A courageous university – a diverse university
A formal meeting of the University of Lodz Senate was held on the occasion of National Education Day on 14 October of the current year. It began with the awarding of Honorary Doctorate. Those honoured with this title by the University of Lodz to date include individuals representing many backgrounds, disciplines and areas, including Julian Tuwim, Umberto Eco, Father Adam Boniecki, and Father Józef Tischner. This year, this distinction, unique to our community and awarded since the 1940s, was awarded to Věra Jourová, a Czech politician and lawyer, the EU Commissioner since 2014, and the European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency since 2019.
Today, we are awarding an honorary doctorate to a person who, without a doubt, deserves this distinction for her entire body of work to date (...). Ms Vera Jurova is a representative of supranational thinking. Nowadays, when we are once again fighting for the validity of universal values, the meaning of international alliances and the essence of diversity among nations, such thinking is sometimes criticised, but it remains valid. We cannot, and Ms Vera never did, forget about our respect for democracy. Because not far across our border, some are already waiting to be reminded of the value of democracy. It must also be underlined that nowadays, simply standing up for these values is a value in itself. Madam President, she has endured much without changing her stance.
And finally, and this is also extremely important to me – Madam President, you come from the land of Vaclav Havel, Ota Pavel, Bohumil Hrabal and Petr Zelenka. Our nations have shown that freedom can be won by standing together, not on the battlefield, but through the support of people speaking with one voice. Therefore, I believe we have much in common, although I am happy to remain, and will remain, one who admires your achievements and appreciates your entire personality
– said Prof. Rafał Matera, Rector of the University of Lodz when starting the ceremony of awarding the Honorary Doctorate to Věra Jourová.
The laudation in her honour was delivered by the supervisor of Věra Jourová’s honorary doctorate, dr hab. Marcin Górski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz, from the Faculty of Law and Administration, and the Honorary Doctorate itself was presented by the Rector of the University of Lodz, Prof. Rafał Matera, accompanied by the supervisor, and the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration, dr hab. Monika Bogucka-Felczak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have long pondered what I have done to deserve this great honour. I have been told that it is a tribute to my work to date, and above all, to my efforts to preserve and ensure the strong protection of the rule of law in the European Union and its Member States. I greatly appreciate this distinction and would like to express my sincere gratitude.
In the recent past, we have lived in a time when the principles of the rule of law, democracy and human rights were perceived as enduring, as values we could rely on, that functioned well, and were resistant to all pressures. This rather naive belief was also due to a lack of imagination. We were unable to clearly define the pressures these principles might actually face. Today, we understand this much more clearly. We are witnessing attempts to undermine the rule of law both within and outside the European community. The rule of law is a safeguard against the concentration of power and the erosion of checks and balances. It guarantees equality before the law. We need it. We need it as citizens and as institutions. Indeed, using the authority of the European Commission, I have sought to protect and strengthen the rule of law. I have not been alone in this. The European judiciary, academia, many politicians, experts, the media and civil society have played a key role in defending it. Many believe that I have not done enough to protect the rule of law in the Union. However, my efforts could not and will never be crowned with a triumphant announcement that the task has been accomplished, that the job has been done. The rule of law requires daily care and constant effort on the part of countless individuals and institutions
– Věra Jourová underlined in her speech.
Referring to the academic world, the university community and intergenerational dialogue, she said:
We have a huge impact on the education, attitudes and values of the younger generation. Young people are our great hope. They bring the energy of change, the courage to ask questions, and a sense of justice and fairness with them. As Madeleine Albright once said, "We must teach our children that courage and empathy are stronger than cynicism and fear." Universities should be places where these values are cultivated. We should share our experiences with the younger generation, but also listen to them and strive to understand our rapidly changing world, full of new challenges, cultivating true intergenerational dialogue. Only in this way can we maintain social cohesion in times of crisis, polarisation, and the digital revolution, because history has shown us time and again that problems don't begin when we talk about them, but when we stop talking about them.
#goodjob at Unilodz
On this special day dedicated to education, we also had the pleasure of presenting state decorations, medals of the National Education Commission, and university medals and decorations to employees of our university.
