Jubilee inauguration of the academic year

Many distinguished guests, including representatives of national, church and local authorities, institutions cooperating with the university and other representatives from the scientific world both in Poland and abroad, attended the ceremony.

‘It has been 60 years since the ceremonial Gaudeamus inaugurated the first academic year of our Alma Mater, which these days is recognized as the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław. We have come a long way from our difficult pioneering beginnings, when a group of professors came to this old city, mostly from Lviv, and went to great lengths to rebuild the academic and scientific life in Wroclaw. Today’s ceremony also has a unique character because we celebrate round anniversaries, the 155^th and 130^th of the founding our university’s predecessors and direct heirs; the Agricultural Academy in Dublany and the Academy of Veterinary Medicine in Lviv. 2011 marks the 130^th anniversary of agricultural sciences in Wrocław as well – said Professor Roma Kołacz. He then reflected on the achievements of the university over the past sixty years and outlined its developmental perspectives for the future. The Rector also read a letter written by the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski – who is an honorary patron of the Jubilee.

Professor Józefa Chrzanowska Vice-Rector for Students Affairs and Education conducted a ceremonial matriculation of the first year students and also awarded the best graduates with diplomas. – Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs– said Professor Józefa Chrzanowska quoting Albert Einstein. It was the first time that a “Diploma of the Year” was awarded, which was founded by the marshal of the Lower Silesia Province. It was awarded to Paweł Krupa, graduate of Biotechnology on the Faculty of Food Science. He wrote his MA thesis under the supervision of Doctor Liliana Kiczak.

The University of Environmental Life and Sciences in Wrocław has again awarded a Sapere auso statuette to outstanding alumni, Professor Janusz Pawęska who is a graduate of Wrocław Veterinary and director of an Institute of Tropical Diseases in the Republic of South Africa. He’s also an expert at the World Organization for Animal Health at referential laboratories, a delegate of the Animal Production and Health of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a delegate of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and a delegate of WHO to African countries. A Sapere aude statuette was also awarded to a fourth year student of Agriculture Elżbieta Pytlarz from the Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology. The profiles of the awarded people were presented by Professor Alina Wieliczko, a Vice-Rector for International Relations and Regional Cooperation.

The text of the oath from the doctoral students was received by Professor Józef Sztachta – a Vice-Rector for Research. Professor Andrzej Drabiński – a Vice-Rector for Development and Informatization awarded state decorations and a medal “For services for the University of Environmental Life and Sciences in Wrocław” to the former Rector Professor Michał Mazurkiewicz and Lviv State Agricultural University in Dublany and Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology in the Ukraine.

A speech inaugurating the academic year by the president of the student government preceded the speeches of guests. This speech was given to express recognition, give souvenirs as well as to award occasional medals. Among others attending were Andrzej Butry – Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rafał Dutkiewicz – the president of Wrocław, Professor Janusz Żmija – Vice-President of the Conference of Rectores of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP), Professor Wolodymir Snitynski – Rector of Lviv State Agricultural University in Dublany, Professor Olga Ondraszkowiczowa – Vice-Rector of the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice and Professor Bogusław Fiedor – the President of the Rectors’ College and Rector of Wrocław University of Economics.

The Rector of Lviv State Agricultural University in Dublany awarded Rector Professor Roman Kołacz and former Rector Professor Tadeusz Szulc with commemorative medals and a photography of the university in Dublany.

A momentous point of the ceremony was an inaugurating lecture about developing civic culture “Values in public life” delivered by Tadeusz Mazowiecki – the first prime minister of the third Republic of Poland, former Member of Parliament, and a presidential advisor for state and international policy.

Vice-Rector Andrzej Drabiński informed those attending about several dozen congratulatory letters that were addressed to the Rectors. Included among them were letters from the minister of Science and Higher Education and the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences.