The university shapes the future
05 października 2022
“With the community of 70,000 members, the University of Warsaw is an elite institution. The quality of research and teaching remains the major goal of the university. Our students are the elite of the Polish youth, while many UW researches might be future Nobel Prize laureates,” Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, the UW Rector, commenced the official inauguration of the 2022/2023 academic year at the University of Warsaw. The event was held on 3rd October, in the building of Auditorium Maximum on the university historical campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście.
Quod felix, faustum fortunatum que sit! (May it be good, fortunate and prosperous!). The Latin sentence starts another academic year. The inauguration began with a ceremonial commencement procession of members of the Senate and the authorities of the University of Warsaw who were marching from the Kazimierzowski Palace towards the building of Auditorium Maximum on the main campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście. The official opening of the 2022/2023 academic year was held in the Adam Mickiewicz Hall located on the historical campus of the University of Warsaw.
The official opening of the new academic year was preceded by singing of the National Anthem of Poland and the Anthem of Europe. The representatives of the “Krybar” combat group of the Warsaw Uprising as well as the other gathered eminent guests were greeted by Professor Alojzy Z. Nowak, the UW Rector. In his opening speech the Rector emphasised hitherto achievements of the University of Warsaw as well as challenges it needs to face.
The new year and new challenges
In the first part of his speech, the UW Rector addressed new students, “You represent the elite of the Polish youth. We are very proud of you as you become part of the academic community of 70 thousand members. The university is currently carrying out about 1,400 research programmes that are worthy of PLN 350-370 million altogether. The university is the site of knowledge and scientific development, also internationally,” the Rector said. Further he pointed to the activities that are undertaken to strengthen the UW position in the international rankings.
The UW Rector indicated that the University of Warsaw is an internationalised unit with approximately 1,000 contracts with institutions from abroad, the 4EU+ Alliance and 4,000 student mobility exchanges. “We hope each one of our students would have part of their studies performed abroad,” the Rector said.
Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak mentioned how important the cooperation of the university and business is and emphasised the fact that the University of Warsaw would never be an institution that educates its students by the needs of the market. “We intend to shape the market. We want to train employers with the emphasis on the mutual respect and the freedom of speech. And we are giving you an ability to have diverse ideas and views, an opportunity to develop and discuss using arguments, ask difficult questions and seek answers to these questions. The striving for the truth is our goal.”
The Rector referred to the investments, saying “We have several investments under the multiannual development plan ‘Uniwersytet Warszawski 2016-2027’. We have opened a building for the faculties of modern languages and applied linguistics at 55 Dobra street.” Prof. Nowak pointed to the necessity of pro-ecological actions under the “Intelligent Green University” programme.
Further he mentioned how meaningful the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme is, as well as the newly-formed Faculty of Medicine being a pillar of the univeristy.
“The Faculty of Medicine is coming back to the UW having been absent here for decades. We have enormous research potential of biologists, physicists and chemists, ethics specialists, etc. who have been doing their medicine-related research work for years. The new faculty will strengthen the university and support the whole community,” the UW Rector commented on the newly-formed Faculty of Medicine.
Prof. Nowak also mentioned the help from the UW community to the Ukrainians.
“The UW provided the 250-million złotych package of help to Ukraine, which is the largest humanitarian help package from a single institution in Poland. We have offered additional places to study as well as students’ halls for the Ukrainians. We have launched medical and psychological assistance. We teach the Polish language to the Ukrainians,” the Rector said.
The ceremonial matriculation
At the matriculation ceremony, the students and doctoral candidates, who obtained the highest admission scores, took an academic oath and received traditional student books. This was followed by speeches from representatives of students and doctoral candidates: Kamil Bonas, the President of the Students’ Union, and Przemysław Mroczkowski, the President of the PhD Students’ Union.
“I can tell you with a lot of satisfaction that our Alma Mater has been transformed over the year. It is the fruit of the hard work and responsible attitude of many people, employees, administrative staff, lecturers, PhD candidates, people who study and the authorities of the University of Warsaw of both these and previous term. Our university has become better prepared to support people who are faced with metal health issues. The brand of the UW, among other things through the membership within the 4EU+ Alliance, is growing in its recognition outside Poland. We have evolved into a socially responsible organisation, including social campaigns of ecology and equality. We want to support others. All of us are equal and equally important,” Kamil Bonas said.
“The gowns we are dressed in today were worn by our predecessors decades ago, and the meeting shows us that we are the part of a huge rally of generations, and our duty and task is just to carry on. Each community needs a moment to come together and remind that we are the community indeed. We are mutually responsible for each other, look left and right and learn the name of who is sitting next to you, the person you are responsible for,” Przemysław Mroczkowski said. “When we met here last year, the pandemic was still holding us and that year was also marked by the brutal and unjustified Russian invasion on Ukraine. Let me thank our brothers and sisters from Ukraine. Your dedication is memorable and should never be forgotten.”
