University of Łódź

University of Lodz
Uniwersytet Łódzki
	File:University of Lodz English Logo.jpg
	Latin: Universitas Lodziensis
Motto	Veritas et libertas ; (Truth and freedom)
Type	Public
Established	May 24, 1945
Rector	Prof. dr hab. Włodzimierz Nykiel, Ph.D.
Students	47,000
Address	Narutowicza 65, 90-131, Łódź, Poland
Affiliations	Campus Europae,SOCRATES/ERASMUS, TEMPUS, INCO-COPERNICUS, ACE, Jean Monnet,CEEPUS, EUA, AESOP
Website	(Polish), (English), (Chinese), (Russian), (Ukrainian)

The University of Łódź was founded May 24, 1945 in Łódź, Poland, as a continuation of educational institutions functioning in Łódź in the interwar period — the Teacher Training Institute (1921–1928), the Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences (1924–1928) and a division of the Free Polish University (1928–1939).

The University of Łódź (alternative spelling: University of Lodz) is a fully accredited, state-owned, traditional university. It is one of 18 institutions of its type in Poland.^[2]

It has more than 47,000 students and 2,600 teachers.

Its international cooperation includes 385 partner institutions from all over the world.^[3]

A range of BA, MA, and postgraduate courses held in English as a language of instruction are offered to Polish and overseas students.^[4]

As a result of widespread cooperation with universities all over the world, including Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, Université François – Rabelais (Tours), University of Texas at Austin, Westfälische Wilhelms – Universität Münster, University of Baltimore, the R. H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, Centria University of Applied Sciences (Kokkola, Finland), and the Towson University, students of the University of Łódź can graduate with dual diplomas.^[5]

Reputation

The University of Łódź strives to maintain its high academics standards, the most recent testimonies of which include:

3rd place among Polish universities for the quality of instruction in Economic Sciences, as shown in the 2011 ranking by the Gazeta Bankowa (a respected Polish finance & banking newspaper)^[6]
2nd place among Polish universities for qualifying future lawyers, such as legal counsels, and civil law notaries, as shown in the 2010 ranking by the Polish Ministry of Justice^[7]
4th place among Polish higher education institutions of international prestige, as concluded from the outcomes of QS and Webometrics rankings of 2010^[8]

Library

The library of the University of Łódź is one of the biggest and most modern academic libraries in Central Europe.

Its total collection amounts to 3 million volumes. The main part of the book collection is in library store-rooms. The remaining books and journals are placed in the reference sections: the Main Reading Room and Study Rooms. Registered users can use self checkout machines for lending and returning books in some collections.^[9] Apart from the Main University Library there are 106 branch libraries and their collections are adjusted to the scientific and didactic activities of the institutions. The number of registered library card holders is now over 20,000.^[10]

Authorities

President of the University of Łódź (Rector) - Professor Włodzimierz Nykiel Ph.D.
Pro-Rector in Charge of Economic Affairs – Professor Bogdan Gregor Ph.D.
Pro-Rector in Charge of International Affairs – Professor Zofia Wysokińska Ph.D.
Pro-Rector in Charge of Curricula and Teaching – Professor Jarosław Płuciennik Ph.D.
Pro-Rector in Charge of Research – Professor Antoni Różalski Ph.D.
Pro-Rector in Charge of Students’ Affairs – Professor Zbigniew Góral Ph.D.

Rector

Tadeusz Kotarbiński – 1945-1949
Józef Chałasiński – 1949-1952
Jan Szczepański – 1952-1956
Adam Szpunar – 1956-1962
Stefan Hrabec – 1962-1965
Józef Stanisław Piątowski – 1965-1968
Andrzej Nadolski – 1968-1969
Zdzisław Skwarczyński – 1969-1972
Janusz Górski – 1972-1975
Romuald Skowroński – 1975-1981
Jerzy Wróblewski – 1981-1984
Leszek Wojtczak – 1984-1990
Michał Seweryński – 1990-1996
Stanisław Liszewski – 1996-2002
Wiesław Puś – 2002-2008
Włodzimierz Nykiel - 2008-

Faculties

Famous alumni

Andrzej Sapkowski, a fantasy writer.
Marek Belka, a professor of Economics, a former Prime Minister and current head of National Bank of Poland.
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, a politician, Minister of Justice of Poland.
Paweł Rogaliński, a journalist, publisher and a blogger.
Jerzy Kropiwnicki, a right-wing politician.
Cezary Grabarczyk, a politician, former Minister of Infrastructure.
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, a diplomat, politician and a MEP: member of the European Parliament (elected on 13 June 2004).
Tatiana Okupnik, a singer, composer and songwriter.
Joanna Skrzydlewska, a politician and a member of the European Parliament.
John Onyekwere Godson, the first black Polish Member of Parliament.
Jolanta Chełmińska, a politician.
Janusz Wojciechowski, a politician and a member of the European Parliament.
Jacek Zacharewicz, a politician.
Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm, a writer, author of many books.
Keith White-Hunt, senior international executive in academic, business and government sectors

Other units

Alexis de Tocqueville Center for Political and Legal Thought^[11]
The School of Polish for Foreigners - first school of Polish for foreigners in Poland, since 1952
Branch in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

Origins

The university was created after the total destruction of Warsaw, during and after the Warsaw Uprising, and after the expulsion of Poles from Lviv. Later many professors left for Warsaw.