The Gold Medals for Long Service were awarded to:
- Dariusz Błędowski
- dr hab. Iwona Czechowska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Maciej Duda
- mgr Joanna Gałecka-Duda
- Dr Wojciech Horzelski
- dr hab. Małgorzata Janicka, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Prof. dr hab. Iwona Jażdżewska
- mgr inż. Ewa Kikowska
- Dr Małgorzata Kołodziejczak
- dr hab. Renata Kontek, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Paweł Ławniczak
- Dr Anna Majchrowska
- Dr Jan Malinowski
- dr hab. Tomasz Motowidlak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Elżbieta Motyl
- mgr Renata Pałysa
- dr hab. Antoni Pierzchalski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Małgorzata Rogala
- dr hab. Magdalena Rosińska-Bukowska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Ewa Saganowska
- dr hab. Dorota Sobczyńska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Joanna Stępień-Andrzejewska
- Prof. dr hab. Ewa Walińska
- dr hab. Krzysztof Warda, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Maria Zieleniak
The Silver Medals for Long Service were presented to:
- dr hab. Maria Berkan-Jabłońska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Jolanta Bieńkowska
- dr hab. Leszek Bohdanowicz, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Przemysław Czajor
- mgr Justyna Czerwińska
- Dr Irmina Gadowska
- dr hab. Beata Grochala-Woźniak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Małgorzata Jędraszczyk
- Dr Jacek Kalinowski
- dr hab. Tomasz Kalinowski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Prof. dr hab. Piotr Kittel
- Dr Małgorzata Kosiorek
- Prof. dr hab. Konrad Kowalski
- dr hab. Michał Kuran, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Bartłomiej Kurzyk
- Dr Magdalena Lachman
- dr hab. Szymon Marcińczak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Edyta Masierek
- dr hab. Marek Matejun, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Justyna Mokras -Grabowska
- Dr Tomasz Napierała
- mgr Katarzyna Pająk
- Prof. dr hab. Marcin Palusiak
- Dr Agata Piasecka
- dr hab. Magdalena Pietrzak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Dariusz Prasalski
- dr hab. Aneta Rogalska-Marasińska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Izabela Różańska-Bińczyk
- dr hab. Katarzyna Sicińska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Piotr Smejda
- Dr Renata Stanecka-Badura
- Sebastian Stańczyk
- Prof. dr hab. Ewa Szkudlarek-Śmiechowicz
- dr hab. Mikołaj Turzyński, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Monika Urbańska
- dr hab. Tomasz Uryszek, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Katarzyna Walęcka-Matyja, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Kamil Wybor
The Bronze Medals for Long Service were presented to:
- Dr Katarzyna Bednarska
- Dr Michalina Biernacka
- dr hab. Marta Borowska-Stefańska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Adam Buczkowski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Anna Cichosz, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Robert Czulda, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Paweł Dąbrowski
- dr hab. Justyna Dobroszek, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Jacek Gad, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Agata Głaz
- mgr Małgorzata Gramala
- Prof. dr hab. Maksim Ionov
- Dr Marta Jabłońska
- Dr Armina Kapusta
- Dr Piotr Kędzia
- Dr Anna Kobierecka
- mgr Beata Kolasa
- dr hab. Tomasz Kowalczyk, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Paweł Krukowski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Aleksandra Krupa-Ławrynowicz
- Dr Aleksandra Makowska
- Dr Marta Małecka
- Dr Anna Michałkiewicz
- Dr Katarzyna Miszczyńska
- Dr Patrycja Mizera
- Dr Aleksandra Mroczek-Żulicka
- Prof. dr hab. Wit Pietrzak
- Dr Joanna Piłacik
- mgr Justyna Rakoczy
- Dr Błażej Socha
- dr hab. Piotr Spyra, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Anna Stefan
- Dr Agata Szymańska
- Dr Krzysztof Świeszczak
- mgr Aleksandra Twardowska
- Dr Agata Wieczorek
- dr hab. Szymon Wiśniewski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Paweł Zajączkowski
Employees who received Medals of the Commission of National Education:
- Prof. dr hab. Michał Grabowski
- Dr Anna Gutowska-Ciołek
- dr hab. Witold Jarno, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Elwira Kaczyńska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Armina Kapusta
- dr hab. Magda Karkowska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Joanna Kowalczyk-Anioł
- Dr Marzena Makowska-Iskierka
- Prof. dr hab. Monika Marcinkowska
- Dr Justyna Mokras-Grabowska
- Dr Aleksandra Mroczek-Żulicka
- Dr Łukasz Musiaka
- Dr Magdalena Pogońska-Pol
- Dr Marcin Rojek
- Dr Andrzej Rychlewicz
- Dr Marek Sempach
- dr hab. Ewa Szafrańska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Roman Szkup
The University of Lodz Golden Badges were presented to:
- dr hab. Mariola Antczak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Katarzyna Bachman-Fabijanowska
- mgr Katarzyna Bajak
- mgr Piotr Bajsarowicz
- Dr Justyna Bieda
- dr hab. Tomasz Dobrogoszcz, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Maciej Dykto
- Zenona Frydrych
- dr hab. Beata Glinkowska-Krauze, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Alicja Główczyńska
