Reports

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.

Kongres Kultury Akademickiej[/caption]The Congress of Academic Culture inaugurates the official celebration of the 650th Jubilee of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Owing to centuries of cultivating knowledge and truth, the oldest Polish university is particularly responsible for the highest good – the education of future generations in Poland. Thus it is here that the idea of CAC was born, along with its motto: "The Idea of University – Reactivation". The Congress' aim is to start a serious debate on the condition of the academic community in the 21st century.

In the first lines of his speech, Prof. dr hab. med. Wojciech Nowak, JU Rector, has cited the words of the University's founder, King Casimir the Great, uttered on 12 May 1364: Let it be a pearl of the inestimable sciences, so that it may bring forth men outstanding for the maturity of their counsel, pre-eminent for their virtue, and well qualified in all the branches of knowledge. Let it become a refreshing fount of learning, from whose plenitude all those wishing to imbibe the skills of scholarship may drink their fill.

"For the next three days we will ardently discuss the condition of education in Poland and the ethos of every single member of the academic community, from students to professors. We will investigate whether in the time of globalisation – indeed, sometimes even tabloidisation – of our everyday lives the academic institutions are still fulfilling their mission. We want not only to provide the best possible education for the next generations and carry out creative research, but also to instil in our youth the respect for the most important virtues," said Prof. Wojciech Nowak.

"In the face of coming changes we need to ask ourselves about our mission. How to define it anew? Today the academic world is asking itself if universities should focus on conducting innovative research, providing the corporations with qualified workers or forming a critically thinking and reflective people. These questions have no good answers. There can be no university without research and a high level of education, but also without results that are beneficial for the society and economy. We can also mention its usefulness for culture and civic society," stated Prof. Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Minister of Science and Higher Education.

"The Jagiellonian University deems it duty to attempt to reverse these fatal tendencies. We want to restore, or rather reactivate, that which is most precious in the tradition of all great universities – saving the idea of university and academic culture from the corporate culture. Such a turn is already taking place in foreign universities which are occupying the highest positions in international rankings. We do not mean to return to the Middle Ages, but to formulate an approach in which modernity will not mean abandoning tradition, and tradition will not wall itself off from modernity. Quite the contrary – tradition must be modernity's anchor and foundation," said Prof. Piotr Sztompka, originator of the CAC.

A lecture entitled The Modern University in Its Historical Contexts: Rethinking Three Transformations, delivered by Prof. dr hab. Björn Wittrock, an expert on higher education issues, provided the historical background of the Congress.

In 2014 the Jagiellonian University celebrates the 650th anniversary of its foundation. A number of academic events, including conferences, symposia, cultural events, and exhibitions will be held to ...Read More »