54. INAUGURATION OF NEW ACADEMIC YEAR

The academic community of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa inaugurated the new 2024/2025 academic year in a solemn and dignified manner (October 2, 2024, in the auditorium Maximum at Waszyngtona 4/8 in Częstochowa). The 54th inauguration gathered many guests and friends not only from Częstochowa, but also from the whole region, the country and abroad! Among them was the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, dr hab. Maciej Gdula.

- “We want young people, regardless of where they live, to have easy access to higher education. So that economic considerations do not stand in the way of anyone's access to knowledge and skills," explained dr hab. Maciej Gdula during a meeting with journalists. "Hence, the ministry attaches great importance to the role played by universities located in smaller Polish cities. We focus on accessibility for everyone who wants to study!”

The fact that the Ministry sees Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa as an important partner is also confirmed by the invitation addressed to the authorities of our University regarding dialogue in the process of developing new principles for the evaluation of Polish academic centres. According to Undersecretary, the role of teaching should be emphasized more than before in the developed rules, and this is what is currently being discussed.

Journalists who came to the inauguration asked the Rector prof. Janusz Kapuśniak what the new academic year will be like and how it will be recorded in the history of the University.

- We are a university that is developing dynamically – emphasized prof. Janusz Kapuśniak. – I would like it to become even more visible in the Częstochowa-Silesia region in the near future, as well as in the national arena and also in Europe due to the internationalisation of our academic centre. I focus on increasing the prestige and recognition of the University. I hope that then we will be able to expose and use the achievements accumulated over the past years even more.

During the 54. Inauguration, the Rector, prof. Janusz Kapuśniak, recapitulated the past academic year. He gave a speech illustrated with a presentation. In a solemn way, he thanked his predecessors: prof. Anna Wypych-Gawrońska (2016-2024), prof. Zygmunt Bąk (2008-2016) and prof. Janusz Berdowski (Rector in the 2002-2008 terms) for all activities related to the development of the University. Let us remind you that for the Rector prof. Janusz Kapuśnik, it was the first inauguration of the year he presided over – as a result of democratic elections, he took the rector's chair a month earlier – on September 1, 2024.

Later on, the solemn matriculation of first-year students and doctoral students took place. The Polish Departmental Decorations – medals of the National Education Commission were awarded to:
- dr Izabela Wrona-Meryk

Then, people (former employees) who have retired in the last two years were honoured.

There were speeches by: the Chairman of the University Council of the Student Government Wiktor Mucha and the President of the Doctoral Students' Government Anna Tarnowska, M.A., a member of the University Council prof. Marcin Sosnowski and invited guests:
- Archbishop Metropolitan of Częstochowa dr Wacław Depo,
- Senator of the Republic of Poland prof. Ryszard Majer
- Member of Parliament of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Szewiński,
- Member of Parliament of the Republic of Poland Przemysław Witek,
- On behalf of the Member of Parliament of the Republic of Poland Lidia Burzyńska, the letter was read by City Councillor Paweł Ruksza,
- the First Deputy Voivode of Silesia Adam Zaczkowski,
- the Silesian Voivodeship Grzegorz Boski,
- the Mayor of the City of Częstochowa Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk,
- Congratulations to the academic community were sent by Member of the European Parliament Jadwiga Wiśniewska (online).

Congratulatory letters received by the University on the occasion of the ceremony of the beginning of the new academic year were read out. The inaugural lecture was presented by prof. Dominik Antonowicz entitled "From imaginary friends to strategic partnerships – European universities in Poland". The musical setting was taken care of by the Academic Choir of JDU under the direction of dr Marek Kudra.

The new academic year begins with...

nearly 6400 students and nearly 60 doctoral students who study at the Doctoral School (within 13 disciplines). The past recruitment at the University was excellent. Nearly 8200 candidates applied for full-time and part-time studies: first-, second-cycle and long-cycle master's studies. As a result of recruitment for the first year of all types of studies, over 2700 people were admitted at the University.

the popularity of the following fields of study as medicine, psychology, law, physiotherapy, English philology, nursing, forensic science and security systems, dietetics.

A workplace for 64 titular professors, 109 habilitated doctors, 236 people with a doctoral degree and 129 employees with a master's degree. In total, the University employs 538 academic teachers.

Video footage by Olaf Trzewiczek