Campus life [2024-10-07]

The new academic year has begun!

— Redakcja

– The beginning of the term will be a time for the implementation of the development programme, the strategic goal of which is to build a strong scientific centre of international importance, creating the best conditions for working and studying,' said Prof Andrzej Tretyn, NCU Rector, during the ceremonial inauguration of the 2024/2025 academic year.

The inauguration of the academic year was traditionally held in the University Main Auditorium Aula. Earlier, at the Old Town Square in Toruń, members of the NCU Senate laid flowers at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus, the University's patron.

In connection with the commencement of the term of office of the University authorities, the events in the Aula opened with the handing over of the rector's insignia from the outgoing Rector Prof. Andrzej Sokala to the new Rector Prof. Andrzej Tretyn.

In his opening remarks, the Rector highlighted the most important points of the new authorities' programme.

We have based our development programme on three principles - openness, autonomy and academic self-governance, which we will apply in every area of our University's activities and at every level,' said Professor Andrzej Tretyn. - The strength of the University's development should consist not only in proven solutions, generally applicable procedures and accepted patterns, but also in what differs from them - individuality, treated not as a negation of the academic community and its harmonious development, but as openness to innovative activities and inclusiveness of people with different needs and career paths.

The Rector also referred to the year of three anniversaries into which the University is entering with the new academic year. We will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz and the 20th anniversary of its merger with NCU and the establishment of the Collegium Medicum, as well as the 80th anniversary of the University itself.

As with every jubilee, it will be an opportunity for us to recall the history of our University, but also the position it occupies in Polish and European science,' announced the rector. - The series of events, exhibitions and publications we are planning in the coming months is intended to show the Nicolaus Copernicus University as a community proud of its traditions and drawing from them inspiration for its continuous development. On the occasion of successive anniversaries, we invariably emphasise that age, even such august age, is only a measure of time, the course of which is beyond our control. However, thanks to the next generations of our community, their talent, work and commitment, we will be able to celebrate not only the flow of time, but also the successes and achievements that have given us the position of one of the best universities in Poland.

An important highlight of the inauguration ceremony was immatriculation, the symbolic inclusion of first-year students into the academic community. Also students starting their education at the University High School joined our community.

The start of the academic year was also an opportunity to present the titles of 'Best Graduate', 'Best Student' and 'Best Student-Athlete', as well as 'Best University Secondary School Student'.

The best graduate in the past academic year was Mateusz Kowalski, who completed his full-time, second-cycle studies in spatial management and geo-management with a grade point average of 4.93. 

Qiwen Liang, a second-year first-year student of Polish as a foreign language who not only achieves outstanding academic results (grade point average of 4.93), but is also exceptionally active in research, art and organisation, including internationally, was named by the NCU Senate as the best student of the past year.

The title of NCU's Best Student-Athlete in the 2023/2024 academic year was awarded to Mirosław Ziętarski, a bronze medallist at the Olympic Games in Paris. The laureate is a student of national security at the Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, a participant in the Dual Career Programme and an athlete of the AZS NCU Toruń.

The title of 'Best Student of the University Secondary School' went to Martyna Kąkolewska, a student of class IV with an extended programme in the humanities, who in the past school year achieved an average grade of 6.00 and was a finalist in the 54th Polish Literature and Language Contest.

The NCU Senate also decided to award a distinction for making the University internationally famous. This was awarded to a team of third-year medical analytics students: Wiktoria Kalbarczyk, Aleksandra Kopa, Karolina Korczak, Martyna Łysikowska and Malwina Kotula, who during their internship in Turkey, carried out as part of the Erasmus+ programme, undertook numerous activities to promote the University.

The ceremony also included the presentation of a trophy to the winners of the Inter-Faculty Olympiad - Copernicada. The trophy, for the eighth time in a row, went to the representation of the Faculty of Law and Administration.

During the inauguration on 1 October, Professor Andrzej Tretyn the Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, and Paweł Gulewski, the Mayor of Toruń, signed an agreement on scientific and educational cooperation between the Nicolaus Copernicus University and the Municipality of Toruń. The agreement provides, among other things, for the planning and carrying out of joint research and artistic projects, the provision of expert opinions and analyses by scientists for the benefit of the city, mutual promotion and joint organisation of cultural events, seminars, etc.

The keynote lecture 'Vascular surgeon – plumber of the human body and traffic policeman' was given by Prof dr habil. Arkadiusz Jawień, Head of the Department of Vascular Surgery and Angiology at the Faculty of Medicine, NCU Collegium Medicum.

On that day, following the celebrations in the Aula, an exhibition of works by lecturers from the NCU's Faculty of Fine Arts entitled 'Words' was also opened, which can be viewed in the University Library.