The University of Bialystok was established in 1997, upon rearrangement of the branch of Warsaw University that has been operational for 29 years. The education level and potential resulted in the fact that currently the UB is one of the largest and most active academic units in the North East region of Poland. The University consists of ten faculties, one of which is in Siedlce, and one abroad, in Vilnius. Classes are implemented and lectures are delivered by approximately 900 lecturers (among whom over 200 are independent scholars). Currently, over 18 thousand full-time and part-time students study in 28 fields of education at this higher school. A number of post-diploma studies are available - 90 kinds.
Doctoral studies are implemented by five units of the UB: the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economics and Management, the Faculty of Philology, the Faculty of History and Sociology, and Faculty of Biology, and the Faculty of Chemistry. The UB has ten authorisations to grant a PhD degree and four authorizations to provide habilitated doctor’s degree. About 70 student research circles and organizations operate in this higher education school.
The UB may list among its achievements the participation in 5, 6 and 7 General programme, and DAPHNE III programme. Through participation in these programmes a lot of projects in the fields of physics, chemistry, pedagogy, informatics and mathematics, economics and philology have been realized.
At the time of 6PR, the UB physics implemented the project entitled Combined Study of Nanostructured Magnetic Materials (NANOMAG-LAB), whereas now they participate in the 7PR project Femtosecond Opto-magnetism and Novel Approaches to Ultrafast Magnetism at the Nanoscale (FANTOMAS). The Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology implemented the project: Intimate partner violence against elderly women according to DAPHNE III programme.
Currently, the University of Bialystok implements 39 Cooperation agreements in the research field with foreign higher education schools – partners. Also, since 1999, it has participated in the European research programme Erasmus. By implementing this programme, the university cooperates with 104 higher education schools – partners from 22 European Union members, also Turkey and Switzerland.
Education fields are adapted to the needs and possibilities of the region. In addition, with consideration to the needs of our nationals living outside the eastern boundary, the Catholic and Orthodox Church Theology studies were introduced into the study programme of the University of Bialystok. They have an important ecumenical aspect and highlight a peculiarity of this higher education school. Attestation of the quality of didactic activities at the UB is, inter alia, the fact that the University accreditation commission granted a high education quality certificate for four study fields – history, economics, chemistry and biology, whereas the State Accreditation Commission has accreted to date: administration, biology, chemistry, environmental protection, informatics, pedagogy, law, mathematics, philology and Polish philology, sociology, history, physics and economics. Since 2008, the study field of chemistry may be proud of the accreditation of the European “Eurobachelor Label” and “Euromaster Label” accreditation.
By recognizing great merits in the fields of research, social and public life, the University has granted a doctor honoris causa degree to ten prominent personalities: prof. Jerzy Wilkin, prof. Brunon Hołystow, President of the Republic of Poland in exile– Ryszard Kaczorowski, creator of the Paris “Culture”– deceased Jerz Gedroyc, deceased prof. Andrzej Stelmachowski, deceased prof. Andrzej Wyczański, head of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox church – Metropolitan Sava, prof. Marcel Morabito, Bialystok Metropolitan Archbishop prof. Edwardui Ozorowski, prof. Keiichi Yamanaka. The university of Bialystok is a higher education school that constantly evolves, and establishes ever improving conditions for study and research work. This is illustrated, inter alia, by investments: installation of the university library, auditoriums of the Faculty of Law, gyms, construction of the calculation centre and teaching implementation in the building designated for the needs of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics. The biggest task in the history of the higher education school is construction of the campus in Bialytock, Ciołkowski St.
