Joint meetings of the Councils of three universities
30.05.2023
Members of the Councils of the MUG, UG and GUT, member universities of FarU, held a joint meeting on 26th of May 2023 in the Senate Hall of the Medical University of Gdańsk. The director of the Association of Universities of Daniel Fahrenheit Prof. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Gdańsk Piotr Grzelak. The event was hosted by Paweł Orłowski, President of the MUG’s University Council. Also present were Prof. Michał Markuszewski, Vice-Rector for Science, Plenipotentiary of the MUG Rector for Fahrenheit Universities and Prof. Jacek Bigda, Vice-Rector for Development and Education, Acting Chancellor.
– We are meeting today at the Medical University of Gdańsk to talk about the combined potential of three Gdańsk universities – said Paweł Orłowski, while opening the meeting. – Universities have done a great job and we all hope that our joint venture will be a success.
At the beginning of the meeting, spoke also the Vice-Rector Prof. Michał Markuszewski.
– I am glad that we managed to make a series of joint meetings of the University Councils and I am convinced that it should be continued – said Prof. Michał Markuszewski. – The great thing is that the city authorities want to talk to us and be close to the academic community. This awareness gives us wings.
During the meeting, a number of topics regarding cooperation between the largest academic centers in Gdańsk and the city authorities and economic environment were discussed. Director of FarU Prof. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska gave a presentation entitled Benefits and challenges in the process of consolidating Gdańsk universities, in which she presented the assumptions and goals of the ongoing process and the current state of its implementation.
– The potential of the 3 universities consists of campuses located quite close to each other, numerous recently completed investments, 45,000 students, including foreign students from over 180 countries, 3,800 academics, as well as 4,000 researchers visiting us each year. Our 3 universities are a source of knowledge, innovation and experience as well as a hub of competences – argued prof. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska. – The simple combination of our potentials places our three universities in 3rd place in Poland and around 560th in the world.
Another issue raised during the meeting was the development of Gdańsk as an urban center. In a presentation devoted to this subject, Vice Mayor Piotr Grzelak discussed the adopted City Development Strategy – Gdańsk 2030 Plus, as well as the Development Programs currently being developed, in particular the Innovative City Programme.
– The city sees one of the greatest potentials in Fahrenheit Universities, comparable to EURO 2012 – said Piotr Grzelak. – Mutual relations can be built cross-sectionally, moreover, they do not concern only one goal. Many of the elements constituting the potential and strengths of the universities forming FarU are also included in various types of programs planned and implemented by the City.
The lectures delivered became the subject of discussion among the participants of the event. The main topics discussed were the Development Program Innovative City, and in particular its part devoted to the cooperation of science, administration and business, as well as the synergy of the city and the Fahrenheit University. Members of the University Councils also adopted a common position on the priorities, directions of action and strategic undertakings included in the assumptions of the Programme.
photo by Jakub Winiewski/MUG