Inauguration on the eve of a great jubilee

On October 1st 2012 the ceremony inaugurating the new academic year was held. The Rector Marcin Pałys delivered a speech and Jan Królikowski, a professor of physics, gave a lecture on Higgs particle. Traditionally, new students were matriculated.

At quarter to two in the afternoon a procession left from the courtyard of Kazimierzowski Palace. The members of the Senate and the Rectors of other schools of higher education were accompanied by students, university professors and university friends. The number of participants was so high that the newly-renovated largest lecture theatre of the university was full of guests.

After the national anthem was performed, the Rector of UW, professor Marcin Pałys greeted a large number of scientists, the representatives of several churches, all the members of academic community and the friends of our university. The Rector warmly welcomed the veterans of AK (Home Army) from "Krybar" Group, who regularly join us on this special day of inauguration. The audience gave them a standing ovation. Before the Rector began his speech, he read the list of the members of the academic community who passed away over the last academic year. They were honoured by a minute of silence.

At the beginning of his speech professor Pałys reminded the elections held in spring and expressed his gratitude for the trust shown by electing him. He addressed special thanks to professor Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow and the Vice-Rectors of the past term for their contribution to the development of our university.

The Rector primarily focused on the challenges and plans for the upcoming years, as well as on the objectives to be reached before the great jubilee of the University of Warsaw in 2016. He referred to the current discussion on higher education on the media and the common concerns of insufficient adaptation of curricula according to the requirements of the labour market. – We are all aware of the nature of the mass media and how exaggerated and overgeneralised opinions they convey. However, we are fully aware of the areas of education that need to be improved – professor Pałys stated. He also emphasized the necessity of improving the quality of education, reducing the number of highly specialized studies and supporting interfaculty programmes, which offer students comprehensive education, help them broaden their minds and increase their intellectual independence.

– At present we do not give our students free and unlimited access to all the University potential, constraining it to the offers proposed by individual faculties – this certainly does not reflect the original idea of a university – the Rector continued. It is the Rector’s idea to make interfaculty studies a flagship of our University, where 10% of the total number of students – the most gifted ones – would be educated. Professor Pałys also outlined the need of greater independence during the process of developing curricula, and introducing management classes; he also assured of his support to all the curricula combining various disciplines. The Rector emphasized that it is the responsibility of higher education institutions to educate and form young people in such a way that they are capable of adapting to changing conditions of the labour market. It was also proposed that the traditional pattern of employing HEIs graduates in corporations or in offices should not be followed any more. – The world is moving in a different direction, university qualifications should enable our graduates to function both as employees and employers.

Another issue discussed in the speech made by professor Pałys was the necessity of internationalizing our university; he declared his support to new well designed programmes of studies conducted in English. The Rector also mentioned the changes which have occurred at the University of Warsaw over the last few years, among others, the modernization of the university infrastructure, thanks to which students have their classes either in old renovated buildings or in completely new ones. Further efforts in this direction will be made. – We will soon resume the construction of the second building to host the faculties of modern languages in Browarna Street, the premises of the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science, and the new building of the Faculty of Psychology in Ochota district. – the Rector continued.

Another topic of the speech was scientific research. The Rector mentioned that in July 2012 two consortia, whose membership is held by the University of Warsaw, were nominated the Leading Centres of Polish Science, which is a spectacular success. At the same time he expressed his regret at an unjustified decision of not admitting the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw to this group of institutions. Professor Pałys highlighted the recent rapid growth of the number of research grants, providing UW employees with a chance to conduct their research at the highest world standards. Interestingly, the funds are obtained not only by the employees representing strict sciences. According to statistics, the list of the six leading faculties which received the highest sums includes the Faculty of History and the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology. The Rector pointed out that scientific research cannot be measured in terms of its profitability: – Recently we have witnessed a great success of a young researcher from the "Artes Liberales" Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, Dr. Justyna Olko, who does very specific and rare research on the Aztec language and culture. Dr. Olko is the only scientist from Poland who received a prestigious Starting Grant, awarded by the European Research Council. – the Rector said. Similar research does not generate direct profit, however, it develops our knowledge of the world. The Rector declared his support to any researcher wishing to carry out an interesting research project meeting the highest world standards, regardless of a researcher’s degree, title or discipline represented.

The next part of the Rector’s speech was devoted to administrative workers. The necessity of improving the system of developing qualifications was highlighted, as well as the idea of preparing a list of trainings recommended to the employees of UW. – We observe a paradoxical situation; the University educates students at the same time not offering much training to its employees. – the Rector stated.

In the concluding part the Rector discussed complex relations between HEIs and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. – Let us overcome any barriers and eliminate bad habits, strive for deregulation rather than overregulation. On behalf of the University of Warsaw I declare that we will make any effort to achieve these goals. We also hope that the minister will appreciate this activity and in her talks with experts, employees and public opinion she will act as an ambassador of Polish higher education institutions rather than as a permanent critic of them – the Rector said.

After the Rector’s speech the matriculation took place. First-year students representing all the faculties offering BA, MA and PhD studies pronounced a solemn oath, they also received their student books from the Rector. Traditionally, after this ceremony the Academic Choir of UW sang Gaude Mater Polonia.

In accordance with the agenda of the ceremony, after that the speeches were made by the representative of students – Piotr Müller and of doctoral students – Nikodem Rycko. The inauguration lecture "Higgs particle, or the origin of the mass in the Universe" was given by professor Jan Królikowski.