The university leadership was represented by professor Paweł Strumiłło, Vice-Rector for Development, who, addressing the students, stated: 'Today's world is highly competitive, but still, and I am speaking from personal experience, there is value in making bold decisions and in trying to shape your future.’ With reference to the teaching and learning rooms funded by the business partners of the OiZet Faculty, he noted: ‘The way cooperation with business proceeds at the Faculty is a paragon of what cooperation should and can be. Having business partners' representatives present at the university sends a clear signal to applicants and students that certain skills and competences are well worth gaining to be later applied in pursuing one's professional goals whether in a company of their own or a multinational corporation.’
Dean of the Faculty, prof. Agnieszka Zakrzewska-Bielawska, underlining that this was the first gala of the kind, thus addressed Year 2023 graduates: 'You make us tremendously proud, and your successes, present and future, prove that we are committed to providing high standards of teaching and learning at the Faculty. You have been prepared and you are now ready to take on the challenges of the modern world.’ The Dean also expressed gratitude to the many business partners attending the Gala, for their trust, collaborative projects and initiatives, and for sharing their knowledge and experience.
Apart from the business representatives, the Gala was attended by a large number of guests, including representatives of the City Hall of Łódź, Marshal's Office of Łódzkie Voivodeship, as well as the University of Lodz and WSB Merito Universities. The Mayor of Łódź sent her congratulations.
Gala of Business Partners
During the business partners component of the Gala, words of gratitude were expressed to Klub 500, Lodz Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the District Labor Inspectorate, among others. Special words of appreciation were extended to the companies – business partners of the Faculty, whose representatives filled the auditorium.
Several representatives of the companies that make up the Business Council of the Faculty of OiZ were given the floor. The Chair of the Council, Mr. Mariusz Bielawski, member of the Board of Directors of Corning Optical Communications, stated that businesses, by opening their doors to students, surely help them become better prepared for their future professional careers, however, the business themselves also stand to gain the freshness and open-mindedness that graduates bring.
A short movie produced by the TUL Multimedia Center was shown depicting the close and friendly links with the economic environment, commented on not only by the Faculty leadership, but above all by the young generation, for whom it is a very important feature of their degree programs.
Four companies were recognized with awards, each in a different category. Pietrucha Group received the award for cooperation in scientific research, DOZ S.A. DIRECT Sp. K. for the highest number of theses completed in collaboration with the company in 2021-2023, and BROWIN and Corning Optical Communications for their policy to recruit graduates (for a medium and a large company, respectively). For these two companies graduates from the Faculty of OiZ represent 10 and 24 percent of the white-collar workforce, respectively.
Partner Biznesowy Roku 2023 (Business Partner 2023) is a special award category because the winner is decided by the vote of students. As befits a faculty that trains future executives, assessment included no fewer than 20 criteria, all pertaining to the activities the companies engage in in collaboration with the Faculty. Academic staff members and students nominated 25 companies. The winner, however, could only have been one: Corning Optical Communications.
Next, two lists were presented; one of the 10 best-rated companies and another of the 10 most recognized companies. Interestingly, the lists were not identical.
Gala of Graduates
Once the heavy dose of positive emotions associated with global and Polish business, the focus of the Gala shifted to the Faculty's academic community.
Three lecturers of the Faculty were recognized by the graduates, who voted for their winners in the following three categories: the Akademicki kompas statue (Academic Compass) was awarded to dr inż. Marek Sekieta. The Zawsze dla nas Award (I am Here for You) was given to dr Sebastian Bakalarczyk. Finally the title Kiler Roku (Killer of the Year) went to the stern but fair dr Adam Depta.
The highest-achieving students were presented with awards, whereas all graduates gather in the auditorium received their graduation certificates. The best graduates of the Class 2022/2023 by the field of study were: lic. Maria Adamkiewicz, lic. Julia Gruszczyńska and lic. Zuzanna Kwapisz (all graduated with a first degree in Business Studies), inż. Magdalena Durys (Management and Production Engineering), inż. Kamil Wysocki (Logistics), inż. Kinga Wiśniewska (Management Engineering), mgr Joanna Gwiazdowicz and mgr Klaudia Światek (both graduated with a degree in Master of Business Studies), and last but not least mgr Andrzej Grabowski (Management).
Natalia Grochal, who holds a first degree in Management and a second degree in Master of Business Studies, delivered a graduation speech in which she said: I am confident that we have gained broad knowledge and skills in management and have explored the topics and issues that are most relevant to us’. She went to describe how much Experience she had gained and how much hard work it demanded. She extended thanks to faculty members for the knowledge they had shared, the opportunities for growth and development, and for the support and respectful attitude.
This part of the event ended with the traditional throwing of graduation hats (a.k.a. mortarboards).
Afterwards, the Academic Choir of TUL gave an entertaining performance combining singing and choreography, which concluded the first Gala of Graduates and Business Partners of the Faculty of Organization and Management.