News

As part of the 650th Jubilee of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, the members of the JU Student Government along with Kraków artists and the city's urban designer created a mural – a monumental painting on the walls of the city's buildings. The work began on the night of 23–24 April.

On 8 May 2014, the official "unveiling" of the mural took place, attended by JU authorities and numerous spectators. Ms. Katarzyna Panas opened the ceremony, presenting the creators of the project and explaining its symbolism. After that Prof. dr hab. med. Wojciech Nowak, JU Rector, emphasised the unique quality of the mural. The last speaker, Mr. Dawid Kolenda, Head of the JU Student Government, thanked the artists for their work. The celebratory red ribbon was cut by the Rector, Mr. Kolenda and Ms. Paulina Lichwicka, coordinator of the project.

Large scale graphics made by the students are thematically related to the Jubilee, combining new trends with the University's history. So what does the mural on the side wall of the building of the JU Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science depict? To quote the organisers, "to the right we can see a sort of exploding barrel of knowledge, in which artefacts of knowledge are floating. It is connected by a tube to an airbrush which ‘sprays out' an academic cap. The lady on the left is modern Nawojka – the first female JU student – who is forming the cap."

Nawojka, whose name is borne by one of the Kraków streets as well as the first female dormitory of the JU, is a semi-legendary figure from the 15th century, purportedly the first Polish female student and teacher. Having been brought up in an educated family, she was able to read and write in English and Latin; however, further education was made impossible by the social customs of the day, which forbade women to study at a university. Nawojka was determined and therefore decided to deceive the university authorities by masquerading as a young man. she managed to study for a few years before she was discovered. She was tried at an ecclesiastical court, and avoided being burnt at the stake due to laudatory testimonies od professors. Later Nawojka became an abbess of a monastery.

The work on mural sometimes took more than a dozen hours daily. It is the most colourful and detailed work of art of this type in Kraków. Aside from the Jagiellonian University students, volunteers from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków also helped to create the mural.

From 7 to 9 May 2014, the meeting of the Utrecht Network is held in the Jagiellonian University Auditorium Maximum. Every year such meeting takes place in a different university belonging to the network, which groups European institutions of higher education collaborating in the field of internationalisation. On Thursday, 8 May, the general session of the Network was officially opened by the JU Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs, Prof. Andrzej Mania, and the JU Vice-Rector for Research and Structural Funds, Prof. Stanisław Kistryn. The talks of several dozen prominent representatives of European academic institutions concentrated on such strategic issues as internationalisation, mobility of university staff and students, development of new curricula, and the promotion of European universities in the World.

The general session was preceded by a number of workshops devoted to the above mentioned issues, with special focus on new the programmes: Erasmus Plus and Horizon 2020, and on collaboration between higher education institutions and the private sector.

The Utrecht Network was created in 1987, whereas the Jagiellonian University became its member ten years later. Before 1997, the JU had already participated in the joint Tempus project.

Currently, there are 32 universities from 29 European countries collaborating within the framework of the consortium. During the last 25 years, about 20,000 students took part in its exchange schemes. Besides European partnership, the Utrecht Network actively cooperates with similar consortia in Australia and the United States.

Zdjęcia: Jerzy Sawicz

7 May saw the grand opening of the exhibition A Gift of Beauty in the JU Collegium Maius. The exhibition displays selected items from the collection of the JU Museum and the JU Archive, which were donated to the Jagiellonian University by various patrons or are dedicated to the memory of its greatest donors. Besides, the exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the grand opening of JU Museum in Collegium Maius in 1964, during the University's 600th Jubilee.

The grand opening of the exhibition was led by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University, Prof. Wojciech Nowak and the Director of the Jagiellonian University Museum, Prof. Krzysztof Stopka. The persons present at the ceremony also included: JU Vice-Rectors: Prof. Maria-Jolanta Flis, Prof. Stanisław Kistryn, and Prof. Jacek Popiel, JU Bursar, Teresa Kapcia, Chairman of Małopolska Regional Assembly, Kazimierz Barczyk, Vice-President of the City of Kraków, Tadeusz Matusz, and the Consul of Slovakia to Kraków, Ivan Skorupa.

In his address the Rector stressed the role of patronage in the University's foundation and growth and paid tribute to all benefactors whose generosity contributed to the development of science and education in Poland.