- Dr Marcin Głuszak
- dr hab. Mariusz Golecki, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Jakub Janeta
- Dr Marcin Jaskulski
- dr hab. Katarzyna Kaczor-Scheitler, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz dr Marcin Krajewski
- Dr Beata Krakowiak
- Prof. dr hab. Agnieszka Krawczyk
- dr hab. Michał Kurowski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Marta Lipnicka
- Dr Sylwia Łakoma
- dr hab. Szymon Marcińczak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Małgorzata Mieszek, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Izabela Mioduszewska-Bar
- mgr Sylwia Mokwińska
- dr hab. Marcin Muszyński, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Prof. dr hab. Monika Namysłowska
- Dr Tomasz Napierała
- dr hab. Kamil Niedziałomski, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Monika Nowak, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Małgorzata Orzechowska
- dr hab. Ivan Petrov, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Maria Piech
- Prof. dr hab. Krystyna Pietrych
- mgr Katarzyna Pogoda
- dr hab. Joanna Połatyńska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Ewa Saganowska
- dr hab. Małgorzata Skowronek, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Anita Staroń, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Krzysztof Stefański, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Dariusz Strzelec, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- Dr Konrad Tadajczyk
- mgr Rafał Turło
- mgr Marta Wąsiewicz
- Dr Renata Wiertelak
- dr hab. Dorota Wiśniewska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- mgr Maciej Witkowski
- Prof. dr hab. Bartosz Wojciechowski
- Dr Sebastian Wojczyk
- dr hab. Katarzyna Wojtaszczyk, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Joanna Wyporska-Frankiewicz, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- dr hab. Agnieszka Zatorska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
- inż. Jakub Żak
Let man be human to man
Our university has been creating a supportive, safe and open environment for years – it's not without reason that we use the slogan #HumanUniversity! Our priority is the well-being of our community members. Operating in accordance with the second edition of the Gender Equality Plan adopted last year, we are building a diverse community in a spirit of openness and respect. Learn more about the Gender Equality Plan.
In addition to systemic university-wide solutions, such the possibility of using preferred names and pronouns in Office 365 tools for transgender and non-binary individuals introduced last year, we strive to provide support to anyone in crisis. Learn more about support for non-binary and transgender individuals.
Support and Accessibility Centre
The Support and Accessibility Centre has been operating at our University for several years. The team's mission is to create at the University of Lodz a space of equal study opportunities for individuals with special needs. We strive to ensure accessibility for those who, due to disability, health condition, adaptation difficulties or other reasons, are unable to pursue learning and academic work on an equal basis, while maintaining the highest quality of education.
Every person with disabilities and special needs has the right to equal access to higher education. We support them in issues related to both their education and their broadly defined academic activities. We approach each person individually. We understand their specific needs and psychophysical abilities and select appropriate support options to enable them to fully participate in the study process.
Care, understanding, support – specialist counselling at UniLodz
We listen to the voices of our community. We know from conversations, signals and reports that the need for professional support in difficult situations is real.
Therefore, we have launched specialist counselling. We want every person who has experienced violence, is in crisis, and needs specialist support to feel that they are not alone and can benefit from professional, safe and confidential help. More about specialist counselling at the University of Lodz
Let us evaluate, but only final projects; let us open our minds, but not only to knowledge; let us respect others, but without any “buts”!
We are actively involved in activities aimed at strengthening our scientific and research potential while ensuring appropriate working and studying conditions for the entire community. As a diverse, open and tolerant university, we want every member of the academic community to feel like an important part of it. Since the beginning of the academic year, we have been implementing the UniLodz – a Discrimination-Free Zone project, aimed at promoting equal opportunities, counteracting discrimination and raising knowledge and awareness of non-discrimination and diversity management, as well as supporting individuals experiencing unequal treatment. Learn more about activities for employees of the University of Lodz, including special training on non-discrimination and diversity management.
Remember, at UniLodz we are UNIFIED! Write to: cwid@uni.lodz.pl
Source: Press Office, Centre for Brand Communications, University of Lodz
Photos: Maciej Andrzejewski, Kacper Szczepaniak, Press Office, University of Lodz