The prescription for success
The opening lecture “Towards the career in the USA. The prescription for success.” was delivered by Professor Maria Siemionow of the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), an expert in orthopaedics and director of the microsurgery education in UIC.
Prof. Siemionow is a world-renowned scientist and an expert on vascularised composite allografts, hand surgery, peripheral nerve surgery and microsurgery. She was talking about her professional pathway that started in Poznań, Helsinki, and finally reached the United States. She was describing the places and the people she encountered on her way, as well as the laboratories she set up.
“It is important to be aware where you go, and also to remember where you are from and remember your teachers,” Prof. Siemionow said to young students. “You are challenged to remember your roots and your goals.”
Prof. Maria Siemionow was talking about her scientific passions, about the introvital microscope models to observe microcirculation, cell therapy in peripheral nerves rehabilitation, experimental models of vascularised facial allografts, and facial and scalp transplantations in the rat, then in the human. “You can have many passions and interests. Yet, each of them may lead to very interesting and important achievements, research papers and doctoral dissertations,” the surgeon said. “Sometimes your achievements have a number of challenges you have to tackle, and, finally, learn what they were for, or if they can be useful in teaching young doctors-to-be.”
Źródło: www.en.uw.edu.pl
Welcome Month for newcomers at the UW
28 września 2022
Each year the Welcome Point at the University of Warsaw offers a series of events to help new international students and doctoral candidates to familiarise with the academic environment of the UW.
The Welcome Month is a yearly initiative of the Welcome Point of the University of Warsaw. Students and doctoral candidates from abroad can get familiarised with new academic and social surroundings of the university. Newly-admitted students can take part in meetings with their peers, chat about student’s rights and obligations, go around the university campus with a guide, participate in a library training, Polish culture workshops and many more.
Welcome Day
The Welcome Day traditionally starts a series of events for new international degree-seeking UW students. During that day meetings that are held in either Polish, or English, create an opportunity to learn about the structure and functions of academic units, basic rules and principles of the university, as well as obtain more other useful information. Representatives of the administration offices are available to talk about procedures and regulations. Further, representatives of the Students’ Union of the UW are eager to present student’s rights and obligations as well as give a lot of practical information and useful tips on student’s life at the campus.
The meeting with the Students’ Union is held on 29th September at 13:00 on the main campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście. For those who are not able to take part in a stationary event, the Welcome Point is organising an additional online meeting in the first week of October.
More details can be found on the Welcome Point’s website >>
Campus orientation in Poland
In cooperation with the University of Warsaw Museum, the Welcome Point offers guided walks around the university campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście. The initiative is called the “Campus Orientation” and is provided for Polish and non-Polish speaking students and doctoral candidates. The tour guide shows the most important buildings that are situated within the main campus area, such as Kazimierzowski Palace as the university’s oldest building and the seat of the UW authorities, Tyszkiewicz-Potocki Palace as an aristocratic residence for the last Polish king’s niece, etc.
The guided walks need prior registration from their participants:
- in English, 29th September at 14:30 – a registration form >>
- in Polish, 4th October at 13:00 – a registration form >>
The tours’ starting point is at the Main Gate of the University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28.
More details are available on the WP website >>
Onboarding at the UW
The Welcome Point also invites all the international students and doctoral candidates to the “Onboarding at the University of Warsaw” workshops. The activities provide a smooth assimilation to the academic environment in Poland, its norms and customs, and communication models in multicultural surroundings. The participants will also have a chance to discuss and exchange their ideas and experiences in particular situations related to studying at the University of Warsaw.
The workshops are held on:
- 5th October at 15:30 for MA and BA students, and doctoral candidates – a registration form >>
- 10th October at 15:30 – this meeting, under the ZIP programme, is dedicated specifically to: 2nd and 3rd year BA (undergraduate) students, 4th and 5th year long-cycle students, and MA (post-graduate) students – a registration form >>
More information is provided on the WP website >>
Library training
The library training in one of the must-have list items to check off. This year the international students can take part in the training on two different dates. Each meeting is held in the building of the University of Warsaw Library at Dobra 55/66. The participants will learn about the UW libraries’ online collections as well as they will be shown library procedures such as signing up, searching and using the BUW’s traditional and electronic catalogues.
The trainings are organised on 13th October at 11:00 and 18th October at 15:00.
To join the workshop, prior registration is required.
