from each of the main lists shall be eligible to participate in the event.
11. If a place becomes available on the main list of participants, the next persons on the standby list shall be included on it, according to the ranking created for each university, provided that they meet all the criteria for participation in the event.
12. If representatives of any of the universities do not participate in the recruitment process, their number of applications is insufficient, or the applications do not meet the recruitment criteria, doctoral students from other partner universities shall be qualified for the event, according to the highest number of points obtained on the scale of all standby lists.
13. In the event of an identical number of points, the final decision shall be made by the Admissions Committee.
14. If the available places are not filled, additional recruitment shall be conducted.
15. Applications submitted after the deadline specified in the recruitment announcement shall be rejected.
16. Information regarding acceptance or rejection for participation in the event shall be sent via email to each person who submitted a form immediately after the recruitment process is complete.
17. Before a doctoral student, hereinafter referred to as the Project Participant, receives support, they are required to provide their personal data and submit declarations confirming that they meet the eligibility criteria for the Project.
18. The personal data of Project Participants and information confirming or determining participation in the NAWA program are collected using the following documents:
    1. Declaration/statement of the Project Participant confirming fulfillment of the conditions for participation in the Project,
    2. Declaration of the Project Participant regarding familiarity with the rules of data processing,
    3. Consent of the Project Participant to the processing of personal data and image,
    4. Project Participant personal data form.
19. Project Participant data is submitted using a dedicated electronic form in the NAWA ICT system.
20. The obligation to complete the electronic form referred to in (18) falls on the Project Participant. A link to the form shall be provided to Project Participants by an employee of the Internationalization Office.
21. The form must be completed no later than 10 days before the start of the event, i.e., by June 26, 2026.
22. Submitting documents after the deadline or submitting incomplete documents shall result in the removal of the person submitting the documents from the list of Project Participants. In this situation, the next person on the standby list shall be added to the list of Project Participants, according to the standby list.
23. During the recruitment process and throughout the Project, the University shall communicate with candidates by email, telephone, or in person.

§ 4

1. Project Participants who are not doctoral students of the Doctoral School at the University of Economics in Katowice shall receive a scholarship and financial resources to cover travel and accommodation costs.
2. The funds referred to in § 4 (1) shall be paid in the form of a lump sum, based on the rates specified by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). The rates are presented in Appendix No. 1 to these Rules and Regulations.
3. Detailed terms and conditions for financing participation in the event shall be included in the agreement signed between the Project Participant and the University, constituting Appendix No. 2 to these Rules and Regulations.
4. The condition for receiving the scholarship and other financial resources referred to in § 4 (1) is participation in the event, improvement of the competencies referred to in § 2 (1), confirmed by obtaining a certificate, and signing and performing the Agreement referred to in § 4 (4) of these Rules and Regulations.
5. The scholarship and other financial resources shall be paid in a single installment in PLN by bank transfer to the Project Participant's account according to the provisions of the Agreement referred to in §4 (4) of these Rules and Regulations.

§ 5

1. Withdrawal from participation in the Project is possible by submitting a declaration in the form of an email sent to: magdalena.skowron@uekat.pl
2. Project Participants are required to read these Rules and Regulations and comply with them during the Project.