Gdansk University of Technology

University development and extension

Rebuilding of the most seriously damaged Main Building lasted for the longest time. It was necessary to reinforce the structure of its middle part which resulted in gaining a new look and later Main Library, Rector's office, Bursary as well as Department of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture found their seats there. The Aula has been rebuilt

Development and extension of the university went on together. In 1948 the expanded building at Własna Strzecha Street No. 18 "a" was given to the Laboratory of High Voltage and Distributive Equipment. Then, in turn, other buildings were completed and given into use: Radio Engineering Pavilion and enlarged wings in the building of Faculty of Chemistry (1951), new building of Chemistry and experimental hall for Faculty of Hydro Engineering (1952), new building of Hydro Engineering and a passage linking the buildings of Laboratory of Strength of Materials and Reinforced Concrete Laboratory for Faculty of Civil Engineering (1953), new boiler house and transformer station (1954), the wing of the building for High Voltage Chair (1955), new building for Shipbuilding Faculty and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Laboratory of Machine Material Technology (1957). This resulted in widening the cubic capacity by 151,669 m3 i.e. by almost 65% as compared to postwar period.

Later, the following objects were given into use: new building for Faculty of Electronics having been built in two stages (1967 and 1969), new wing "B" of Main Building (1971), Little Printing Pavilion (1975), a building for Chief Engineer Section for Equipment (1977), a building for Electrical Engineering Faculty at Sobieski Street No. 7 (1978), a building for Institute of Maritime and Industrial Electrical Engineering (1991) and finally store-rooms for Chemical Faculty (1991), and in 1992 the extension of Chemistry "B" and "C" buildings. This brought the further growth of cubic capacity by 255,688 m3. The total increase equaled 185% in relation to postwar period.

Recently, in 1999, Auditorium Novum opened its doors being located in the building of former boiler house. In 2002 new building for Faculty of Management and Economics was opened.

With the growth of numbers of students there was an increasing demand for accommodation in students' hostels. Two students' housing estates were erected, at Hübnera (now Do Studzienki) Street and at Wyspiańskiego Street. Till 1960 seven new hostels were built, and in the period 1970-1986 there appeared the other three. In 1965 Assistants' Hotel No. 1, and then Assistants' Hotel No. 2 (1975) and Academic Sport Centre (1962), as well as the canteen building No.6 were completed. Later, in 1971 Holiday Centre at Czarlina started and in 1972 Health Centre Complex and the swimming pool were opened.

In the nineties capital repair of many hostels were carried out which provided the European standard of living for the students. In 2004 the capital repair of "Bratniak" was made, too and the newly renovated building is being used by students' self-government. In the same year, the first stage of Main Building revitalization was completed, and modern didactic and scientific rooms were put into use on the attic of that building. The capital repair of Chemistry B building was fully completed.

Organisational changes

The continuous development of the university needed lots of organizational changes. Faculties and specializations were created and reshaped. In 1948 the Faculty of Agriculture Engineering was formed, in 1950 converted into Agrotechnical Faculty and then, in 1952 closed down. In 1952, too, the Faculty of Civil and Hydro Engineering was separated into two: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Hydro Engineering. In the same year Faculty of Communication Engineering was separated from Electrical Engineering Faculty and then in 1967 transformed into the Faculty of Electronics. In turn, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering was divided in 1956 into Faculty of Machine Engineering and Faculty of Machine Technology and in 1965 they were called Faculty of Machine Design Engineering and Mechanical Technological Faculty respectively. The latter was transformed into Machine Technology and Organization of Production Faculty in 1989.

In 1954 Consulting Centre of Gdansk University of Technology was opened in Elbląg being, in 1969, transformed into Department of Gdansk University of Technology educating students in the field of mechanics; since 1992 it was acting as a Section of Mechanical Engineering Faculty and in 2000 became a basis for creating, beyond Gdansk University of Technology structure, the State High Vocational School in Elbląg.

