2014 marks the 650th anniversary of the foundation of Jagiellonian University. The festivities will last throughout the entire academic year and culminate in May. Honorary doctors, heads of higher education institutions, world famous scholars and other distinguished guests will come from all over the world to participate in the celebration.

The programme of the Jubilee is diverse and extensive. Its scientific part will comprise several dozen conferences, conventions and symposia, such as the Congress of Academic Culture and Science and Innovation conference, co-organised by the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. The cultural part will consist of musical concerts in the Słowacki Theatre, an outdoor concert for students in Żaczek club and a multitude of exhibitions. The most important part of the cultural celebration will be a musical-historical spectacle, the author of which will be a person of great renown, albeit the identity of that artist remains a secret.

The culmination of the events will take place on 8–12 May. On 10 May Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz will celebrate a special mass in the Wawel Royal Cathedral. Then a university senate session, which will involve the conferment of honorary degrees, will be held in Auditorium Maximum. A plaque on the façade of Collegium Novum, commemorating King Casimir the Great, the University’s founder, will be unveiled on 12 May.

Various sport events will also take place during the celebrations, including student regatta with participants from various European countries (including the famous Oxford and Cambridge teams) and a marathon. The Juwenalia student festival and the Festival of Science will also be part of the May celebrations.

Numerous side events will accompany the Jubilee. A time capsule will be buried in the Professors’ Garden in ul. Jagiellońska. It will contain a message from the rector to his successor, a message for the citizens of Kraków, and memorabilia. The capsule may not be open for at least 50 years.

- The celebrations will be broadcast and reported on in various media, including Facebook and YouTube.

The President of the Republic of Poland is the honorary patron of the Jubilee.