The ceremony at the Stanislaw Moniuszko Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Bialystok gathered guests and friends of the University of Bialystok. In the jubilee concert the following people took part: Dariusz Piontkowski, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Science, Tadeusz Truskolaski, the Mayor of the City of Bialystok, members of Parliament and members of local government from the Podlaskie region, representatives of media, culture and science including rectors, who debated in Bialystok within the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities under the chairmanship of Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska, the President of CRUP. Students, postgraduate students and employees of the largest university in Podlasie also sat in the audience.
The reason to celebrate was important and momentous: 25 years of the University of Bialystok!
– 25 years can be associated with the youth, but also the university is associated with the youth. There are two reasons. The first reason is that every year we come to class and every year students are the same age. Secondly, research and processes, which we conduct at the university, are connected with discovering something new. Isn’t something new the youth? – said during the ceremony Professor Robert Ciborowski, Rector of the University of Bialystok.
He also reminded that people, who create this institution, students, postgraduate students, academic workers and administration are the University’s greatest strength.
– When I think about the future I recollect Professor Kołakowski saying that a good university is a rich university, that is a university with perspectives, possibilities of development, the one which focuses on the most important things, on academic ethos (…). After 25 years we should say as one well-known apophthegm says: ‘at a certain age a man has to take care of his appearance himself’. So we can say that we grew into an age that everything what is ahead of us will depend on us at 100 per cent – underlined Rector of the University of Bialystok.
During the ceremony Rector of the University of Bialystok honoured people of the University, who thanks to their achievements contributed to development and promotion of the biggest University in the Podlaskie region.
The title of the Ambassador of the University of Bialystok [which according to the Resolution of the Senate of the University of Bialystok will be awarded every 5 years] and glass statuettes were awarded to: Professor Kamila Joanna Budrowska, Professor Beata Godlewska-Żyłkiewicz, Professor Marek Konarzewski, dr hab. Edward Kulikowski, university professor, Professor Halina Parafianowicz, Professor Stanisław Prutis, Professor Andrzej Sadowski and Professor Andrzej Stupakiewicz.
The ceremony at the Opera House was a great opportunity for reflections and best wishes.
– Bialystok and the Podlaskie region need a good university, which is simply that, because faculties have their own brand, and the evaluation which will be announced soon. I think it will mostly satisfy your ambitions and reflect the level you represent. I wish all academic community that next anniversaries will be celebrated joyfully and the University will develop and could be the pride of Bialystok, the Podlaskie region and all of us – said Dariusz Piontkowski. As a graduate of the Branch of Warsaw University in Bialystok, he recalled that his lecturers developed the University of Bialystok.
Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska, Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan and President of the CRUP, also spoke. Referring to the fact that the University of Bialystok was established in 1997 as 13th university in Poland, she emphasised that Polish universities constitute a family, they are like brothers and sisters.
– I express my good wishes on behalf of 12 older brothers and sisters and 7 younger. In our family, you are in the middle and this is an extremely important and good position. I am the middle child. The middle child does not do as well as the eldest one because the child is not the first one and is not as cherished as the youngest one and therefore he or she does best. I wish for the University of Bialystok that you do as well as possible – said Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska.
The ceremony at the Opera House had also a musical part. Karolina Cicha, the graduate of the University of Bialystok, and her band performed on stage. This acclaimed and award-winning artist, multi-instrumentalist and a composer delighted the audience. She also invited guests connected with the University dr hab. Krzysztof Sawicki, university professor, from the Faculty of Education, and Michał Franczak, graduate in sociology, to perform on stage.
The concert was hosted by Katarzyna Dziedzik, university spokesperson, Jakub Wieremiejuk, student of the Faculty of Law and dr hab. Krzysztof Korotkich, university professor, Vice-Rector of the University of Bialystok.
After the concert, everybody had a chance to take a bite of the birthday cake.
The Ambassadors of the University of Bialystok
Professor Kamila Joanna Budrowska
She has been connected with the University for nearly 30 years. She is the head of the Department of Comparative Research and Editing. On her initiative, the Division of Philological Research on the Censorship of the Polish People’s Republic was established at the Faculty of Philology. Professor Budrowska was also the originator and scientific editor of the book series entitled ‘Badania Filologiczne nad Cenzurą PRL’ [Philological Research on the Censorship of the Polish People’s Republic] published by this division. Three grants were devoted to this issue, including a five-year team grant obtained under the National Program for the Development of the Humanities, which she headed. She is also a scholarship recipient of the Foundation for Polish Science. She was given the title of professor in 2015, at the age of 45. She completed a research internship at Columbia University in the City of New York 3 years ago. Professor Budrowska was appointed by the European Research Council as a specialist to evaluate EU grants and by the Ministry as an evaluation specialist.
