New year, new challenges. ‘Gdańsk is the leading academic center in Poland’ | Gdańsk University of Technology

Due to the epidemic situation the central ceremony inaugurating the new academic year was held this year in a hybrid manner. The list of direct participants of the Open Session of the Senate was limited, while all those interested could take part in the ceremony thanks to the online broadcast.

During the inaugural speech, Professor Krzysztof Wilde, rector of Gdańsk University of Technology, discussed the greatest achievements of the university in the past year in the context of obtaining the status of a research university, he talked about the planned investments and challenges that the University of Technology is facing in the near future.

- Our goal is clear: Gdańsk and Pomerania are to be the leading region and academic center in Poland, recognizable both in Europe and in the world. One that will attract better and better high school graduates and scientists to Gdańsk, and educate well-prepared staff that will help in the development of local business and industry - emphasized the Rector - Work for the socio-economic environment is a priority for our university, so we will move towards even better adjustment of our activities to the market requirements, both in terms of teaching and education, as well as research projects and commercialization of research of our scientists.

At the end of the speech, the Rector spoke about the organization of education and the functioning of the university during the pandemic:

- The education process this year will certainly differ significantly from that known to us from previous years, but I would like to reassure you that, as a university, we will make every effort to ensure comfortable and safe conditions for work and study.

Awarding decorations for merits

In the next part of the ceremony, state decorations were presented.

The Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for achievements in scientific work and organizational activity for the development of technical education was awarded to Professor Henryk Krawczyk, rector of Gdańsk University of Technology in 2008-2016.

PhD, Eng. Tadeusz Jerzy Szymański, for outstanding achievements in research and teaching, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. The act of decoration was performed by Michał Bąkowski, the deputy voivode of Pomerania.

The gold medal for services to Gdańsk University of Technology was awarded to Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

- Thank you very much for this distinction - said the Marshal. - It motivates me to co-direct the vision that was presented in the inaugural speech of Professor Krzysztof Wilde, which assumes that the Pomeranian Voivodeship will become the leader in science and research.

Personality of the year 2020

The title of ‘Personality of the Year of Gdańsk University of Technology 2020’ was awarded for the first time. It went to Professor Andrzej Czyżewski, head of the Department of Multimedia Systems, FETI. The distinction was awarded ‘in recognition of special merits for the University in the field of development, promotion of science and technology, for outstanding and unquestionable scientific achievements in the field of multimedia technologies combined with documented activity in the field of commercialization of this scientific achievement, bringing tangible and significant effects in the field of economy, as well as didactic activity serving society’.

- I treat this award as a big obligation - said Professor Andrzej Czyżewski receiving the award. - I always try to foster the development of engineering art and encourage cooperation. I would like to continue to help students who come to us with engineering passion find an answer to this passion at the University of Technology, and to help Pomeranian entrepreneurs find technologies to implement.

After the awards were handed over, the words addressed to the academic community were presented in short film recordings  prepared by Wojciech Murdzek, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, and Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, the Mayor of the City of Gdańsk.

Award for the best student

Another point of the ceremony was the presentation of the deans' inaugural speeches, followed by the matriculation of students. The best newly admitted representatives of all nine faculties took the oath. The award for the best student of Gdańsk University of Technology was also presented to Eng. Bartłomiej Borzyszkowski from the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics.

At the end, there was a lecture entitled ‘How COVID-19 affects scientific research’, delivered by Professor Grzegorz Węgrzyn from the University of Gdańsk, chairman of the Council of Scientific Excellence and corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Professor explained both the genesis of the nomenclature of the virus and its path from animal carriers to the pandemic among humans. He also outlined how fast and intensively scientists around the world are working on researching the virus.

- Every day there are about 170 publications a day on Covid 19 - said Professor Grzegorz Węgrzyn. - This speed, however, may lead to loosening of standards and too fast introduction of a potential drug to the market. We must be very careful in researching and introducing drugs for this virus, despite the enormous pressure.

The Academic Choir of Gdańsk University of Technology took care of the musical side of the ceremony.