Essential organizational changes due to political reasons occurred after the events of March 1968. The Chairs were converted into Institutes. Simultaneously, three former faculties: Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Hydro Engineering were already as Institutes, joined into one Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Within all the faculties there were formed 2 or 3 institutes, while Shipbuilding Faculty was transformed into independent Institute of Shipbuilding. Three new inter-departmental Institutes were created: Institute of Mathematics, Institute of Physics and Institute of Social Sciences.

In 1971 the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture was divided into 3 institutes: Institute of Architecture and Town Planning, Institute of Civil Engineering and Institute of Hydro Engineering. In 1975 the Institute of Civil Engineering became again the Faculty of Civil Engineering and in 1981 the Institute of Architecture and Town Planning became Faculty of Architecture while in 1982 Institute of Hydro Engineering became the Faculty of Hydro Engineering. In 1984 the Faculty of Technical Physics and Applied Mathematics was created from Institute of Physics and Institute of Mathematics. Institute of Shipbuilding became the Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology in 1990.

In 1991 inter-departmental Institute of Social Sciences was converted into Economics and Humanities Institute. In 1991, too, both mechanical faculties were merged into one strong Faculty of Mechanical Engineering while in 1993, on the basis of the staff of the former Faculty of Machine Technology and Organization and Design of Production Systems, the Faculty of Management and Economics was created.

Lately, part of the faculties, with some change of their profiles, have accepted new names, too. Thus since September 2004 there were the following Faculties at Gdansk University of Technology: Faculty of Architecture; Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Chemical Faculty; Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunication and Informatics; Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering; Faculty of Physics Applied and Mathematics; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering; Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology and Faculty of Management and Economics. In September 2004 the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering started its activity which had been created by joining the Faculty of Hydro and Environmental Engineering and Faculty of Civil Engineering.

Students

In 1945, 1,647 students started their studies at Gdansk University of Technology. That number increased quickly and systematically in postwar period to attain 6,752 by 1956. In the years of political crisis at the end of the fifties, the number of students dropped to 5,171. However, the sixties and the half of the seventies brought about its growth again. In 1975 it rose to 8,865. Another crisis caused a repeated decline and the number began diminishing to reach 5,495 at the end of the eighties. As it can be seen, the years of consecutive crisis always exerted an influence on the number of students. Especially, the situation of graduates connected with low earnings effectively discouraged them from entering universities.

It should be mentioned that the students have been contributing to university activities especially in social and existence matters. After dissolution of "Bratnia Pomoc" and after the events of October 1956, the students' interests were represented by University Parliament of the Polish Students' Union created on November 25, 1957, whose first President was Czesław Druet, the future professor and member of Polish Academy of Sciences. In those years this form of autonomy constituted a model of students' activity for other universities in Poland. The present Students' Parliament follows that tradition.

The cultural function of the University has been and still is realized by various forms of students' activities. In famous student theatres the students of Gdansk University of Technology were actively participating. It was here where in the sixties theatre "Bim-Bom" was created and acted, with Jacek Fedorowicz, Bogumił Kobiela and Zbigniew Cybulski. "Żak", "Kwadratowa", and other clubs located at students' hostels fully contributed to cultural function of the University. Great merit is due to all the students who long ago founded "The Student Chronicle", "Debating Film Club", "Student Radio Agency" and "Academic Choir of Gdansk University of Technology" as well as started and continued other kinds of student activity. The student sports and recreational movement can also take pride of significant achievements with the inspiring role of Academic Sports Society.

Scientific interests of students were fully revealed in successes of the University Scientific Circles with the oldest one, dating from prewar time, the Shipbuilding Scientific Circle "Korab".

Besides such organizations as Students' Self-government of Gdansk University of Technology and Independent Students' Union, there are over 30 student organizations, scientific circles and clubs and two international organizations: IASTE and AIESEC.

International cooperation

From the very start the international cooperation was of great importance owing to the high status of Gdansk University of Technology, appreciated not only in the home country but also abroad. It has been manifested by a broad cooperation with foreign universities, mutually realized didactic and research projects, doctorates conferred by other universities to the staff of Gdansk University of Technology, membership in international organizations and societies. 15 Honoris Causa Doctorates were awarded by other universities to our Professors: Ignacy Adamczewski, Maksymilian Tytus Huber, Eugeniusz Dembicki, Witold Nowacki, Jerzy Doerffer, Zenon Jagodziński, Lech Kobyliński, Kazimierz Kopecki, Bolesław Mazurkiewicz, Józef Sałaciński, Janusz Staliński, Robert Szewalski, Henryk Wierzba, Michał Białko, Zdzisław Sikorski.