Professor Beata Godlewska-Żyłkiewicz
She an analytical chemist and a scientist recognized in her discipline. She is also the most frequently cited author of scientific papers at our University. On her initiative, fruitful cooperation with the University of Warsaw Biological and Chemical Research Centre was established. She is the vice-chairperson of the Committee on Analytical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Professor Beata Godlewska-Żyłkiewicz is involved in the development and organisational activities for the University. She was Dean of the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations of the University of Bialystok for 2 terms of office. Now, she is a member of the Council of the University of Bialystok. Professor Beata Godlewska-Żyłkiewicz was awarded the Medal of the Commission of National Education.
Professor Marek Konarzewski
Professor scientific interests revolve around issues on the intersection of evolutionary ecology and physiology of birds and mammals. He is not only a researcher but he is also a populariser of science, among other things, he is a co-author of beautiful albums on Podlasie nature. He is actively involved in international scientific cooperation, for 5 years he was the Science and Technology Minister-Counsellor at the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C. In 2017-2021 he was the Science and Technology Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and he is also the vice-chairperson of Olsztyn and Bialystok Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Dr hab. Edward Kulikowski, university professor
Under his direction and baton, the Academic Choir of the University of Bialystok has been giving concerts for more than 45 years, practically from the beginning. The ensemble has performed almost all over Europe and also has took part in many prestigious competitions and choral festivals, winning laurels and excellent reviews. The choir not only graces the academic events but also eagerly takes part in many undertakings which promote Polish history and traditions, e.g. giving concerts of patriotic songs, oratorio pieces or carols. Maestro was awarded the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis for distinguished contributions.
Professor Halina Parafianowicz
She is the head of the Department of Modern Universal History. On her initiative, Professor Andrzej Bartnicki Forum for the Advanced Studies of the United States has taken place in Bialystok since many years, gathering scholars interested in US history and culture from Poland and all over the world. Professor Halina Parafianowicz was the first recipient of the ‘Centennial Award’ established jointly by the US Embassy in Poland and the Kosciuszko Foundation 3 years ago. She was Dean of the Faculty of History and Sociology, as well as Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation. She was decorated with the Gold Cross of Merit and Medal of Commission of National Education.
Professor Stanislaw Prutis
He has been associated with the biggest university in the Podlaskie region for almost 50 years. He devoted his time to development of the University and he was the Dean of the Faculty of Law. He was also the founder and the executive editor of ‘Studia Iuridica Agraria’, and sat on the Senate of the University. Professor Prutis is also engaged in public life. In 1990, he was the government delegate for local self-government in the Bialystok Voivodeship, participating in the implementation of one of Poland's great political reforms. Then, he was the Governor of Bialystok and for many years he was a judge of the Supreme Administrative Court. He was also a member and an advisor NSZZ ‘Solidarność’ in the Podlaskie region and he organised union structures at our University. He was awarded the Officer's Cross of Order of the Rebirth of Poland.
Professor Andrzej Sadowski
He is the founder of sociology in Bialystok, associated with our University for almost 40 years. He was the Director of the Institute of Sociology for many years. He devoted his scientific work almost entirely to study of the peculiarities of the north-eastern areas of Poland, including multiculturalism, local and regional identity of the citizens of the Podlaskie region. He was also a member of the Committee on Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Professor Andrzej Sadowski was involved in organisational activities for the University. He was the Dean of the Faculty of History and Sociology and he was also Vice-Rector for Science. Additionally, he is a long-standing, respected media expert.
Professor Andrzej Stupakiewicz
Professor Andrzej Stupakiewicz from the Faculty of Physics and his team successfully conduct research on the method of cold ultrafast information recording. The method, developed under his guidance, is not only the fastest one but also very efficient. Research results of Professor Stupakiewicz and his team were published repeatedly in prestigious scientific journals, including 3 times in Nature. Professor Stupakiewicz received the Award of the Minister of Education and Science for outstanding scientific achievements. Furthermore, he was decorated with the Bronze Cross of Merit. Research carried out under his guidance has won the title of the Podlaskie Region Brand of the Year.
