NCU News
Upcoming events
IAS Excellence Lectures: prof. Taciano L. Milfont
The Institute of Advanced Studies invites the academic community to a series of free lectures as part of the IAS Excellence Lectures - a series of lectures delivered by internationally renowned scholars. The first session will take place on October 14.
The IAS Excellence Lectures are addressed to the entire University community, including researchers, doctoral candidates and students beyond the speakers’ immediate fields of expertise. The invited speakers present key recent advances in their fields in an accessible and inspiring way, offering opportunities to discover cutting-edge research, engage in discussion, and exchange ideas. The series fosters intellectual exchange across disciplines and contributes to a culture of research excellence at NCU. The series brings to NCU internationally renowned scholars representing the University’s Priority Research Areas.
The first lecture titled "Understanding Public Policy Through a Temporal Lens" will take place on October 14 at 5:00 p.m. at the Institute for Advanced Studies (4 Wileńska St., Room B.1.9, ground floor), and will be presented by prof. Taciano L. Milfont (University of Waikato, New Zealand). The lecture will be held in English.
Abstarct of the event: The cognitive ability to mentally travel through time allows people to project themselves backward and forward in time. Research has shown that anticipating and envisioning possible future events, and imagining ourselves experiencing those events, have important implications for health, finance, and environmental protection. While many public policies in these domains concern events that may occur decades into the future, current evidence suggests that we typically consider a much shorter temporal distance when spontaneously thinking about the future.
In this presentation, I will first provide a theoretical summary of the links between time perspective and distinct life domains, with a particular focus on environmental issues. I will then review evidence examining associations between future time perspective and environmental engagement at the individual and societal levels. Overall, I will argue that a better understanding of psychological time can improve the design and implementation of public policies.
Information on upcoming lectures and speakers will be published on the IAS website.
Library: a space for building social relationships
The Open Library is a new series of academic conferences organised by the Institute of Information and Communication Research at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The first edition will take place on October 15th.
The first edition of the conference will be held under the motto "A space for building social relationships". The main topic will be the library as a "third place" - space for encounters, dialogue, and the building of interpersonal bonds. The conference will address issues related to the transformation of library functions in the context of technological development, the digitisation of resources, and new forms of communication. Participants will wonder how modern information tools and organisational solutions influence the relationship between institutions and their users.
The conference is open and interdisciplinary – it combines academic perspectives with practical experience, creating a space for discussion about libraries as institutions of the future: accessible, socially engaged, and close to people. The conference provides a forum for the exchange of research findings, practical experiences, and best practices in library science, information science, social communication, sociology, cultural studies, and related disciplines.
Event details, including the program and registration information, are available at bibliotekaotwarta.umk.pl.
Debate: From Toruń to the Stars
The International Centre for Copernican Studies invites you to a debate entitled ‘From Toruń to the Stars’, dedicated to Nicolaus Copernicus’ path of scientific development. The event will take place on 15 October at the Collegium Novum of the Jagiellonian University and will be broadcast.
What was Nicolaus Copernicus’s journey like, from a schoolboy in Toruń to the man who changed our perception of the Universe? Who were his teachers, what did his studies bring him, and which experiences shaped the future astronomer? During the debate ‘From Toruń to the Stars’, the guests will present Copernicus not only as a brilliant astronomer, but above all as a pupil, a student and a young man who, step by step, acquired knowledge, developed his interests and discovered his own scientific path: from Toruń, via Kraków and Italian universities, right up to the revolution that stopped the Sun and set the Earth in motion.
The debate will feature Prof. Marian Chachaj, Prof. Janusz Małłek and Prof. Stanisław Sroka, and will be chaired by Prof. Krzysztof Mikulski. The event will take place on 15 October at 5.00 pm at the Collegium Novum of the Jagiellonian University (24 Gołębia Street, Room 30).
Link to the live stream
Film poster exhibition at the ctrl+plant Gallery
The Institute of Advanced Studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University and the Department of Graphic Design at Nicolaus Copernicus University invite you to an exhibition by Dr Jakub Sobczak entitled “Cut!”. The opening will take place on 15 October at 5.00 pm at the ctrl+plant Gallery in the Institute of Advanced Studies (4 Wileńska Street, Toruń).
The exhibition “Cut!” is a collection of 24 diverse original posters created as commentary on films and TV series. Selected screen adaptations served as a pretext for developing socially engaged forms and creating illustrative compositions. The works vary in style and the means of expression used, in order to accurately convey the mood of the production or issue being commented on.
