UCU School of Journalism and Communication held 10th International School of Multimedia Journalism in Warsaw

In July 2025, the School of Journalism and Communication of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) held the second part of the International School of Multimedia Journalism (ISMJ) in Warsaw. The initiative, now in its tenth consecutive year, is a joint project with the Study Program Journalism & Media Management of the University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication (FHWien der WKW), supported by the Austrian Cooperation Office in Lviv. It brings together journalism students from Austria, Denmark, Georgia, and Ukraine to collaborate on multimedia projects.

Since 2015, the program has traditionally been held in two parts: a winter week in Vienna and a summer week in Lviv. However, due to Russian aggression and full-scale war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian week of the program has been hosted in Poland for the third year in a row. This time, the School was held at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Warsaw and the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH).

The program combines three key aspects of international cooperation: a practical component – story scouting, fieldwork and final presentations; an educational component – thematic lectures and workshops; and a cultural component – tours and informal gatherings. “The idea is not only to allow young journalists to co-create stories with colleagues from other countries, but also to provide them with meaningful intercultural and international experience”, says Director of the Austrian Cooperation Office in Lviv Andreas Wenninger. What began as a modest effort to connect Ukrainian and Austrian students has grown into a full-fledged international initiative that has endured both the pandemic and multiple relocations.

“We started by working only with Ukrainian and Austrian students, aiming to strengthen relations between both countries. In 2016, students from Denmark and Georgia joined, and the program began to expand. Then the pandemic hit, forcing us to go online. It was very difficult – we were not sure how to proceed. And in 2023, when we couldn’t invite students to Ukraine, we decided to consider holding the second week of the School in Poland. Now we have strong partners in Warsaw and are even considering involving Polish journalism students in the initiative. The project is growing rapidly, and we’re very glad to see that”, Mr. Wenninger explains.

Over the past ten years, ISMJ students have produced more than 80 multimedia stories, covering topics ranging from European railways and migration to information security and climate change. This year, the program focused on a different, complex and up-to-date topic – the impact of artificial intelligence on society, democracy, and culture.

Participants worked in international teams of 4-5 people under the mentorship of experienced journalists: Adela Dubaviec – editor-in-chief of Sojka.io and video producer at Agence France-Presse, Khrystyna Zanyk – a journalist at Agence France-Presse, Oleksandra Iwaniuk – writer, journalist, and assistant professor at the Artes Liberales Faculty at the University of Warsaw, and Tetiana Kolesnychenko – a journalist at Wirtualna Polska magazine. Despite the challenges, such as finding interviewees and processing complex information, students produced comprehensive multimedia stories within just five days, says coordinator from FHWien der WKW, the Austrian university partner, Raimund Drost.

Within the broader AI topic, the teams explored specific areas such as the use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy, education, and digital surveillance. They conducted field research, interviewed experts, prepared articles, recorded video and audio comments, edited the material, and finally published and presented their multimedia stories.

“The project helps participants learn how to work in an intercultural setting and how to organize collaborative teamwork. Later on, as professional journalists, they can build on this experience. I even shared the story of one former participant who still uses the contacts she made at ISMJ years ago. This is what real impact looks like – it doesn’t end when the School ends”, Mr. Drost summarizes.

In addition to practical project work, the program included an academic lecture titled “The Impact of AI on Business and Society” by Professor of the Warsaw School of Economics Mikolaj Pindelski.

The cultural component of the School was equally meaningful as a space for dialogue, memory, and a visible Ukrainian presence abroad. Participants explored Ukrainian landmarks in Warsaw during a guided tour, visited the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland, met with a representative of the Crimean Tatar community, and took part in a traditional Crimean cuisine tasting. The week concluded with a farewell dinner at a Ukrainian restaurant.

The Ukrainian coordinator of the School, project and program manager at School of Journalism and Communications UCU Anna Kolisnyk reflects about the additional responsibility of being a host away from home: “Of course, in Warsaw, we are sometimes haunted by the feeling of lost opportunities taken away by Russia: we can’t invite participants from Denmark, Georgia, and Austria to Lviv, safely accommodate them in our Collegium, feed them in our Trapezna, show them around UCU, introduce them to our teachers, and work together in the SJC studio. Yet even when temporarily relocated, the School hasn’t lost its quality – thanks to incredible partners, new venues, and people who help make ISMJ both professional and engaging. I feel even more grateful that we can continue this initiative under these circumstances and with such strong support. On the part of the UCU delegation, we tried to integrate Ukrainian elements into the Polish setting because it matters not only to us, but also to the international audience – to remind them why we’re not at home, to speak about the war, the challenges facing Ukrainian society, and the role of young journalists in defending the truth”.

Also, Anna Kolisnyk together with students of the School of Journalism and Communications UCU had the opportunity to speak about the ISMJ project on Polskie Radio, highlighting the School’s values, the experience of working in international teams, and the challenges of academic and student life during wartime.

ISMJ mentor Tetiana Kolesnychenko notes that despite all the challenges, the students approached their projects very seriously, sometimes even with a more academic than journalistic approach:

“I was curious to see how the new generation of journalists works – the one that is growing up in the age of digital technologies – and I realized that despite different contexts, generations aren’t so different after all. At the heart of it all, there’s still the human being. I was particularly impressed by the motivation of the students – it might be even greater than I had back in my student years. During the final presentations, you could clearly see that every topic and every project had a well-defined idea and real depth. These weren’t assignments completed for the sake of ticking a box, but the result of a sincere drive to learn and gain experience”, shared Tetiana.

One of the participants from the Ukrainian delegation, Tetiana Chaban, reflects that taking part in the project was the fulfillment of her long-held student dream of international experience and brought an important understanding:

“One of the biggest challenges was creating a complex multimedia project in a week with people you don’t know. We had hours, not days, to not only get to know each other but also to form an effective team. But the biggest discovery was the sincere interest of my colleagues from Europe in the Ukrainian context – not only in the war, but also in our values and culture. They helped me to see that journalism is important not only in times of shelling or information attacks, but also when it is “quiet” as an indicator of a society that cares and is ready for dialogue”.

The organizers have already begun preparations for the next, 11th edition of the International School of Multimedia Journalism. In the coming year, they plan to explore new topics relevant across Europe: the influence of artificial intelligence, the role of soft power in times of wars and conflicts, and critical questions of democracy and human rights – issues of particular significance for Ukraine as an EU candidate country. These are areas that require reflection, dialogue, and journalistic investigation, and ISMJ remains committed to involving young professionals in this process.

“The international experience of working side by side with peers from Austria, Denmark and Georgia allowed our students not only to improve their communication and professional skills, but also to broaden their perspectives and experience journalism as a universal language of understanding. We are sincerely grateful to our partners and donors for ten years of cooperation on the International School of Multimedia Journalism. Every year, the ISMJ gives six students from School of Journalism and Communications UCU the opportunity to test themselves in an international environment, deepen their understanding of media in other countries, build friendships abroad, and speak about Ukraine, our university, and the war with objectivity and clarity”, says Director of School of Journalism and Communications UCU, Fr. Andriy Shestak.

The International School of Multimedia Journalism is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), the OeAD GmbH Vienna and the Cultural Section of the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA).

Written by Anastasiia Kovtun

Photos by Anastasiia Ordynets and Diana Popfalushi