Details are provided on the WP website >>
Cultural orientation workshops
The cultural orientation workshops help newcomers to overcome their apparent communication and culture shock experience. New international students and doctoral candidates are presented with tools to facilitate their assimilation to the Polish culture and the multicultural environment at the UW. Further, they are shown Poland and the city of Warsaw to help them understand and deal with any situations and problems they might encounter.
The workshops are organised on:
- 12th October at 15:30 for MA and BA students and doctoral candidates – a registration form >>
- 19th October at 15:30 – this meeting, under the ZIP programme, is dedicated specifically to: 2nd and 3rd year BA (undergraduate) students, 4th and 5th year long-cycle students, and MA (post-graduate) students – a registration form >>
More information is provided on the WP website >>
Welcome Point
The Welcome Point (WP) was officially opened in September 2017. The unit is a central information service point for international students, doctoral candidates and employees. It is located in three sites within the University of Warsaw: the main campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście, the Ochota campus – the CeNT building, and the Faculty of Economic Sciences.
At the beginning of each academic year, the Welcome Point opens its temporary branch, called “pavilion”, on the small courtyard of the main campus. The WP team together with students provide various kinds of information on university-related issues, e.g. formal procedures, course registrations, as well as those regarding the university library (BUW), an electronic student card, student organisations, language classes, cultural and sports activities, etc.
Source: www.en.uw.edu.pl
The opening ceremony of the 2022/2023 academic year
26 września 2022
The official inauguration of the 2022/2023 academic year at the University of Warsaw is held on 3rd October at 14:00, Auditorium Maximum, on the university historical campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście. The opening lecture will be delivered by a world-renowned surgeon, Professor Maria Siemionow of the University of Illinois, Chicago. The event can be followed online.
The official opening of the new academic year will be preceded by singing of the national anthem. An inauguration speech will be given by Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw. At the matriculation ceremony, the students and doctoral candidates, who obtained the highest admission scores, will take an academic oath and will receive traditional student books. This will be followed by speeches from representatives of students and doctoral candidates.
The opening lecture will be delivered by Maria Siemionow, Professor of Orthopaedics and Director of Microsurgery Research, the University of Illinois, Chicago. She is a world-renowned scientist and an expert on vascularised composite allografts, hand surgery, peripheral nerve surgery and microsurgery. In 2008, Siemionow performed the first near-total facial transplant in the United States. She is investigating the effect of cell-based therapies on the immune system’s natural response to foreign tissues and donor organs.
Siemionow is a President of the American Society for Reconstructive Transplantation, and a past President of the International Hand and Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Society and the American Society for Peripheral Nerve.
She is an author of over 400 scientific publications, edited three plastic surgery textbooks, two popular science books and over 140 book chapters. Siemionow has been decorated with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for her contribution to the development of miscrosurgery and transplantation medicine. She has received the Special Achievement Award of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Casimir Funk National Science Award, the Heritage Award by the Polish American Congress, and the Golden Otis Award.
She served as Director of Plastic Surgery Research and Head of Microsurgical Training for Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Plastic Surgery. In 2005, she was appointed Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Currently, she holds the position of Professor and Director of Microsurgery Research, the College of Medicine of the University of Illinois.
The opening ceremony can be attended only by the invited persons whose participation in the event has been duly confirmed.
The event can be followed online via the UW website.
Inauguracja roku akademickiego 2022/2023
The live recording will also have subtitles in Polish, simultaneous interpreting in English, and Polish sign language interpreting.
Livestream in English >>
Livestream with Polish sign language interpretation and Polish subtitles >>
Source: www.en.uw.edu.pl
Welcome Point’s Pavilion opens again
21 września 2022
The information point for international students, doctoral candidates and employees is open again. The Welcome Point’s Pavilion is located on the Small Court of the Main Campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście, and will remain open till the mid-October.
The Welcome Point (WP) is an information centre that provides practical instruction, advice and assistance to international students and employees of the University of Warsaw. The WP office is available all year round, both on the Main Campus at Krakowskie Przedmieście and on the Ochota Campus. Also, each new academic year the WP launches an extra branch, named a pavilion, to reach the largest possible number of newcomers from abroad. This year the pavilion is open between 19th September and 14th October, 9:00 – 16:30.
The WP pavilion can be visited any convenient time as it functions as a drop-in point. Traditionally, the Welcome Point staff is supported by Polish and international students of the University of Warsaw.
“The Welcome Point began its functioning in 2017 and this year we are celebrating the WP Hi5. Until now we have three offices: a regular point on the Main Campus, in the Ochota district there is another point that was opened in October 2020 in the Centre of New Technologies’ building, and our next branch at the Faculty of Economic Sciences that started in September 2021. The glass, tent-like structure of the pavilion has been made available to students and employees from abroad sixth time so far,” Katarzyna Basisty, the Welcome Point coordinator, said.