At present over 60 agreements are signed with foreign universities which are recognized scientific and research centres worldwide. Even in the sixties when foreign contacts were difficult due to political reasons, Gdansk University of Technology cooperated not only with the countries within former Council for Mutual Economic Aid (RWPG) but also with Germany, Finland, France, former Yugoslavia and USA. Thanks to the chance of developing our knowledge at Western universities, the original researches were possible as well as acquiring higher qualifications followed by scientific titles and numerous common publications.

The participation of our scientists in international conferences and scientific symposia and frequent visits of foreign partners resulted in growing dignity and standing of our University which is often addressed by foreign universities with their offers of cooperation.

In the nineties the international cooperation experienced another liveliness, thanks to the introduction of TEMPUS programme in the frames of assistance fund PHARE of European Union. Since 1990 Poland obtained 8 three-year programmes JEP and so the number of cooperating universities considerably increased. At least 2 partners participated in each programme and there were many of this kind to be realized then including over 30 TEMPUS programmes. Lately, new SOCRATES - ERASMUS projects have entered as well as some research frame programmes of EU. Two centres of perfection were created: Centre for European Environmental and Analytics Monitoring (CEEAM) and Centre for Urban Revitalization (CURE). In the frames of 6th Frame Programme of European Union, the high budget grant started, entitled "Personalized Information Platform for Life and Health Service". The implementation of these programmes provided significant development of didactic laboratory basis and caused wider computerization of the University, thus it simplified the exchange of foreign staff and students.

In 2003 Gdansk University of Technology obtained, for the next 4 years, the so-called Erasmus Charter which allowed the University to participate in SOCRATES - ERASMUS programme. Among others, in the frames of this programme, over 100 students were studying partly at European Universities (105 agreements were signed) and 50 academic teachers took part in European system of education. According to data of National Agency, in the part of the teachers' visits abroad, Gdansk University of Technology is the best university in Poland.

The latest years

In 1989 crucial political events occurred in Poland in which the Gdańsk Coast population played again an outstanding role. The "Solidarity" movement had been created and Independent Students' Society had started its activity. The III rd Republic of Poland was born - the democratic state of market economy.

The system transformation was extremely difficult. University education, like the whole economy, needed essential changes. It had been characterized by great number of narrow specializations, homogenous 5-year system of studies of rigid central educational programme and very low self-dependence of studying. In Poland merely 10% of population (almost only 2% in rural districts) could boast of university graduate studies and as little as 12% of youth of age 19-24 undertook university studies at all.

The radical changes started with introducing new legal acts and the Parliament passed: The Act on University Education (1990), The Act on Scientific Title and University Degrees (1990) and The Act on the Committee for Scientific Research (1991). Universities obtained considerable autonomy, one title of professor was introduced, the position of associate professor was cancelled. The system of financing scientific researches was changed and principles of competition were initiated. According to the new Act, elections of academic authorities were organized and they began the administration on December 1, 1990. The new Statute accepted and passed by the University Senate in 1991 gave a considerable autonomy and independence to Faculties which thus became basic organizational units. They could take most decisions freely including the problems of their inner structures. The position of the Dean was consolidated with their increasing responsibility and enlarged duties.

Gdansk University of Technology fulfilled all the requirements of the Act which were obligatory for autonomous universities. It employed over 80 full professors, and most Faculties had full academic rights (including those conferring doctorates and habilitations). They were the following Faculties: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Chemical Faculty, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunication and Informatics, Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Faculty of Hydro and Environmental Engineering and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. In the light of evaluation by Committee for Scientific Research considering the results of scientific researches, 6 Faculties obtained the highest "A" category for the results achieved on international scale. They were: Chemical Faculty, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunication and Informatics, Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Faculty of Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering as well as Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology.