Jakub Sobczak was born in 1995 in Suwałki. He graduated from the Art School in Supraśl and studied graphic design at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń, with which he has also established a professional association. He works as a lecturer in the Department of Graphic Design at Nicolaus Copernicus University. He specialises in poster art, illustrated books and icon painting, drawing inspiration from folk art and historical graphic techniques. He is the author of the illustrated publications "Polish Proverbs" and "Podlasie Legends: 4 Cultures". He has won awards in poster competitions and in the field of traditional printmaking. He has taken part in dozens of exhibitions across Poland and abroad, in the fields of graphic design, linocut and woodcut.
The exhibition will run until 1 December 2026.
TASQ Seminar Series
The Faculty of Chemistry invites all researchers, PhD students, and students to the upcoming TASQ Academic Seminar. Our guest speaker will be the distinguished theoretical chemist Professor Sir David Clary from the University of Oxford.
The event will take place on October 16, 10:00 AM at the Library of the Faculty of Chemistry. Prof. Clary will deliver a lecture titled: “One Hundred Years of the Schrödinger Equation”.
About the Speaker: Prof. Sir David Clary (FRS) is an internationally renowned theoretical chemist, Fellow of the Royal Society, and former President of Magdalen College, Oxford (2005–2020). From 2009 to 2013, he served as the first Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
His research focuses on quantum scattering theory and chemical reaction dynamics. He is also a leading authority on the history of quantum mechanics and the life of Erwin Schrödinger, having authored books such as “Schrödinger in Oxford” (World Scientific, 2022).
Gingerbread Job Fair
On October 21, the Faculty of Economics and Management will host the Gingerbread Job Fair, during which several exhibitors – including both local companies and international corporations – will present their job openings, internships, and apprenticeships.
The Gingerbread Job Fair is an event organized by the UMK Career Office. All students, graduates, and anyone interested in developing their career path are invited to visit the exhibitors’ booths.
During the fair, you’ll not only have the opportunity to speak with employer representatives but also receive career counseling, help with preparing your resume, and guidance on planning your career path.
More details.
Strengthening the University’s Social Engagement – Training
From November 16–27, Nicolaus Copernicus University (UMK) will host a training session for academic staff titled “Social and Civic Engagement in Practice: Socially Beneficial Education and Research.”
This training opportunity is open to UMK employees in teaching, research, and research-teaching positions who are interested in strengthening the social dimension of education and increasing the social impact of their research.
The program aims to develop competencies related to designing social initiatives, implementing innovative teaching methods, and conducting research that addresses contemporary social challenges.
The training programme consists of eight thematic modules:
- University-Community Engagement in the European Higher Education Area;
- Models of Collaboration with the Wider Community;
- Integrating Social Engagement into Academic Curricula;
- Supporting Student Initiatives;
- Co-Creating Knowledge: Community-Engaged Research and Citizen Science;
- Evaluating Social Impact;
- Internationalisation of Social Engagement;
- Recognition of Social Engagement and Academic Career Development.
The modules are highly interactive and workshop-based, drawing on practical case studies, collaborative work, and the exchange of experiences. Participants may register for selected modules or for the entire programme.
The training will be delivered by Prof. Bojana Ćulum Ilić from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Rijeka (Croatia) - an expert in university-community engagement, civic education, and service-learning. She has extensive experience in international projects and initiatives dedicated to advancing universities' third mission, including work within the YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) Alliance.
Language: English (minimum recommended proficiency level: B1);
Dates: 16-27 November 2026 (Monday-Friday);
Total workload: up to 40 hours (up to 4 hours per day), scheduled either between 8:00-12:00 or 14:00-18:00.
Those interested in participating are invited to complete the registration form. Applications will be accepted until the 20th of October 2026. The number of places is limited. If the number of applications exceeds the available places, a selection committee will make admission decisions based on the information provided in the application form.
Participants who complete the training programme will receive a certificate of participation.
Questions? Feel free to ask Magdalena Stremplewska or Aleksandra Śnieć from the Department of International Partnerships and Educational Mobility: civic-yufe@umk.pl, 56 611 43 48, 56 611 20 98.The programme is organised as part of the YUFE ( (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) initiative.
Visegrad Fellowship Programe Open Call
The International Visegrad Fund has opened applications for the Visegrad Fellowship Programe, aimed at researchers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.
The applicant’s country of citizenship and permanent residence must be different from the host institution's country. Fellowships are awarded for 2 to 10 weeks and support research projects, participation in research activities, teaching lectures or seminars, as well as work with materials available in public archives and libraries.
Applications should be submitted online via the My Visegrad. The application should include an identity document, a PhD diploma or confirmation of enrolment in a PhD programme, an invitation letter from the host institution and a letter of recommendation. Applications are assessed based on the applicant’s academic qualifications, experience, project justification, and the rationale for selecting the host institution.
Key information:
- Application deadline: 30 November, 12:00
- Fellowship amount: EUR 500 per week, paid in two instalments (80% and 20%)
- Further information is available on the website