The Welcome Point cooperates with a number of the UW academic units, such as the Admissions Office, the International Relations Office, and the Office for Academic and Student Affairs. Its visitors are provided with practical information on legalisation of residence, health care, accommodation, as well as on many other student-related matters, including course registration, a university e-mail account, an electronic student ID card, a Polish language course, etc.
Source: www.en.uw.edu.pl
An announcement for student position
Position of student in the SONATA 17 project entitled „Ni-Mn-Co system with gradient concentration design as cathode material for energy storage” financed by National Science Centre is open for application. Number of job offers: 2. Project leader: dr inż. Dominika Buchberger. Deadline for applications: 21 October 2022. For more info see >> pdf
4EU+ conference at the UW
20 września 2022
The conference that summarises the participation of the University of Warsaw and other Polish universities in European alliances under the EU Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 programmes is held on 10th October. Registration for the event is open until 20th September.
In June 2019, the University of Warsaw received the Erasmus+ funding in the European Commission’s first pilot competition “European Universities”. The funds were granted to 17 consortia, which comprised five Polish universities.
“Over three years of the 4EU+ Alliance project a number of actions have been taken to increase mobility, including the so-called virtual mobility, create joint learning pathways and develop soft skills in students, academic teachers and administrative staff of the University of Warsaw,” Prof. Sambor Grucza, the UW Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Human Resources, said.
Cooperation in building a long-term strategy in the field of research and innovation will be further developed by the 4EU+ Alliance under the project: Transforming ReseArch & INnovation agendas and support in 4EU+ in the Horizon 2020 programme. Educational cooperation between 4EU+ partner universities will be continued in the following years within the project: One Comprehensive European Research University (1CORE), which is co-funded by the European Union Erasmus+ programme. Joint activities will be implemented by seven partner universities of the 4EU+: the University of Warsaw, Heidelberg University, Charles University in Prague, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Milan, Sorbonne University, and the University of Geneva as a new member of the alliance.
Sharing experience
The conference at the UW creates an opportunity to present and discuss educational and research activities. The meeting also allows for an in-depth look into other joint initiatives aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the 4EU+ partners and exchanging good practice among Polish members of the European Universities.
The event will be attended by delegates from other alliances of the European Universities, representatives of the scientific community in Poland, including the Ministry of Education and Science, the Foundation for the Development of the Education System, acting as the National Agency of the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps, and the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).
The conference is held on 10th October, from 10:00 to 15:00, in the auditorium of the former University Library building (Old BUW), the Krakowskie Przedmieście campus.
The meetings are conducted in Polish. Non-Polish-speaking participants are offered simultaneous translation.
The registration for the event is required via the online form >>
The form is available until 20th September. It can be closed earlier if the limit of participants is reached before that date.
The agenda for the meeting can be downloaded from the UW Office of International Research and Liaison website >>
Any enquiries about the conference should be directed to 4euplus(at)uw.edu.pl.
Source: www.en.uw.edu.pl
An announcement for student position
09 września 2022Project Manager – prof. Karol Grela (Head of Organometallic Synthesis Laboratory, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw) is looking for a candidate to work in a scientific project: „Unorthodox concepts in olefin metathesis”, programme Maestro supported by National Science Centre position: Student (1). Deadline for applications: 30 September 2022. For more info see >> pdf
An announcement for adjunct position
07 września 2022Position of adjunct (a group of science positions) in the Opus project entitled „Optical emission insight into processes occurring in the ion-selective sensors operating under electrochemical trigger – towards ion-selective spectrofluoroelectrochemistry” financed by NCN is open for application. Project leader: prof. dr hab. Agata Michalska. Deadline for applications: 7 October 2022. For more info see >> pdf
An announcement for technician position
02 września 2022Project Manager – prof. Karol Grela (Head of Organometallic Synthesis Laboratory, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw) is looking for candidates to work in a scientific project: „Making the Impossible Possible: „Macrocyclisation of Unbiased Dienes at High Concentration by Ring-Closing Metathesis” programme Opus supported by National Science Centre position: Technician (1). Deadline for applications: 11 September 2022. For more info see >> pdf
An announcement for student position
Project Manager – dr hab. Anna Kajetanowicz (Organometallic Synthesis Laboratory, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw) is looking for candidates to work in a scientific project: „Thermally and Chemically More Stable Stereoselective and Stereoretentive Catalysts for Olefin Metathesis Reactions” programme Sonata BIS supported by National Science Centre position: Student (1). Deadline for applications: 30 September 2022. For more info see >> pdf