The exhibition illustrates that the University would never have been able to flourish if not for the continuous support of its patrons, from the founding monarchs, clergy, nobility, bourgeoisie and professors to the modern government representatives and generous countrymen. Many of these benefactors have been JU alumni. The exhibition is also a form of expressing gratitude to all these people and acknowledging their commitment.

It should be noted that Collegium Maius was the king's donation itself, which developed and prospered thanks to the generosity of various benefactors. A number of tokens, such as plaques or portals, from currently nonexistent buildings that were once donated to the university are also kept there.

The exhibition is to be accompanied by a publication containing the information about the University's history, a list of its benefactors, as well as some essays about its buildings, collections, and items presented at the exhibition.

The event is organised under the honorary auspices of the First lady of the Republic of Poland, Mrs. Anna Komorowska.

The exhibition will be open until August 6. The admission is free.

Opening hours:
Monday, Friday, Saturday 10.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Sunday 11.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Wednesday - closed

Pictures by Anna Wojnar

On 6 May at 3.00 p.m., Prof. dr hab. med. Wojciech Nowak, JU Rector, accompanied by Vice-Rectors and numerous guests, officially inaugurated the exhibition. In his speech, he emphasised that the Jubilee is also dedicated to students, who have contributed to the history of the University since its foundation. Next speaker, Dawid Kolenda, Head of the JU Student Government, acquainted the participants with general theme of the exhibition. After the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, the guests were able to admire the exhibited photographs. The exhibition will last until the end of May.

The aim of this photography exhibition is to present student culture in the context of the University's history to the citizens of Kraków and the City's academic community as well as show the most interesting and crucial in its long span of academic activity. The organisers wish to "present student culture from the earliest Medieval iconography to contemporary photographs. The exhibition boards are also devoted to subjects such as student artistic life, sport, festivals and examination sessions." The organisers tried to acquire photographs of students which would portray their activities – both academic and general – and compare them with modern times.

Pictures shown will mostly come from the University's own collection, including the JU Archive and the JU Museum. Large format photographs will be displayed in the Planty Park close to the most important buildings and the University Campus in the University Quarter of the Old Town.

Photographs: Anna Wojnar

On 6 May 2014, the members of JU authorities: Rector Prof. Wojciech Nowak, Vice-Rectors: Prof. Andrzej Mania, Prof. Piotr Laidler, Prof. Maria-Jolanta Flis and Prof. Jacek Popiel, Chancellor Ewa Pędracka-Kwaskowska, and Bursar Teresa Kapcia met with representatives of students and doctoral students to put the selected items to the Jubilee Time Capsule of the Jagiellonian University. The special container will be buried in the Jagiellonian University Professors' Garden, to be open no earlier than after 50 years, that is in 2064. The items include the Message from the Rector and Senate of the Jagiellonian University, the JU Statute, the Jubilee Gold Medal, materials prepared by JU students and doctoral students, visions of how the University will look like on the day of the opening of the capsule, song recordings by JU Choirs, materials from Wieliczka Salt Mine, copies of Alma Mater journal (in Polish and English), and a special postcard prepared by Polish Postal Service.

24 April marked the opening of the the 13th International Conference on English and American Literature and Culture, entitled Beyond Words: Crossing Borders in English Studies. The conference will last three days. During this time, General sessions on British and American literature, general and applied linguistics, translation and cultural studies, the teaching of English as a foreign language and related topics will be accompanied by four thematic sessions: Digital Humanities, James Joyce, Language Contacts and Old and Middle English Literature.

The conference began with a performance by the Camerata Jagellonica Academic Choir. After that, Prof. Elżbieta Górska, Dean of the JU Faculty of Philology, welcomed the guests and expressed her joy at the fact that for the first time in the history, doctoral students will be able to participate in the conference as speakers. In the next address, Dr hab. Ewa Willim, Head of the JU Institute of English Studies, encouraged the participants to "cross intellectual and research borders" during this year's meeting. Finally, the academic part of the conference was inaugurated by two lectures, delivered by Prof. Wayne Franklin from the University of Connecticut and Dr Anne Rower from the Kingston University.

The vernissage of the exhibition of musical manuscripts "Beethoven and the Idea of Freedom" was held on Wednesday, April 2, in the Jagiellonian Library. The ceremony was attended by a number of eminen...Read More »

On 21 March, as a grand finale of the Congress of Academic Culture, a concert of the JU Słowianki Song and Dance Ensemble and the JU Academic Choirs was organised in the JU Auditorium Maximum. The programme included a plethora of traditional Polish songs and dances.