Since the beginning of the nineties the number of students of Gdansk University of Technology has systematically been increasing. The enrolment increase for the first year of studies reached 20% every year. While in 1990 the number of students equaled 7,600, in 1996 it rose to 13,000 and in 2004 to the record number of 19,000. This results from the growing students' interests in acquiring knowledge generally but also it is partly due to the situation at labour market, and increasing offers of educational institutions addressed to candidates. New forms of studies were introduced corresponding to economy requirements (e.g. undergraduate engineering studies) and new specializations (e.g. environmental protection, biotechnology, management, material engineering, robotics).

The transformation of the University was occurring in difficult financial conditions. It is enough to mention that resources for educating one student dropped by over 60% in the years 1990-1993 and so did the resources for scientific researches. The latter decreased in university budget from 50% in 1985 to about 30% in 1990 while now they reach 25%. The scientific researches financed by Committee for Scientific Research equal about 5% of the university budget while those financed by industry equal 8%. Such changes took place, at the constant number of academic teachers about 1100, with the simultaneous decrease in number of the rest of the staff from 2500 to 1500. All the existing staff reserve has been used. The ratio of students' number per one academic teacher changed from 4,8 to 17 which satisfies European standards.

It is also satisfactory that, after short decrease in number of new doctorates at the beginning of the nineties, it began increasing again, and in 1994 it exceeded 25 per year and now it equals about 70 yearly. The number of the obtained habilitation degree was increased, too. In the beginning of the transformational period it was 7 a year and now it increased to 20 yearly. The similar situation occurred in case of the scientific title of a professor: in 1990 - 5 titles and at present about 10 titles a year.

In that situation a real and highly effective cooperation and integration of the Coast scientific environment started to be of great importance and recognition. Their best example was common celebrations of 200th anniversary of "3rd May Constitution" in 1991. The cooperation has been developing fruitfully thanks to the activity of "Council of Rectors of Gdańsk Pomerania" created in 1991 and then in 1993 converted into the "Council of Rectors of for the Pomerania of Vistula Area", finally, transformed into "Pomerania Rectors' Council" after the administrative changes in Poland in 1998. In 1991-2002 Rectors of Gdansk University of Technology were chosen to be Presidents of the Council. Such cooperation permits a more optimal and rational adoption of the limited financial means. Among others, it has led in 1993 to the establishment of Inter - university Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, equipped with costly high class apparatus serving scientists from Gdansk University of Technology, University of Gdansk and Gdansk Academy of Medicine. In the cooperation with Polish Cable Television and Polish Telecommunication SA, the Tricity Academic Computer Network (TASK) was started, connected with the country and international networks. This considerably influenced the expanding of the exchange of information and improved the cooperation with universities in Poland and abroad, as well as it resulted in university cooperation in the field of education. This, in turn, simplified abandoning the earlier narrow specialized forms of education, helped in introducing humanization of technical studies and exploiting achievements of technique by classical scholars. In 2003 TASK was equipped with complete computer cluster 64-bit basis architecture - Itanium processors made by INTEL firm (the cluster of the highest generation, the fastest in Poland, on the TOP 500 list). Since 1993, the traditional common inaugurations of academic year have been organized and they served the integration of academic environment with local authorities, economy and business. Gdansk University of Technology also influences local environment by organizing conferences, public lectures, exhibitions, meetings and even concerts of music. In 2003 Gdansk University of Technology obtained the prestigious title of Patron of Gdansk Culture for "widely open university doors for culture".

The actions were undertaken to integrate the University with environment of Europe and the world. Foreign languages were promoted and English language courses became obligatory for all the students. The changes introduced into educational programmes made them closer to those of Western universities. More and more lecturers form foreign renowned universities and scientific centres deliver lectures at our University. It permits to follow alternative studies provided partly in Poland and partly at foreign universities. In the frames of international programmes (TEMPUS, COPERNICUS, ERASMUS, SOCRATES) we have a chance of mutually conducted research and awarding international certificates and diplomas. As an example we can mention a diploma in the range of M. Sc. Applied Informatics, which can be obtained at De Montford University (Great Britain).

