Conditions and experiences of a university social responsibility in the local environment of Poland

Abstract

The article discusses the issues of social function and responsibility of
a higher education institution in its direct local surroundings. Universities
operating in medium size and small towns are the point of reference so they
are mainly non-public universities and state-owned higher vocational schools.
The choice is justified by the fact that apart from their educational activity,
they create local elites and remain culture-creating centres. Their educational
offer is determined by the local community needs, which means that the paths
of training and their level express the scope of a higher education institution’s
responsibility for the development of human capital, the region, competitiveness
and attractiveness of the local labour market.