Background. The city’s brand has a particularly complex and multidimensional structure. Its identity is a key component, and it is the basis for building the city’s image. Increasingly, resources from cultural and creative industries form the foundation of this image. It should be mentioned that an important role in the process of building the city’s image is assigned to a creative person with the ability to recognise opportunities and threats in the future and to flexibly adapt to changes in the environment.

Research aims. The article presents the potential found in cultural resources of the city of Lodz in the process of building the city’s brand. It also shows the extent in which they are used or omitted, perhaps by the insufficient professional experience of cultural managers. The article also describes the profile of the manager of cultural institutions. 

Methodology. Interviews with managers and employees of cultural institutions in Lodz constitute an empirical basis of the research. The data analysis was carried out following the principles of the grounded theory methodology. 

Key findings. Lodz has a sufficient spectrum of cultural resources which have an impact on building the city’s brand. The main ones are those that are included in the urban space and those that are created by cultural institutions in the proposed “cultural offer”. Lodz should not lose its flagship events, as they contribute the most to attracting people into the city and its brand. Lodz represents a post-industrial character, new openness, and creativity in action. It also has neglected areas, such as the weakened film industry, the neglected history of the textile industry, underfunded cultural institutions, or limited relations with local governments. The managers in question perceive the city’s resources as a potential, although this does not mean that they can use them effectively in the city’s brand building process. Their professional development probably allows them to see opportunities and threats of the environment and helps in making decisions. However, this subject needs more in-depth research.

Background. This article discusses the issue of institutional and quantitative changes in the higher education (HE) in Poland after 1990. It is actual and important issue, widely discussed in public space as well as in literature of the subject.

Research aims. The aim of the article is to consider the changes of the model of a higher education institutions (HEIs) have undergone and attempt of evaluation whether this model has evolving towards the university of the third generation. Characteristic features of this model include diversification of finance sources and growing relations of a HEI with its environment, both in educational and research terms. That is why the Author consider these two areas of HEIs’ activity.

Methodology. To reach research aims, an analysis of legal sources, the literature of the subject and desk top research have been carried out, the latter drawing on the data of Statistics Poland, among other sources.

Key findings. The analysis shows the period in question has seen the model of a HEI evolving towards the university of the third generation. 

JEL Codes: J21, D22

Background. Using the second University as benchmark, this paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the curriculums in Guidance and Counselling of the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) and that of the University of Applied Labour Studies, Mannheim in Germany.

Research aims. The ultimate aim is to determine the adequacy or otherwise of the undergraduate syllabuses in career counselling in Nigerian Universities.

Methodology. Methodology includes visits to both Universities to collect relevant data. Interview was conducted with a selection of staff and students of the University of Ibadan while field investigations were carried out in a selection of secondary schools in South Western Nigeria.

Key findings. Analysis reveals that the programme of study in the selected Nigerian University is somewhat inadequate, and this is found to be affecting the practice of career counselling in secondary schools. A revision of the programme in Ibadan University is recommended, and also an improvement in the quality of scientific research by specialist academics in the area.

JEL Codes: 015, J24

Background. The challenge of building a strong territorial brand is an area of growing interest among practitioners and academics alike. Culture, which is an important element of local identity, is increasingly used as a basis for building a territorial brand. Its important creators are local cultural institutions, such as theatres, museums, or galleries. In Poland, public cultural institutions have a high degree of autonomy towards local authorities / local administration and their effective inclusion in the processes of building a territorial brand requires adopting an adequate approach.

Research aims. The aim of the paper is the identification of ways in which cultural institutions can cooperate with local administration to build a brand of a city. On account of the varying roles of individual types of cultural institutions in the process of communicating the city brand, our deliberations have been limited to theatres.

Methodology. To implement this goal the authors used the case study method. The analysis considered two cities: Bialystok and Lodz. The selection of these cities was connected with the clearly accented role of culture in the development strategies of these two urban centres. The case study made use of individual in-depth interviews with theatre managers as well as with heads of municipal office departments responsible for promotion within the two cities covered by the analysis.

Key findings. In the paper, the authors: determine the types of shared projects implemented by theatres and local administration contributing to the development of a city brand, diagnose the benefits resulting from this type of cooperation for both parties, as well as formulate conditions for the success of this type of cooperation. 

JEL Codes: R58, H83, M3