According to Bologna Declaration of 1999, Gdansk University of Technology actively participates in building Common European Educational Space. Two-level studies were introduced (Engineer and M. Sc.) as well as European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The principles of university system of education quality evaluation were prepared, and, in the frames of applying for Quality Label, the evaluation by experts' group was made.

In 2003 over 130 international research subjects were carried out at Gdansk University of Technology including 16 projects within 5th Programme, 3 contracts within 6th Frame Programme of European Union and 5 projects within EUREKA programme. The Bureau of European Programmes and Regional Contact Point play an important role in international programmes realization and their preparation for structural funds implementation. In 2003 both posts organized 20 training courses including 3 conferences devoted to structural funds. They also trained over 1500 persons from Gdansk University of Technology and beyond it. Their office was supported by grant of Committee for Scientific Research, which the University got for their activity.

Several important conferences were organized with the participation of outstanding scientific authorities such as Prof. George Hitchings, Nobel Award Laureate. In 1991 a Conference of Rectors of Europe CRE was held, and in 1994 an international conference "Theory and practice of robots and manipulators Ro. Man. Sy.'94" took place involving the representatives from 17 countries which lead in the field of robotics as: Japan, USA, France, Germany and Italy. In 2000, under the patronage of Council of Europe and UNESCO, a conference "Science and technology in XXI century" was organized, with the participation of scientists, parliamentarians and ministers from member countries of Council of Europe.

Gdansk University of Technology is a university which strongly puts great emphasis on the process of implementation of research results into practice and commercialisation of technology. The first attempts were undertaken in 1991 when Gdańsk Innovation Centre was opened and Polish-American conference "Commercialisation of Technology" was held in 1992. The Rector of Gdansk University of Technology together with 10 Rectors of the largest Polish universities and business representatives created Polish Academic and Economic Forum (1993), including Gdansk University of Technology as its member. At the Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology, the Centre of Computer Modeling was founded by Det Norskie Veritas in 2003.

In the frames of broad cooperation of Gdansk University of Technology with economic environment, many agreements were signed, among others with Pharmaceutical Company POLFARMA Ltd, VBW Clima Engineering, Lotos Group, Gdansk Business Club, Vector Ltd as well as with the City of Gdansk and Self-government of Pomerania Voivodeship. In order to develop the cooperation between the University and Pomerania enterprises, the Economic Council, as the consulting body, was established. It is worth mentioning that our students were awarded the prestigious scholarships for the academic year 2003/2004 within scholarship programme of General Electric Company (there were 5 students of Gdansk University of Technology among 15 laureates). The fruitful mutual cooperation results in student practices in the enterprises we cooperate with and in scholarships for students and Ph.D. students funded by Pharmaceutical Company and LOTOS Group.

Gdansk University of Technology is an executive unit of the project "Regional strategy of innovation for Pomerania Voivodeship" and a coordinator of the created consortium. The formal basis for the project is a decision No. 93/UM/DF/DRRP/03 of May 9, 2003 on carrying out the intentionat project of Scientific Research Committee under the above title and the agreement between Self-government of Pomerania Voivodeship and Gdansk University of Technology.

Graduates and staff members of Gdansk University of Technology took numerous responsible functions and positions in regional, central, parliamentary, governmental and non-governmental authorities and bodies. The professors of Gdansk University of Technology performed the most responsible state functions at educational department: Prof. Tomasz Biernacki was an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of National Education in 1978-1980, Prof. Edmund Wittbrodt - Minister of National Education in 2000-2001, and in other departments - Dr Henryk Majewski was a Minister of Home Affairs in the years 1990-1991, and lately Prof. Ryszard Krystek has been nominated as undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Infrastructure.

A kind of summing up of Gdansk University of Technology achievements can be the result of ranking by weekly "WPROST" in 1993 where our University took the 5th position among all the universities of Poland, and the 2nd position among all universities of technology. In "Newsweek" weekly ranking, made on the basis of employers' opinions, Gdansk University of Technology took, in 2003, the first place among all the Polish Universities of Technology and the fourth place in general classification among all state universities. In a ranking entitled "Managers' Breeding Ground" Gdansk University of Technology took the 12^th place.

Edmund Wiitbrodt